Google Update and Rename Webmaster Guidelines to Google Search Essentials
What you NEED to know about this important update.
Stay up to date with the latest Google information so you can be on top of it and rank better.
In one of the more significant updates to this document over the years, Google acknowledges the web has changed a lot in two decades. This revamp reflects the changing nature of the internet and Google itself.
- What is in the Search Essentials?
- What has changed?
- What does this mean for you?
- How should you proceed?
What is in the Search Essentials?
The Search Essentials are broken down into three main sections;
Let’s dive into each of those areas and explore what they mean.
Technical Requirements
The fact that Technical Requirements is the first section points to the strong need for good Technical SEO setup.
Spam Policies
The specific mention and dedicated section to Spam Policies is something that will raise a few eyebrows. Google has always been very proactive at going after spam and is a big part of their algorithm. Ignore these guidelines at your peril.
Key Best Practices
Best Practices are exactly that, so it makes sense to follow them, while also being cognisant that they may not be applicable or as effective in your specific niche, so you should always test thoroughly.
The key best practices section cites a lot of information related to what you would typically expect, such as good accessibility, correct semantic structure, making sure things are crawlable and general SEO best practices.
What is significant and new is the mention of helpful content is the first best practice. With Google’s recent addition of the helpful content update, it’s no surprise that this features prominently in the Search Essentials.
What has changed?
A lot has changed, indeed a lot has changed on the internet and with Google search over the past two decades so it is right that the document should be updated and refreshed to reflect modern search and a modern search engine.
Gone are the days of one keyword per page and stuffing headings with as many keywords as you can. Modern SEO is all about providing the best quality user experience and positioning as a topical authority.
What does this mean for you?
It always makes sense to read Google’s publications and follow along with their research so you have a good understanding of the current and future direction of search.
How should you proceed?
If you want to be ranking at the top of Google, you need to make sure you are addressing all of the best practices mentioned in the search essentials and following the guidelines to produce the best possible web publication you can.