Google Creator Conversation, 2024

Google had a Creator’s Summit and invited a bunch of creators to hear their experiences with search. These creators were invited to provide feedback on what happened to them during the Helpful Content Update (where lots of people lost livelihoods, jobs, houses and more).

I talked to one of the creators that was there. And I read a few other accounts (this is a shorter and realistic account). They range from really negative, to understanding (I wouldn’t say happy).

THE GOOD: Googlers from all over the world were flown in to hear the creators. Although those engineers can’t divulge specifics to help people improve, Danny Sullivan did say that he doesn’t think it is their (the creators in attendance) content that is the problem but a ‘Google problem’. And it seemed they genuinely cared, which is unusual for a corporate feedback event. 

From Rutledge Daugette‘s lengthy post about the Google Creator Conversation. 

“Googlers listened intently to each of us, there was no one on their phones or distracted – they paid attention and they listened to our words. From what one of the other Creators told me post-event, he saw some that were tearing up or crying as they listened to some of our stories.”

THE BAD: there is nothing that will change immediately – and most are skeptical of this making an impact at all. The company has had since September 2022 to do something and they have not. 

From Mike Hardaker’s post on the matter: 

I’m 44 years old, luckily I don’t have a mortgage, I barely getting by, I’m eating at the food bank now, I had grossed $250,000 last year and I just don’t know where to go from here my traffic is down 97% …. I want to trust in Google, I want to trust in the process but this is really scary as a publisher and content creator.”

Mike also quoted Danny Sullivan that might be relevant for you if you are looking for pre-HCU numbers: 

“In August some of the sites saw recovery, but some people are saying I want to be back to where I was in September. I was talking to somebody and I said September is not coming back, the whole format of search results has changed.” ~ Danny Sullivan

THE UGLY: There are some negative views of everything from the invitation, to the invitees, to the googlers, the conference room and the food. You can read that here if you really want to.

WRAP UP The things I’d really like to know, is:

• Why does Forbes get all the top results (for unrelated matters too!), when will that change?
• Will the good sites that have been penalized recover? (see Kylie’s post for the answer)
• Is it in Google’s best interest to encourage long form content from independent publishers? (if it isn’t, then goodbye blogging)

The other questions I have are pretty much answered and there wasn’t anything new that I read. The jist is always the same – we need to work with google. If Google serves relevant results to searchers, then people will keep using it. Google is a company that wants to succeed just like any other.

So SEO boils down to being the best results for a particular search term, and if you don’t want to be hit by a future algorithm change, do not game the system or even look like you’re gaming the system.  

This is why I recommend against automated SEO plugins, and following any sort of posting template. Do NOT write just like everyone else. If it becomes common enough, google will start penalizing it. 

There is another client of ours that has lost most of her traffic in 2022, and she has been doing everything that the SEO’s recommend: including FAQ’s, process shots, how to, ingredient lists, and recipe cards… and writing only limited personal items and stories and keeping everything relevant to the food industry and the Keto niche that she is in…

We had a talk this week and she is now going to do what she loves(YAY!) She is going to write what she learns, what she is excited about, and what she would want to read.

This is not her sole source of income and she’s ready to make a change – to take a risk. I think this will make her unique, it will speak to her audience and keep readers interested. If she’s interested, they will be. I’ll let you know how it goes in a few months! But the worst thing that happens, is that she actually enjoys blogging again!