September 2023 Helpful Content Update (#3)

The first Helpful Content Update in August 2022 only affected English-language websites. The second Helpful Content Update in December 2022 extended it to websites in all languages.

For this third Helpful Content Update in September 2023 Google has modified the language in their helpful content system documentation so now instead of "content written by people for people" it just says "content created for people." They also changed a phrase that used to be "Is this content written by an expert" to "Is this content written or reviewed by an expert".

Google also modified other portions of the helpful content documentation:

• New guidance about hosting third-party content on your site
• New points about changing dates or removing content
• More explanation on what to do after a helpful content system update

Google hasn't officially announced the purpose of Helpful Content Update #3 but it seems like they have refined the definition and scope. You should carefully review the helpful content documentation and consider how it may apply to your site.

Significant ranking and visibility changes on Google Search

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Remove unhelpful content and replace it with content meant to help users:

• Follow Google’s quality guidelines‍‍
• Learn what Google considers a high-quality website
• Use SEO best practices to help searchers find your site
• Make sure your content is helpful for your audience