Google declared war on content websites.
After the September Helpful Content update, it's crystal clear.
The fact that there’s so much absolute garbage ranking for affiliate terms (parasite SEO sites, reddit, etc), it's like Google is saying “we’re fine with the SERPs being crap, just as long as there’s no content sites ranking.”
So what do you do from here?
Well let’s think about how they’re identifying content websites in the first place.
What’s the line between a content site and not-a-content-site?
I’ve looked at 100’s of websites before and after HCU on dozens of factors.
Here's the ones that stand out between the winners and losers…
✔ Brand Search Volume
✔ Traffic Diversity
✔ Monetization Diversity
Right now, it's experimentation time.
I’ve multiple single variable tests running, waiting for the next HCU to determine which recovery tactics are the most reliable.
I love when SEO gets like this.
Competition is getting frustrated and quitting. Just like with Penguin, Medic, you name it.
Once the new way of doing things has surfaced, it's time to sweep up A… LOT… OF…. MONEY.