Google has replaced the Google Webmaster Guidelines with the Google Search Essentials. The name change is Google's ongoing efforts to remove the term "webmaster" so that these tools and documentation do not narrow the focus to just "webmasters," but expands it to publishers, site owners, developers, creators, and so on.
Before I even started blogging (which was in 2003), Google launched the Google Webmaster Guidelines back in 2002 - yes, two decades ago. The name stuck for 20 years but now Google decided it was time to change the name and refresh the guidelines in a very big way.
What Changed
Google changed more than just the name, Google also changed the overall format, added clearer terms and examples and also tried to simplify them for easier consumption. Google explained they updated the:
- Technical requirements: It is a new section to help people understand how to publish content in a format that Google can index and access.
- Spam policies: Google updated its guidance for its policies against spam, to help site owners avoid creating content that isn't helpful for people using Google Search. Google explained that most of the content in these spam policies has already existed on Google Search Central in the "Quality Guidelines", Google did make a few additions to provide clearer guidance and concrete examples for issues like deceptive behavior, link spam, online harassment, and scam and fraud.
- Key best practices: Google published new guidance with key best practices that people can consider when creating sites, to create content that serves people and will help a site be more easily found through Google Search.
The new spam section has content on:
- New deceptive behavior related-topics such as misleading functionality
- New section on other behaviors that can lead to demotion and or removal, such as online harassment, and scam and fraud
- Consolidated topics related to link spam and thin content
Drilling in, here is the list of changes from Google:
- Google Search Essentials: Replaces the Webmaster Guidelines overview page. It includes new sections: technical requirements, spam policies, and key best practices.
- Google Search technical requirements: Covers what Google needs from a web page to show it in Google Search.
- Spam policies for Google web search: Replaces the Quality Guidelines section of the Webmaster Guidelines. It’s been rewritten to cover more relevant examples and use more precise language. Notable updates include:
- Link spam: Consolidates previous pages on Paid links and Link schemes.
- Malware and malicious behaviors: Consolidates information that was previously in the Security section on our site.
- Hacked content: Consolidates information that was previously in the Security section on our site.
- Thin affliliate pages: Consolidates previous pages on Thin content and Affiliate programs.
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content: This document consolidates advice from the helpful content blog post and the core updates post; none of the content is new.
SEO Community Diving In
Here are some of the observations made from the SEO community on the changes here, mostly from Marie Haynes and Glenn Gabe:
Under technical requirements:
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
"There are actually very few technical things you need to do to a web page; most sites pass the technical requirements without even realizing it." pic.twitter.com/toF3W6cBxm
Nice that Google added "Spammy" to autogenerated content. It used to just say "autogenerated content intended to manipulate search rankings. Again, this is a tough area for Google with AI writing software on the move. :) pic.twitter.com/YppvHrEg0i
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) October 13, 2022
Spam policies can lead to an entire site being ranked lower or completely omitted from Google search. pic.twitter.com/ud80KOAfRh
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
Google also included "Thin" in the guideline for affiliate pages. They did have "thin" in the description in the past, but I think it's a good idea they added "thin" in the specific guideline title. Avoids confusion with affiliate content vs. thin affiliate content. pic.twitter.com/aWGdMCQH2Y
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) October 13, 2022
Also, "Misleading functionality" is new. "Site owners intend to manipulate search ranking by intentionally creating sites w/misleading functionality & services that trick users into thinking they would be able to access some content or services but in reality can not." pic.twitter.com/h6yPyUxosM
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) October 13, 2022
The first key best practice is to create helpful, reliable people first content.https://t.co/F8Xnaclkzs
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
Looks like this document is the former core update questions questions plus more😍 pic.twitter.com/kJc9pLrZDO
They added new questions
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
-do you have an existing audience?🤔
-does your content clearly demonstrate expertise? pic.twitter.com/k14KiKxNZF
Does your site have a primary focus?
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
Does content fulfill searcher's goal?
Will the reader leave feeling satisfied? pic.twitter.com/9ceRXni5Dp
And more questions to ensure we're not creating content just for search engines.
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
These look like they are the helpful content update questions. pic.twitter.com/yYRKw5Cmcv
Don't worry. Google doesn't hate SEO. pic.twitter.com/EYn2NTmsJh
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
"our systems give even more weight to content that aligns with strong E-A-T for topics that could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society."
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
There are more key best practices
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
Use words ppl would use.
Place them in prominent places.
Make links crawlable.
Tell people about your site, like in forums related to your topic. pic.twitter.com/pdwKGxI8h3
And lastly
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐼 (@Marie_Haynes) October 13, 2022
Follow best practices for images, videos, structured data and JavaScript
There's a lot more under "how your site appears" as well. pic.twitter.com/YqS4U2rraJ
That nothing's changed. pic.twitter.com/cqBl7IYvM6
— Rohan Ayyar (@searchrook) October 13, 2022
Relevant new section about what G considers spam:
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) October 13, 2022
"A site that claims to provide certain functionality (for example, PDF merge, countdown timer, online dictionary service), but intentionally leads users to deceptive ads rather than providing the claimed services"
it's essential you look at this 👀 https://t.co/l1r31o38Ix
— Lizzi (@okaylizzi) October 13, 2022
An update on Google's Webmaster Guidelines ...
— ⛰ johnmu is not a cat ⛰ (@JohnMu) October 13, 2022
... they're now called Search Essentials, and split into technical requirements, spam policies, and key best practices. The content is largely the same as before. Check them out, & update your links :-). https://t.co/gOTnj7QvC0
It wouldn't be a bad thing, but regardless, pretty much nobody in the corporate world calls themselves a "webmaster" anymore. It's outdated terminology. https://t.co/6hSMsNSm7v
— ⛰ johnmu is not a cat ⛰ (@JohnMu) October 13, 2022
Yeah, some of those have a lot of historical significance, I think "webmaster" never really got there, people moved on fairly quickly. (That said, even things of historical significance can be improved - just because something's old doesn't mean it's still appropriate today)
— ⛰ johnmu is not a cat ⛰ (@JohnMu) October 13, 2022
How does that contradict that?
— ⛰ johnmu is not a cat ⛰ (@JohnMu) October 14, 2022
(and first good morning, and the statement that you are not a cat must be true, as you are an early bird 😀)
— Rüdiger Dalchow (@RuedigerDalchow) October 14, 2022
thanks that clarfies it for me. :-) Never really understood why to waste time on chasing low-quality links anyway.
— Rüdiger Dalchow (@RuedigerDalchow) October 14, 2022
Forum discussion at Twitter.
