New Google Guidelines for Website Owners

As a Marketing Agency in the UK, SEO is one of our specialities, it is our job to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments. So, when Google announced new changes to its guidelines, we were eager to provide an analysis. We understand the importance of staying up-to-date with algorithm changes, so what follows is a closer look at how UK website owners can benefit from these updates. In the UK, SEO is an ever-changing entity, as we must constantly adapt to changes and trends. Therefore, it is important to stay flexible in order to provide the best SEO services in the UK.

New Google Guidelines for Site Owners

What's Happened?

Google recently released a press release detailing their changes. Written by Lizzi and Gary at Google "Refreshed Guidelines for Site Owners", their article details the changes and what impact it has on businesses.

In 2002 we launched a page with a set of guidelines for site owners that gave an overview of best practices when it came to building a site. We called this page "Webmaster Guidelines" and it's been with us ever since. Since then we added a lot of information to these guidelines to help site owners build the site that's right for their users who visit through Google Search.

A lot has changed since 2002, so today we're launching a refreshed, simplified version of the Webmaster Guidelines, and we're changing its name as well.

Introducing the Google Search Essentials

We moved away from using the term "webmaster" in the name of this site (stop looking: it's Search Central) and the only remainder was the "Webmaster Guidelines". As we mentioned previously, "webmaster" is an outdated term and very few people identify with it. For the new name we wanted something generic, something that's not focusing on just one slice of our visitors, but rather all creators on the internet who wish to see their content in Google Search. We also wanted the new name to highlight the importance of the points covered on these pages. That's how we landed on the new name: Google Search Essentials.

What's changed?

The refresh comes with a few changes. Since the whole Search Central site is, by definition, a set of guidelines and best practices, we simplified the site by moving many of the former guidelines to specific sections where they belong. Then, we introduced a categorization of the points covered in the former Webmaster Guidelines:

• Technical requirements

• Spam policies

• Key best practices

A new focused section on the technical requirements

The technical requirements are few and simple: publish content in a format that Google can index, and allow Google to access that content. This is the bare minimum for getting into Google's search results; we do realize however that there's more to getting your site indexed and served, and we encourage creators to also think about the key best practices.

Spam Policies: more examples and new topics

The spam policies cover common forms of spam and behavior that could lead to a site ranking lower or not appearing at all in Google web search results. Most topics were taken from the former "Quality Guidelines" and other closely related existing guidelines published on Search Central that were originally stand-alone, like malware and hacked content. The new additions and notable modifications are:

• 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

We asked the Search Quality team to rewrite the content to address spam that they see on the internet today, and when possible, use more precise language, and add more concrete examples that are relevant in 2022. We believe that they delivered and the new version will help site owners avoid creating content that Search users absolutely hate.

Contact Us

If you're a business based in the UK, our SEO services in the UK are invaluable to you. In the UK, it is important to stand out. One way in doing this in the UK is SEO. In the UK, SEO can help you rank higher on Google and show your content to the right people. At our SEO company in the UK, we know that SEO is an important aspect of running a website as it ensures that your content and products or services are reaching the correct audience and generating leads. At Phoenix Marketing we provide extensive SEO services in the UK, we have a dedicated team of UK SEO professionals that are well-versed in the latest changes to Google's guidelines and can optimise your website for success.

Aside from providing UK SEO services, we also provide a wide array of digital marketing services, including content marketing, social media marketing, and website design. Contact our expert team today to get started on boosting your UK business' SEO and digital presence.

We hope this refreshed version of Google Search Essentials helps you create experiences that are right for your users who visit through Google Search. If you have any questions or would like further assistance with UK SEO, Phoenix Marketing is standing by and ready to help! Get in touch today to start unlocking the potential of UK SEO and our SEO services in the UK. Best of luck!