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It’s everywhere.
On X/Twritter, on Youtube and on Facebook.
It’s probably on TikTok too.
What am I talking about?
I’m talking about the countless discussions and results of the most recent – and massive – Google update.
Everyone is showing their Search Console graphs and SEO graphs and how their traffic is tanking.
Other site owners are talking about manual penalties and how Google is de-indexing their site.
Has this happened to you?
Are you feeling the effects of this new Google update?
It’s suppose to take a month to roll out but we are already seeing the results of this spam update in the early weeks of March.
This Google update is suppose to target low-quality, “unhelpful” content in the SERPS (results pages).
I still think it’s too soon to tell, but I thought I’d give some advice for bloggers that need help improving their website traffic.
I mean, I am not the SEO expert, but I’ve been blogging for a decade and have been through lots of Google updates and my sites are still here (well, most of them).
Plus, I also run niche websites and those are notoriously susceptible to Google updates and so far, the sites are okay.
So, let’s see what you can – and SHOULD – do as a results of this recent Google March 2024 Core update.
What is the Google March 2024 Core Update Focussed On?
This update is termed the spam (and influencer) update.
For the past year, many top SEO experts were ‘tweeting’ about the overtake of Reddit in the SERPS or how these big media sites like Forbes were ranking for highly non-relevant topics like best VPNS over sites where their entire business are VPNS.
This discussion got soo heated that Danny Sullivan – Google’s Search Liaison – started responding to SEO X rants.
This just resulted in more discussions about how Google is doing a terrible job with ranking and how results were low-quality.
Well, fast-forward to this month and Google gave us the Spam and Core Update.
They are targeting three types of spam:
- Parasite SEO or Site Reputation
- Expired domain abuse
- Scaled content abuse
And, I might add a fourth one:
- SEO case study influencers
So, what do I mean by that?
Well as soon as the March Core Update was unleashed, top SEO’s who were case studying complete AI sites or trying new ways to, “hack” Google were suddenly hit with manual penalties.
That’s right – if you talk about what you’re doing to gain ranking on social media, Google will listen.
Now, for the first two spam penalties, I feel most of us mom bloggers aren’t doing this…right?
We aren’t hosting low quality non-relevant content on our blog from a 3rd party source, right?
Or, you aren’t buying expired domains and using that domain’s high domain rating (DR) to create content that’s completely different from the original domain (ex: you buy an old parenting site and turn it into a gambling site), right?
But, the third one, hmm, this might affect you – scaled content abuse.
In Google’s words, scaled content is when,
“[M]any pages are generated for the primary purpose of manipulating Search rankings and not helping users.”
The important words are, manipulating Search ranking.
You might think scaled content = AI content, but Google made it clear that they don’t care what method you use to produce the content; they just don’t want you solely using keywords trying to rank in Google.
So, when thinking about this latest Google core update, you have to really ask yourself,
Am I creating purely SEO content to try to rank my site?
And I bet the answer is yes. I mean, when I got hit the first time by the Helpful Content Update (the first time it WAS rolled out), I lost 30% of my traffic.
Sure, it’s not like what others had – 50% or 80% drop in traffic – but this affected the income I was creating.
Instead of generating $30,000/month it was cut in half.
That was about two years ago and my traffic is still not what it used to be (and my income too).
So, why was my main SEO site hit with the HCU (and it wasn’t hit for this Core March Update)?
Because I was focussing on keywords to rank.
I even hired ghostwriters to help me produce content quicker.
And, Google noticed.
So, I’ve been through this idea of creating content just to see if I can rank.
And I know you have to. This is how bloggers do SEO – to find a keyword to write about so it can rank in the SERPS!
But not anymore.
This isn’t how we should look at blogging anymore.
So, if you were hit during this recent update or you’ve been hit by any Google update, here’s what we should be doing to succeed in blogging.
You may not like it, but it has to be done.
1. First, Do Nothing
The first thing you should do is absolutely NOTHING.
Don’t do anything until the Core Update is finished. For this one, it will take a month, so we are only on week one when I’m writing this post.
Wait until the next month to asses your blog traffic.
Continue to write blog posts and emails and share them on social media.
