On March 5, 2024, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan announced an addition to Google’s support documentation. This addition includes information on how Google uses various signals to identify helpful content.
In the new Helpful Content FAQ page, Google states that there is no single system for identifying helpful content. This statement coincides with the March 2024 update, in which Google announced multiple changes to its core systems.
Google stated in its developer documentation:
“Just as we use multiple systems to identify reliable information, we have enhanced our core ranking systems to show more helpful results using a variety of innovative signals and approaches. There's no longer one signal or system used to do this, and we've also added a new FAQ page to help explain this change.”
Additionally, Google clarifies in the new FAQ page that its core ranking systems primarily assess the helpfulness of content on a page level. However, some site-wide signals are also considered.
In terms of removing unhelpful content, Google states that the practice might help your site rank better if you have a large amount of unhelpful content on your site.
“Our systems work primarily at the page level to show the most helpful content we can, even if that content is on sites also hosting unhelpful content. This said, having relatively high amounts of unhelpful content might cause other content on the site to perform less well in Search, to a varying degree. Removing unhelpful content might contribute to your other pages performing better.”
However, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable in September 2023, removing content does not guarantee higher rankings. However, John Mueller's posts stating that fact no longer exist.
Sullivan stated in an X post in August 2023:
“Are you deleting content from your site because you somehow believe Google doesn't like "old" content? That's not a thing! Our guidance doesn't encourage this. Older content can still be helpful, too.”
The Helpful Content FAQ page has been designed to assist individuals who aim to improve the ranking of their content. Google strives to maintain transparency about its ranking systems.
