Allow Me to Rock Your Google & Keyword Research World
Okay, I really am going to be QUICK for once.
I’ve been involved in a lot of chats on other platforms over the last day or two.
And what I’m about to say is ALL based on assumption and supposition.
Okay, I guess that some may be aware that there is another Google CORE update that started yesterday.
A couple of points to make.
If you got “hit” (you KNOW it’s NOT really a punishment, right? Just feels like it) in the Helpful Content Update or the SPAM update DO NOT expect things to magically change this week.
More often than not, if you’ve been “hit” during a specifically NAMED update, no matter what improvements you make to your site in line with Google’s Helpful Content and SPAM guidelines and policies, you shouldn’t expect drastic changes until the next time that SPECIFICALLY-NAMED algorithm update comes about again, i.e, you got “hit” during Helpful Content Update you won’t see improvements until the NEXT Helpful Content Update.
>>>Google Helpful Content Guidelines
If I had to guess, I would say that there will be a Helpful Content Update in the first quarter of next year.
So, continue working on your improvements, but don’t expect any drastic changes for a good 4-5 months, if at all (my “slight” recovery from the Helpful Content Update of 2022 took 13 MONTHS ←— how much do you really want this?)
Now, it’s often assumed that CORE updates focus on everything, but in reality, they SEEM TO focus on just one type of website, which is why we have multiple CORE updates throughout the year.
Here comes the assumptions and supposition:
This November CORE is probably going to be focused on INFORMATIONAL websites.
So, these are websites that don’t really promote affiliate products, but rather solely focus on providing information within a niche and then monetize another way.
So, for the vast majority of Wealthy Affiliate members, don’t expect much to happen during this CORE update (over the next 5-6 days)
PRODUCT REVIEW UPDATE NEXT WEEK
SHOCKED??
However, it appears that there will be a PRODUCT REVIEW update NEXT WEEK (maybe the week after, but Google states that they try to avoid Updates during the HOLIDAY season, Thanksgiving & Christmas, etc.).
This is typically aimed at “thin” affiliate content, whereby the information provided in your product reviews is not much different to what can be found on the sales page of the product, and more-and-more, this will be aimed at those who show little experience of USING the products they are promoting.
Basically, what additional VALUE can you provide your readers that they WON'T FIND on the affiliate sales page?
I’m NOT scaremongering, just forewarning you.
(Are Your AI-Assisted or AI-Written Product Reviews Doing This?)
Try This “Keyword Research” Method
Okay finally, I’m working and testing a new(ish) (Not Really, it's just a bit different to what I already do) keyword research method.
Basically, if Google wants to rank User Generated Content, such as Quora, Reddit, & Forums, they also have SEARCH BARS.
Guess what, you can do “Autosuggest/Autocomplete” Keyword Research on these platforms.
So, take one of my 49 question words or phrases from THIS BLOG POST (‘ll place the list further down the page on this blog post) head over to let’s say Reddit, type a question word or phrase into the search bar.
Then place an asterisk after your question word/phrase and then something related to your niche.
Here’s an example that I’ve completed on Reddit for my Exercise Site
I simply typed in
Why * Bodybuilders
Now, I want to find a POPULAR conversation thread, so the top one here looks fantastic.
4.5K upvoted and 580 comments
That’s POPULAR.
Now, Google wants “People First” content and that you “DON’T WRITE FOR SEARCH ENGINES”
So, I have been creating articles WITHOUT any thought towards “keywords” (I’m writing about a general topic - so this topic is “Why Do Bodybuilders Have Weird Bicep Veins?”)As many of you know, I don’t really use SEO plugins, so I have no need to try to score 100/100 or get GREEN on an SEO plugin.
I will still have RELATED subheadings within my article, but I’m NOT going to try to squeeze in keywords just for the sake of it.
I will still have an “Answer Snippet” as I have always taught, which is a block of text of approximately 40-70 words straight after my introduction which ANSWERS THE QUERY POSED IN THE TITLE OF MY ARTICLE.