Don’t try to:
- remove old blog posts
- massively update old blog posts
- add a new WordPress theme
- Ramp up your blogging schedule
- Stop blogging
Any one of those or anything new you do for your blog can impact your blog’s traffic and income, along with the Core Update!
So, take it from me and don’t do anything drastic during a Google update.
2. Leverage Pinterest
Next, it’s time to leverage or lean into Pinterest.
Are you on Pinterest, yet? What are you waiting for?
This is the BEST BEST BEST time to get onto Pinterest and start removing your blog from Google’s grips.
Almost half of my Twins Mommy traffic is directly from Pinterest.
Even though ‘blogging’ isn’t a popular Pinterest topic, I’m still doing quite well for getting pinners to my blog and eventually my email list!
Now, I know what you might be saying right now, “Elna, Pinterest is WAY too unstable and unreliable. I’ve heard that Pinterest can just pull the rug from under us and stop bringing traffic at any time.”
Well, this CAN be true, but if you stick to your guns, and remain stable, Pinterest will reward you.
I haven’t given up on group boards on Pinterest or relied soley on Tailwind to pump out my pins.
I will keep doing what I’ve always been doing and Pinterest will and has been rewarding me.
While I don’t actively post in my group boards, I haven’t removed them all.
While I still use Tailwind to automate my pinning strategy, it’s not my ENTIRE strategy.
Pinterest wants US on their platform and as a content creator, we have to also be on the platform.
So, for your lifestyle blog, this should be your #1 way to gain traffic and not put all your ‘eggs’ into SEO anymore.
Sure, you can use SEO, but don’t rely on it. Do it as a side project but put all your focus on Pinterest and your AUDIENCE.
I will talk about your audience in a bit, for now, get on Pinterest.
For more help, grab my 15 Genius Pinterest Secretes for Bloggers eBook. It really is a lifesaver!
3. Leverage Youtube/Video
Video is becoming more popular than blogging.
Do you know that there are mamas out there creating Instagram Reels or TikTok videos and making six-figures?
You technically don’t need a blog anymore to succeed. While I still feel it’s the EASIEST way, blogging isn’t the ONLY way anymore.
And with that, you have to adapt. This means getting on with video and what better way than with Youtube?
Youtube IS video and it’s the best platform for video marketing.
Businesses use Youtube and bloggers use it too, and that means you should also!
I started my Twins Mommy Youtube channel in 2017, but it wasn’t until 2021 or so that I wanted to monetize it.
And, you know what? I’m so close to monetizing my Youtube channel!
So, while you create videos you have another opportunity for a viable income stream.
And, nowadays you can create videos on your smartphone and buy a mic that it shouldn’t be a problem to start a Youtube channel!
At first, you can repurpose your blog posts into Youtube videos and over time you can poll your audience from your Youtube community tab to see what they want you to create.
This is a great way to grow your brand and reach new people.
What you can do is form a new audience that enjoys your authentic videos and then you can funnel them to your blog, relying less and less on Google.
This is what I’m doing.
I’m building a new audience on Youtube and using that platform to market some of my digital products like my eBook (soon it will be more eBooks!).
4. Move Away from Keywords (But Not Completely)
While you probably want to stop searching for keywords, I wouldn’t do it for 100% of your content.
Over on my freelance blog, I have posts that I’ve optimized for SEO and posts that I did not.
My post about what happens when a client removes my articles isn’t keyboarded but my post about becoming a SaaS writer is.
This means my post about removing articles probably won’t rank but it can help my email audience if they have this problem.
See, I’m focussing on actual things that have happened to me and creating a post out of that. I’m not going to Google or an SEO tool to find topics. The topics come from me and you should do the same for your mom blog.
Of course, have SEO keyworded posts but also create posts that aren’t keyworded.
Some SEO people are doing this like Spencer Haws on his blog Niche Pursuits.
Every now and then Spencer will create a “thought leadership” post about his take on his niche while his writers create SEO posts.
You should try and incorporate posts like this as this is probably what your audience really wants to read.
I know when I go to someone’s mom blog, a personal post about how they started a side hustle or how they grew their Youtube channel always intrigues me.
I want to know their process and what exactly they did to get to that point.
I’m sure your audience is the same with your blog!
5. Stop With Simple Researching
So, with your SEO blog posts topics, it’s best to stay away from simple researched ideas.
