A friend and I were talking about how difficult it was to now find helpful, agenda-free content on Google. For example, google “should I use WordPress?” and the top results are from companies offering hosting services. And of course, they steer their content so you can buy WordPress hosting solutions through them.

One “hack” I learned was to add “reddit” to my search. For example googling “should I use WordPress reddit” will bring up more authentic, personal experiences from ordinary Joes and Janes instead of Corporation Inc.

Funnily enough, I’m not the only one using this reddit hack. This is a natural evolution as Google search is dying because Ads, SEO and AI have ruined it, muses DKB, who blogs about search engines.

Apparently, I belong to the rare 20% of those who think that Google search results suck.

On Aug 25, Google rolled out its “Helpful Content Update” with the aim of making the reddit hack unnecessary. (And maybe squash the “Google search is dead” rumours.)

The new search algorithim will be priotising websites that “create content for people, not for search engines.”

What this actually means — Google will favourably rank:

• People-first content and devalue content written specifically for search engines.
• Websites with a specific focus. In SEO/Website parlance, it means that from now on, your website must have a “content niche” to rank well.
• Articles that actually answer a question.
• Reviews that are not generic, but feature the writer’s personal experience

Your website will probably suffer in search rankings if:

• You churn out content that offer no unique opinions (goodbye content farms?)
• You write content that does not offer any answer to the question you’re supposed to answer. In other words, clickbait.
• Your website doesn’t have a niche. Instead it has unrelated content such as finance, writing and science fiction shows. (Lol sounds like my website, doesn’t it?)

According to The Verge, this means Google is “prioritizing original and authentic reviews over recycled information that passes around aggregator sites”.

A Google blog post highlights some of the industries affected by this update:

• Online education
• Arts and entertainment
• Shopping
• Tech-related content

These industries aren’t targeted per say — they have historically produced content that is written for the search engines.

From the Google blog: “For example, if you search for information about a new movie, you might have previously seen articles that aggregated reviews from other sites without adding perspectives beyond what’s available elsewhere. This isn’t very helpful if you’re expecting to read something new. With this update, you’ll see more results with unique, authentic information, so you’re more likely to read something you haven’t seen before.”

On the whole, this sounds like good news. With this update, content farms could be put out to pasture, listicles may be delisted and clickbait articles with empty promises will be fished out.

Goodbye nicheless, personal blogs?

However, let’s not kid ourselves. Despite Google’s “we are here for you” phrasing, we will still be creating content for the search engine. Sure, as long as we create content that meets people’s needs we will be rewarded … as long as we play by Google’s rules.

What I’m most concerned about this update is how it will impact people who writes a diverse range of topics on their websites. Nicheless websites. And that makes me really unhappy.

But Google asks: “Are you producing lots of content on different topics in hopes that some of it might perform well in search results?”

News flash — not all of us create lots of content on different topics so that we rank well in search. Many of us do it because we love to write about different topics.

For example, I blog about personal finance topics, writing and Chinese xian xia dramas for goodness sakes. Google has apparently branded me a miscreant.

In a blog post where I champion nicheless blogging, people who read the post literally said that they felt grateful that they didn’t have to niche, that it frees their creative soul and allows them to explore.

Nat Eliason, a web writer I really admire, is also nicheless, blogging about diverse topics from sex, to finance to SEO tactics and what more. His post about the benefits of a nicheless blog gave me the courage to continue on my rebellious path.

But if Google would have their way, they want me to comply and choose a niche or risk being buried.

In a write-up about the update, Search Engine Journal said, ” You can always build multiple websites if you desire to create content about different topics.”

Okay, thanks, privileged one. Do you know how costly and time-intensive it is to even maintain ONE website?

For companies or people who run their websites like a business, niching is natural. This update probably won’t impact them much, as long as they’re not doing naughty things like keyword stuffing, click baiting, or Google-forbid – blog outside their main topic.

But if you are an individual who loves to blog about a diverse range of topics like yours truly? Too bad.

As a writer who prizes creativity above all, I struggle with (okay, I detest) these limitations imposed on my writing.

And what about news sites? They don’t have a main niche either. I’m curious to see how this impacts the already-battered Fourth Estate, though there are some pockets online that argue news websites won’t be affected much. Most cry preferential treatment, but we shall see.

Perhaps I’m being overdramatic. After all, I have no idea if the Helpful Content Update will 100% doom nicheless blogs.

But I don’t see how these changes could be good for them.

Is Google Search for the common folk or corporations?

So, how can a hobby blogger compete with companies that have domain authority and bags of money invested in SEM? They probably can’t. And this update may just make things worse.

And therein lies my concern — the world wide web no longer belongs to the common people; has not for a long while. This update only strengthens the grip corporations and influencers have on content online.

I’ve written about my ennui about the state of blogging, how it has become a mostly profit- and agenda-driven enterprise. And I fear that personal blogging will wither even further. I’m talking about the agenda-free type of blogs, the journal entries where you get a sneak peak into a person’s life, the content written not for profit or promotion but for pleasure.

More people will head towards social media to share their life’s experiences … but I’m not a fan of my content sitting on social media. All the data mining, and the lack of control over my content is unnerving. That’s a big ol story for another day.

Sorry for being a Debbie Downer, but if I can offer one silver lining: At least we will see higher quality content rising up the ranks. Yeah, that’s it.

Will the reddit hack be rendered obsolete?

I guess time will tell, but I’m leaning towards, nah.

My blog content strategy moving forward

The big question I have for myself as a nicheless, semi-serious blogger is: Should I change my content strategy?

My original plan for elizabethtai.com was to highlight my expertise as a writer. I have big plans to use it as a home to power my writing career — freelance, fulll-time or what not.

Right now, the content on this website is dominated by my personal finance posts. Should I move that content out of the blog and start a new blog? Yet, I got my freelance work with major financial companies because of the finance content I wrote on my blog.

How can I highlight my expertise without confusing google? Is my mix of essays on productivity, finance and writing too confusing for Google?

As much as I hate to bow down to the will of Google, several changes lately have made me reconsider making this website the main home for everything me.

One: Squarespace will be raising its annual price to US$120 from the US$96 I’ve enjoyed for over 5 years. With the ringgit being as weak as it is, it’s becoming increasingly expensive to maintain the website. As much as I love Squarespace, it is making me a little nervous to be so dependent on it.

Two: I hate to say it but something about the Squarespace template is tanking my SEO. And I can’t really do anything about it. I’m increasingly itchy for more control.

Three: This Google update only increases the pressure for me to have more of a focus on my website, if I want to attract future writing clients or jobs.

Here’s what I will do with my websites:

• elizabethtai.com – will remain the place where I “learn in public”. As it is the heart of my “online reputation”, I need Google’s love, so I will limit my categories to personal finance and all things writing. Is this niched enough for you, Google?
• taiweiland.com — my much-neglected fiction website where I showcase my books. Here I am going to let loose! Television and movie reviews, flash fiction, cats, dogs, that vacation in the alps! (I wish) It’ll be more journal-like.
• malaysia2adelaide — my online journal about my 2-year Adelaide adventure. No longer updated. I’m tempted to convert it into a book one day.

Conclusion: Google doesn’t like unnecessary creations.

And that’s sad. Raw, unsculpted human memories will fade away from the world wide web and the Internet will be poorer for it.

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