On Twitter, a user (@iambrandonsalt) inquired about the lack of visibility for their articles, prompting Google’s Search Liaison to provide an unexpected mini-site audit highlighting areas requiring attention.
“Does anyone have an explanation to why some of our articles are not showing up in the SERPs… at all?
I’ll update the article with new info, it pops back in and ranks well, then disappears again.
This is happening to lots of our great content, it’s very frustrating :(“
Subsequently, the individual shared the website’s URL in question, prompting a response from the Search Liaison.
Google Search Liaison’s Brief Website Assessment
Search Liaison’s concise evaluation identified three potential issues contributing to the site’s poor performance in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Insights Into Why a Webpage May Be Underperforming in SERPs
Outlined below are four aspects highlighted by Search Liaison. It’s important to note that these insights may not directly correlate with actual ranking factors.
Nonetheless, it’s advisable to heed their advice. With nearly 28 years of experience in the search industry, Search Liaison, also known as Danny Sullivan, brings a unique perspective from both inside and outside Google, making his guidance particularly valuable.
Highlighted Content Concerns:
- Lack of Clearly Defined Original Content
- Inadequate Demonstration of Expertise Through Content
- Subpar Content Quality
- Outdated and Ineffective Content
These are the primary factors identified by Search Liaison as contributing to the webpage’s challenges in achieving a higher ranking in SERPs.
Emphasis on Originality
Below is his post containing the precise details:
Here’s the section where he highlighted the apparent absence of original content:
“Took a look. Will share a few things that maybe might be generally helpful. At first glance, it wasn’t clear to me that there was much original content here.
It looks and feels at first glance like a typical “here’s a bunch of product pages.”
I really had to go into it further to understand there’s original stuff going on.”
Having original content is important, and it should be easily discernible. When Search Liaison mentioned that the page resembled “a bunch of product pages,” it seemed to suggest that the content merely listed features. While one can rephrase product features, this doesn’t inherently make the content original. While the wording may be fresh and distinctive, the essence of the message remains unoriginal.
Expanding on Search Liaison’s observation, I would also note the absence of any indication that the content author has firsthand experience with the product, which is relevant to expertise.
Does the Content Shows Expertise?
Indeed! Search Liaison also addressed the aspect of expertise.
He expressed:
“Deck 1, 4 and 9 have long video reviews, it looks like — so cool, you’ve used them, have experiences to share. That’s all great. Maybe make that a bit clearer to the reader? But … it could also be me.”
What Search Liaison might be implying is that upon reading the content, there’s an absence of descriptions regarding the physical attributes of the product. Is it lightweight? Does it offer a comfortable grip? Does it convey a sense of quality? The content predominantly comprises a catalog of product features, and a writing style that fails to convey experiential insight.
Disappointing Content
An important aspect of content is its ability to meet the reader’s expectations. Reader satisfaction holds such significance that the Google Search Quality Raters Guide shows its importance for the main content (MC):
“Consider the extent to which the MC is satisfying and helps the page achieve its purpose.”
This is what SearchLiaison said:
This is what SearchLiaison said:
“But most of the other devices … don’t exist yet.
You’re promising the reader that these are the best alternatives for 2024. And maybe some of these will be, but if they don’t exist yet, that’s potentially a bummer and unsatisifying to people coming to this page?
Maybe those upcoming devices belong a page about — upcoming devices?”
Outdated Content
One of the concerns highlighted by Search Liaison is the presence of content that is no longer current, leading to unfulfilled promises. The issue with certain content, as noted by Search Liaison, is precisely its outdated nature.
SearchLiaison observed:
“You also mentioned updating the page and … it feels out-of-date, so what’s being updated on it?
“As of today (April 22nd) the Rog Ally is not out yet, and it was just announced on April 1st” is on the article dated today, Jan 29, and you’d said on Jan 27 this page has also been updated, so what significant change is actually happening to warrant a new byline date?
“At the time of writing, the Lenovo Legion Go isn’t currently out, but all signs are pointing towards an October 2023 release date” — same thing, confusing to be out-of-date on a page claiming to be fresh as of today.
“The IndieGoGo pages goes live on September 5th, so bookmark it and get ready to make a very wise purchase!” — again, out-of-date.”
Google Says No Perfect Formula for Determining Search Rankings
Guidance Is not a Ranking Factor
Search Liaison concluded his assessment by clarifying that his advice should not be construed as definitive ranking factors but rather aspects that typically align with what Google seeks.
“Clearly, you put work into some of the video reviews.
Maybe that needs to be more evident with some of the written write-ups. And mixing out-of-date info on a page that claims to be fresh isn’t a great experience.
It’s not that any or all of these things are direct ranking factors, and changing them won’t guarantee to move you up.
But the systems overall are designed to reward reliable helpful content meant for people, so the more this page aligns with that goal, the more you’re potentially going to be successful with it.”
Critiquing one’s site can be challenging, making it beneficial to seek an external perspective. A comprehensive site audit isn’t always necessary; even evaluating a single page can yield valuable insights.
Would you like to read more about “Updates on Branding and Keywords in Google’s SEO Starter Guide” related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
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