What do I mean by this?
Well, simple researched ideas or keywords are Google-able.
This is what people put into Google. For example if someone searches, “how much to feed a kitten,” they just want the answer and not read a 2,000 words in a blog post.
That is a simple researched keyword.
Now, compare that to someone putting into Google, “the best digital products to create.”
This isn’t a simple researched question.
It’s a question that requires complex and detailed research.
These are the questions or keywords to target for your blog, instead of simple research keywords.
Here’s my SEO traffic for one of my contributor blogs. This blog is all about FAQ questions too, and it’s growing!
It’s growing because the questions published are ones that need explanation, examples and a deep dive.
So, when coming up with your content editorial calendar, make sure to add more complex ideas to target as well as non-keyworded topics too.
6. Focus on Where Your Reader Finds Your Post
To make sure you aren’t too focussed on Google, figure out where your readers are when they see your post.
This is probably related to where you share your post online!
Some places are:
- X/Twitter
- TikTok
- Youtube
- Their inbox
- Someone else’s blog
When you look at your marketing this way, then you can hone your content to your audience and not on Google ranking potential.
You can poll your audience on social media or email a survey to figure out their:
- pain points
- their challenges
- their desires
- their wants
- their questions
- their ideas
And with that information, you can form your content schedule and ensure that you are speaking to your audience.
This is key to having a successful blog too.
Talking to your audience means you are answering the user intent and Google will respond to your blog in a good way.
7. Market Your Blog In The Right Places
While you can share your blog post on X/Twitter, is the that BEST place?
Meaning, is that where your audience hangs out?
If not, then there’s no need to market your blog on that platform.
Find the platform where your audience hangs out.
For Twins Mommy, I market my blog on:
- Youtube
I do have a TikTok account but I don’t think many mom bloggers are following me there (mostly freelancers).
Those places are where I heavily market my blog posts for Twins Mommy, so I know that’s where my audience is.
This may take time for you if you have a new blog, but start an email list right away, and poll your audience so you can gain some insights.
The idea is diversifying your audience or diversifying where they hang out.
You don’t want to have all your audience from Google.
This was the mistake I made with my freelance blog.
While I raked in the sales and money for a few years, it wasn’t sustainable.
So, I had to move beyond Google and go to Youtube, TikTok and Pinterest to find my audience.
Why not start this diversified path for your blog then?
8. Write For Your Audience
Okay, I’m sure you heard this, and this is basically what I’m telling you in all these points, but listen more here.
You need to create content that your user wants and that works great on the platform your user is on.
For example, this might look like a cheeky Facebook post or a memorable Pinterest pin or a funny Instagram reel.
Why? Because when they find your social media post resonating for them, they will REMEMBER your blog and YOU.
They will remember to go to your blog and want to learn more about you and what you write about.
You are creating ambassadors for your blog. These are people who are invested in what you have to say. They are your email subscriber, your eBook reader, or course student.
They will tell others about your content and they will help you grow your blog – not Google.
9. Collect Your Audience (To Make Money)
Now that you found them on the platform they hang out and you created content for them ON the platform they are on, you HAVE to now get them to your blog.
You do that with:
- A Facebook group
- A Youtube channel
- Your digital products like a course, eBook or planner
If you look at this list, and you have none of these ways to collect your audience, then you need to focus on the end point of your blog and business.
Of course, if is the first month of your new blog, you need to focus on user intent and creating the right content first but know that down the road think about starting an email list at least!
From that point, you can start thinking about creating a blog plan to start making money with this audience.
If you need help, check out what I did as a mom blogger to make money (and make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel).
Because the whole point you want to rank in Google was to make sales right?
Whether it was with affiliate marketing or with your own digital product, here’s your plan after the Google Core Update.
Where to Go From Here
Look –
This Google Core Update hasn’t finished rolling out, but the things I mention in this list would be applicable now and then.
How?
Beacuse I want you to rely less on Google and more on other ways to find traffic and an audience.
You can’t put all your efforts into SEO anymore. I learned this the VERY hard way with my SEO blog.
I’m going back to my roots of writing before I knew about SEO.
Let me know how your blog is doing! I’d love to help where I can.
Don’t forget to grab my Pinterest eBook to start looking at Pinterest as a great way to grow your traffic right now!
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