Google’s Latest Advice to Creators

Earlier this month, Google invited seven creators to their DC office. Travel blogger Tomiko Harvey was one of them, and she shared a detailed recap. Here are the key takeaways from Google:

1. Publishing doesn’t guarantee traffic
   ​Google’s focus is on helping users. Your content has to be genuinely helpful and relevant.
2. Google admits its system has favored big websites
   ​More traffic has gone to large, well-known sites. They are working to fix this, but said it will take months.
3. Old SEO tactics no longer work
   ​Repeating the same keyword, padding the post, or writing long just to rank won’t help. Be clear. Be useful. Get to the point.
4. Your website still needs to perform well
   ​Make sure your site loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and is easy to use. Check your Core Web Vital scores.
5. Google uses real people to assess content quality
   ​Real people rate your content based on how well it answers the question, how helpful, trustworthy, and accurate it is, and whether it’s better than similar pages. For topics like health, safety, or money, expectations are higher. Be specific. Show real experience. Include reliable sources.
6. Short videos now show up in search results
   ​YouTube Shorts, TikToks, and Instagram Reels can appear above blog posts. A short, useful video might be the best match for what someone is searching.
7. If you’re a food blogger, get to the recipe
   ​Don’t make people scroll through a long personal story. If the story adds value, keep it. If not, skip it.
8. Some Table of Contents plugins can cause issues
   ​Google said certain TOC tools confuse how they read the page. If your post is well-structured with clear headings, you may not need one at all.
9. Diversify your traffic sources
   ​Relying only on Google is risky. Use email, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other channels to reach people.
10. Update your older posts
    ​Improve clarity. Remove fluff. Focus on what your audience actually needs.