Then, I just write naturally.
Look, if you’ve been “hit” in recent updates, or you’re not getting much traffic to your site, why not just try it for your next 10 articles?
Nothing ventured, Nothing gained.
You can also use the Autosuggest/Autocomplete functions for article and topic (and keyword) ideas on VARIOUS platforms.
- Do the same over at Quora?
- Find Niche-Related Forums and use their search bar for autosuggest/autocomplete “keyword” research
- You can try YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Sure, their autosuggest/autocomplete search results are usually aimed at the platform itself BUT you’ll still get a LOT of article and topic ideas.
Just write with the reader in mind, don’t try to write for Search Engines, and see what happens.
And finally, here’s the question words and phrases you can use for your autosuggest/autocomplete keyword research.
Take one, type it into a search bar on whatever platform you’re using, place an asterisk afterwards, and then a word or phrase related to your niche.
Thank You For Reading
Partha
Recent Comments
43
Great approach, Partha! 👍
I think we have to be more focused on directing readers to our site through UGC and/or video, at least for some niches.
In the guitar niche, much of the info on sites like Reddit and Quora is based on the opinion of inexperienced players with little or no expertise.
When someone like me, who has been playing the guitar for 55 years, reads these comments, it's obvious how flawed the information can be. So, many of these UGC-based comments can't be trusted by people like the beginning player looking for help.
Those writing bogus and useless content on UGC sites are getting it seen based on Google's new preference for ranking these high domain "authority" sites over more traditional blog content.
That throws Expertise, Experience, and Trust out the window, so "E-E-A-T" turns into "A."
What's "helpful" about that? Lol 😎
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
I totally agree with all you said here Frank, and it applies not only to the guitar niche but to most of the niches out there (mine included)!
Google has missed the point completely with these high domain-authority websites that newbies and inexperienced people use to say whatever they want without any experience on the subject and end up in position one just because they post on these websites. 🙄
That is my rant for today!
Rock on!
Denis
#parthashorts
a blog post within a post...
STAGE ONE
Open Google Doc
Set a timer for 20 minutes
Find a poorly "answered" UGC niche-related question and conversation thread
Write non-stop for 20 minutes, rambling on about how everything is completely wrong and what you're advice would be (pretend you are responding to the UGC thread)
Timer STOPS
You have 400-600 words of "rambling nonsense" (as Old FLuff likes to say about some of my blog posts 🤣🤣🤣🤣)
STAGE TWO
Write article from notes
"Dr. F in the house and I'd like to discuss XXXXX subject today.
Admittedly, my reason for writing this article is because I'm utterly appalled by some of the information I have come across online.
As an example, look at this conversation thread (provide link to UGC) and then even worse, this conversation thread (provide link to UGC).
But, rather than me getting embroiled in an online argument, I thought it would be better to set the record straight in this article on my own website.
Let me know what you think.
UGC says.... XXXXXX, BUT from 55 years of experience I think XXXX"
STAGE THREE
Why are you still here? Get on with it!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Basically, if Google wants to rank nonsensical UGC, take advantage, use the UGC content, link to it, tear it apart, and then provide YOUR CORRECT explanation in article form.
ORIGINAL CONTENT that utilizes what's currently ranking on page one...
Booooooom!!!!!!
Haha, Thanks, Denis!
I think a lot of it is inexperienced people unknowingly stating inaccurate information or giving incorrect answers on UGC sites. However, still NOT helpful!
See my answer to Partha's response to me for a funny childhood story and an image of my first electric guitar.
It's Daylight Savings Time, so you get an extra hour of guitar playing today! 😎
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
Hi, Partha
It's a brilliant idea, but I don’t think I could be that vicious. Lol
Many of the incorrect answers you can read on these UGC guitar sites are from people who believe they are correct and would probably follow their own advice.
