Why is Google downgrading ‘different’ content from websites?

Luke Meredith

If your website falls into a particular niche in the industry or field you work in, it might not be in your best introduce to produce content that doesn’t fall into this.

This is due to new developments within Google’s ranking algorithm that is rumoured to punish this very practice.

Last week, Glenn Gabe, an SEO (search engine optimisation) consultant, discovered that many large sites, such as Forbes Advisor, were suffering sharp falls in visibility and organic traffic. He surmised that Google’s Site Reputation Abuse policy to tackle spam was at play, and that these declines in rankings were a result of changes to Google’s algorithm.

However, Google has since contacted Gabe to confirm that this is not quite the case.

Google’s Public Liaison for Search, Danny Sullivan, stated that the Site Reputation Abuse policy is not currently being tested in Google’s algorithms. However, Google did issue a follow-up response to Gabe’s queries:

“Our systems aim to understand if a section of a site is independent or starkly different from the main content of the site. This helps us surface the most useful information from a range of sites.”

The above statement, combined with the recent decline in rankings for certain websites, appears to suggest that Google is punishing websites that produce content that is unrelated to its algorithm’s understanding of the site’s niche.

Will this affect my website?

If all of the content on your site falls into the same area of knowledge or speciality, you shouldn’t need to worry about your rankings suffering. However, if you do produce content from a range of unrelated topics while being a specialist in one area, you might want to check your rankings to see if they’ve fallen.

For example, Google would identify our website at Engage Web as an internet marketing provider. Almost all content we produce for the site falls under this niche one way or another. If we suddenly decided to write a long-form blog about the next Manchester United manager, these new developments from Google’s algorithm would likely harm the rankings in some form.

Whenever new developments from the SEO industry arise, we always try and stay ahead of the curve to give our clients the best marketing service possible. Get in touch with Engage Web today and find out how we can make a difference to your website.

About
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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.

Why is Google downgrading ‘different’ content from websites?