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Google said this is part of a broader effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find authentic and useful content in Search.
Google is rolling out Search updates from next week to help users avoid clickbait and find better quality, relevant content.
The tech giant said it is rolling out a “helpful content update” to tackle online content that seems designed to rank well in search engines, rather than to help or inform people.
It will give a lower ranking to unoriginal and low-quality content to ensure it doesn’t appear high up in Search results.
Google said its tests show this will particularly improve results related to online education, as well as arts, entertainment, shopping and tech-related content.
Google public liaison for Search, Danny Sullivan, said the improvements will make it easier for users to find sites that are “made by and for people”.
“We know people don’t find content helpful if it seems like it was designed to attract clicks rather than inform readers,” Sullivan said in a blogpost. “Many of us have experienced the frustration of visiting a web page that seems like it has what we’re looking for, but doesn’t live up to our expectations.”
Sullivan gave the example of searching for movies, where users stumble on articles that take reviews from other sites without adding original perspective. The new update aims to make unique, authentic information appear higher in Search results.
Google has also announced an update to show more helpful, in-depth reviews based on first-hand expertise in Search results. It began this work last year and said it plans to refine it further in the coming weeks.
“Together, these launches are part of a broader, ongoing effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find content that feels authentic and useful in Search,” Sullivan said.
Google has also been refining the privacy elements of its Search function in recent months. In April, it expanded the list of personal details that can be removed upon request from search results, such as phone numbers and addresses.
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