I say I’ve been playing the guitar for 55 years because that’s when I became a “serious” player, around my sophomore year of high school (I skipped the 4th grade). However, I actually got my first Sears “Silvertone” guitar in about the fifth grade.
It was a Fender Jazzmaster copy made by Dan Electro. I was playing the violin for a music class, and my parents caught me holding it like a guitar and plucking the strings with my fingers, playing the riff to the song Louie Louie (The Kingsmen, remake version), so off to Sears we went, haha!
Ok, on to the point I’m trying to make. One day, I was playing this Sears guitar, bending the thinnest (high-E) string, trying to copy a Freddie King blues lick, and the string snapped! I thought I had wrecked my guitar and flipped out!
My dad, who was a banjo player, brought me and the guitar to the local music store. Joe Bisbano, the owner, sold my dad a new Fender nickel-coated plain E string for 25 cents and even put it on the guitar for me. I must have looked like a stupid kid, but I was too thrilled to care! I still have that guitar (see screenshot below)! Lol
The Point: I could just see myself reading the question “What should I do if I break a guitar string?” on Reddit and answering, “You just wrecked your guitar!” I probably would have spent hours back then posting incorrect information on UGC guitar sites with the best intentions (trying to be helpful) if the Internet and home computers were available back in the early 1960s.
Okay, I can smell my wife cooking our big Sunday breakfast, so off I go to devour it! Lol 😎
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
Partha,
I had a similar thought and have been on Reddit & Quora for the last month (a long time in newbie terms) simply keeping questions in my wheelhouse answered by the SettingPoints profile. Thank you for this extended explanation and for justifying my instincts.
This blind squirrel found an acorn and you Partha are the The Fountain of Wisdom.
Thanks, Partha!
I just briefly tried this on Reddit for my niche and it came up with some good ideas for me to write about.
When you write your articles like this on a topic and not a specific keyword, are you still looking at the competition on the first page of Google?
How lucky are you Jenny, I was just on the blog post already, so you get an immediate reply!!! Hahahahaha!!
Quick Answer = NOPE!
If I find a POPULAR Reddit question/conversation (or Quora or Forum, haven't tested the other platforms yet) you can guarantee 99 times out of 100 that the particular thread is ranking on Google Page One for various keywords.
So, I already have User Generated Content ranking on page one.
Furthermore, if I go to Google to check what it is ranking for, I might get "maniupulated" (by my thoughts, LOL, we ALL do it) into trying to "find a decent keyword" to write my article around.
Then I have simply gone back to "writing for search engines not people".
That's why I've said give it a go with about 10 articles.
Often, with the really popular questions you can do all your research on that Reddit thread (the above example has 580 responses).
Obviously, you need to chop and change things about, but in my example above I could possible have an article title like:
7 Reasons Bodybuilders Have Weird Bicep Veins
And then each reason is my subheading, and then I write a 200-300 word explanation based on what I've read (you can use AI for further ideas, I also like to check YouTube too).
If I do it this way I'm much less likely to think about SEO and Ranking.
It's almost as though I'm actually ON REDDIT and answering the question there, but then I just format it like a proper article (I do this anyway even when I answer questions on Quora & Reddit, i.e. format my answers like an article).
I think it's just helps to be much more personal and "sincere" (for want of a better word, we ALL change slightly when we THINK about SEO, e.g. I have to do this, I have to do that, etc.).
So, it's just nice to "answer questions in article format" without having to worry about SEO and what's going on in Google.
Much the same as normal keyword research, you'll get some "hits" and you'll get some "misses".
Awesome Partha! Thanks for your detailed reply!
This method of article writing (not based on a specific keyword) is much more freeing, rather than like you said "I have to do this" for SEO.
Thanks again.
Jenny.
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Thanks for the shiny diamond 💎 and thousands of gem words. Im working on it. I saved this in my Word Doc. I agree about not looking at Google; you are right; it can lead me astray to drop it because I think it's too competitive. It indeed does influence my thinking strategy. I ended up dropping it after all. Now you say that's a bad idea. I got it.