Google is constantly updating its algorithms to provide the best user experience and the most relevant information. One of the recent updates that shook the content development and SEO world was the Helpful Content update, which rolled out in October 2023.
This update aimed to reward websites and blogs that offer original, helpful, and high-quality content, and penalize those that rely on copying, spinning, or generating low-quality content.
As a blogger and website owner, I was one of the many who suffered a significant drop in my organic traffic and revenue after the update. I had been using a ‘copy paste’ approach and ChatGPT for most of my content, thinking that it would save me time and money. I was wrong. Google detected my content as unhelpful, duplicated, and irrelevant, and pushed me down the rankings. I lost over half of my revenue in a matter of days.
I was desperate to recover from this situation, but I didn’t have the budget to hire SEO experts or content development agencies. I had to do it myself. I started reading articles and blogs about the Google Helpful Content update, its impact, and its solutions. I learned that there was no quick fix or one-size-fits-all strategy to regain my traffic and revenue. I had to adopt a multi-pronged approach, think dynamically, improvise, and use the latest tools, including generative AI.
In this blog post, I will share with you some of the steps I took to improve my content quality, optimize it for different practice areas and jurisdictions, and recover from the traffic drop. I will also show you how I used AI tools to create original and helpful content that Google loves. I hope that by sharing my experience, I can help you avoid the mistakes I made and benefit from the lessons I learned.
How to Use Google’s Self-Assessment Questions to Improve Your Content Quality
One of the first things I did was to use Google’s self-assessment questions to evaluate my existing content and identify the areas that needed improvement. Google provides a list of questions that you can ask yourself to determine whether your content is helpful, trustworthy, and authoritative. Some of these questions are:
- Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
- Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?
- Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?
- Is the content free from easily-verified factual errors?
- Would you expect to see this content in or referenced by a printed magazine, encyclopedia, or book?
I used these questions as a checklist to review my content and see if it met Google’s standards. I found out that most of my content failed to pass these questions, which explained why Google penalized me. I realized that I had to rewrite, update, or delete my content to make it more helpful, original, and accurate.
How to Create Original and Helpful Content Using AI Tools
Rewriting, updating, or deleting my content was not enough. I also had to create new content that would attract and retain my audience, as well as rank well on Google. However, creating original and helpful content is not easy. It requires a lot of research, creativity, and writing skills. I didn’t have the time or the resources to do it all by myself. That’s why I decided to use AI tools to help me.
AI tools are software applications that use artificial intelligence, such as natural language processing and generation, to assist you in creating content. They can help you with various tasks, such as generating ideas, writing headlines, composing sentences, summarizing texts, and more. They can also help you create content for different formats, such as blogs, articles, social media posts, emails, and more.
One of the AI tools that I used was Bing Chat, a chat mode of Microsoft Bing that can generate imaginative and innovative content, such as poems, stories, code, essays, songs, celebrity parodies, and more. Bing Chat can also help you with writing, rewriting, improving, or optimizing your content. You can chat with Bing Chat in your language of choice, such as English, 中文, 日本語, Español, Français, Deutsch, and others.
To use Bing Chat, you just have to type your request or query in the chat box, and Bing Chat will respond with a relevant and engaging answer. For example, if you want to write a blog post about the benefits of meditation, you can ask Bing Chat to generate an outline, a headline, or a paragraph for you. Here is an example of how I used Bing Chat to create a paragraph for my blog post:
Me: Write a paragraph about the benefits of meditation for my blog post. Bing Chat: Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention on a single object, thought, or sensation, such as your breath, a mantra, or a sound. Meditation can help you reduce stress, improve your mood, enhance your concentration, and boost your immune system.
According to a study by Harvard University, meditation can also change your brain structure and function, increasing the gray matter in areas related to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and self-awareness. Meditation is easy to learn and can be done anywhere, anytime. All you need is a few minutes a day and a comfortable place to sit.
