Does the 'helpful content update' favor long-form or short-form content for technical blogs?

All answers to this question.

Word count is no longer a ranking factor; "Information Gain" is. If you can answer a user's question in 500 words and provide a better experience than a 2,000-word fluff piece, you will rank higher. Google is looking for "E-E-A-T" (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Don’t write for a length target; write to solve the user's problem. If a topic requires 3,000 words to be "helpful," go for it. If it's a simple definition, keep it short and use a clear "Summary" box at the top.

   Answered 2024-11-12 by Patricia Moore

Are you checking your "People Also Ask" (PAA) sections? Those are a goldmine for understanding exactly what "helpful" means for your specific keywords.

   Answered 2024-11-13 by Robert Drake

• Robert, I’ve started doing that! I noticed for our "Cyber Security" keywords, users want very specific "How-to" steps rather than broad history lessons. I’m shifting our strategy to include more bulleted lists and direct answers at the start of our posts. It seems to be helping our "Featured Snippet" capture rate, which I guess is the ultimate sign of "helpful" content.

     Commented 2024-11-14 by Kevin Parker

Focus on "First-hand experience." If you can add a personal case study or original data, Google’s AI will prioritize you over generic AI-generated text.

   Answered 2024-11-15 by Linda Evans

• Spot on, Linda. Originality is the best defense against the wave of AI content. Unique insights are what Google's "Helpful Content" system is literally designed to find.

     Commented 2024-11-16 by Patricia Moore