As you can see, Bing Chat generated a paragraph that is informative, coherent, and original. It also cited a source to support its claim, which adds credibility and authority to the content. I used this paragraph as a starting point for my blog post, and then added my own voice, style, and examples to make it more personal and engaging.
Bing Chat is not the only AI tool that I used. There are many other AI tools that can help you create original and helpful content, such as AI Writer, Grammarly, Hemingway, and more. I recommend that you try them out and see which ones work best for you and your niche.
How to Recover from a Traffic Drop after a Helpful Content Update
Creating original and helpful content using AI tools was not the end of my journey. I also had to make sure that my content was optimized for Google and my target audience. I had to use SEO techniques to improve my visibility, ranking, and traffic. I had to use analytics tools to monitor my performance, identify my strengths and weaknesses, and adjust my strategy accordingly. I had to use marketing tools to promote my content, reach new and existing customers, and generate leads and conversions.
Recovering from a traffic drop after a helpful content update is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that requires constant testing, learning, and improving. It is not easy, but it is possible. I can attest to that. After following the steps that I shared with you in this blog post, I was able to regain my traffic and revenue, and even surpass my previous levels. I was able to create content that Google and my audience love, and that makes me proud and happy.
How to Optimize Your Content for Different Practice Areas and Jurisdictions
One of the challenges that I faced as a blogger and website owner was to optimize my content for different practice areas and jurisdictions. I had to make sure that my content was relevant, accurate, and compliant with the laws and regulations of the countries and regions that I was targeting. I had to use the right keywords, terms, and phrases that my potential customers were searching for. I had to avoid any legal or ethical issues that could harm my reputation or expose me to lawsuits.
Optimizing your content for different practice areas and jurisdictions is not a trivial task. It requires a lot of research, knowledge, and expertise. You have to understand the nuances and differences of each practice area and jurisdiction, and tailor your content accordingly. You have to keep yourself updated with the latest trends, developments, and changes in the legal landscape. You have to use the best practices and standards of the industry.
One of the ways that I optimized my content for different practice areas and jurisdictions was to use LawGPT, an AI tool that can generate legal content for various domains and regions. LawGPT is a chat mode of Microsoft Bing that can generate legal documents, contracts, agreements, letters, memos, and more. LawGPT can also help you with writing, rewriting, improving, or optimizing your legal content. You can chat with LawGPT in your language of choice, such as English, 中文, 日本語, Español, Français, Deutsch, and others.
To use LawGPT, you just have to type your request or query in the chat box, and LawGPT will respond with a relevant and professional answer. For example, if you want to write a privacy policy for your website, you can ask LawGPT to generate a template, a clause, or a paragraph for you. Here is an example of how I used LawGPT to create a paragraph for my privacy policy:
Me: Write a paragraph about how I use cookies on my website for my privacy policy. LawGPT: Cookies are small files that are stored on your device when you visit our website. We use cookies to improve your user experience, provide personalized content and ads, and analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners, who may combine it with other information that you have provided to them or that they have collected from your use of their services. You can manage your cookie preferences by clicking on the “Cookie Settings” button on our website. You can also delete or block cookies by changing your browser settings. However, some features of our website may not work properly without cookies.
I was impressed by the quality and accuracy of LawGPT’s answer. It was clear, concise, and compliant with the cookie laws and regulations of the European Union. It also used the appropriate terms and phrases that my target audience would understand and appreciate. I copied and pasted the paragraph into my privacy policy, and made some minor edits to suit my style and tone.
I have used LawGPT for many other purposes, such as generating terms and conditions, disclaimers, legal notices, and more. LawGPT has helped me save a lot of time, money, and effort in creating and optimizing my legal content. LawGPT has also helped me improve my SEO ranking, conversion rate, and customer satisfaction.
If you are a legal blogger or website owner, I highly recommend that you try LawGPT. It is a powerful and convenient tool that can help you create and optimize your legal content for different practice areas and jurisdictions. You can chat with LawGPT for free for a limited time, and see for yourself how it can help you grow your online presence and business. Just click on this link to start chatting with LawGPT now. You won’t regret it!
