The dangers of content bloat
- Part 1 The dangers of content bloat
Show Notes
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01:19Defining content bloat and its impact on SEOContent bloat refers to the accumulation of a large amount of low-quality and outdated content on a website. Even if new content being added is high-quality, your website is still vulnerable to future algorithm updates because search engines evaluate your entire site, not just new content.
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04:50How to identify content bloat on a websiteUse tools like Screaming Frog to conduct a comprehensive site audit, analyzing traffic data in Google Analytics to identify low-performing pages. Assess content relevance based on current user and Googles quality standards, and identify the best way to handle low-quality content.
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13:08Building confidence in content removal decisionsStart conservatively, removing obviously outdated or low-quality content, and monitoring the impact on traffic, visibility, and authority over time. Incrementally remove content in small batches while tracking impact, and use performance data to gain stakeholder buy-in.
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18:50Strategies for managing and removing website contentCategorize content into batches based on quality and relevance, consolidating related articles, or archiving for internal access only. Decide whether to redirect URLs or allow them to 404 or 410 based on traffic data to avoid negative impacts on visibility and traffic.
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24:27Considering backlink profiles in content managementEvaluate the backlink profile of your websites content to identify valuable posts worth updating rather than removing. Create a checklist to weigh the pros and cons of each decision, ensuring that the content batches you retain add value to the website and preserve important backlinks.
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25:35Managing large volumes of content and SEO across multiple domainsPenke uses deep dives and ongoing monitoring to manage its vast portfolio of domains. Regular site audits and brand-dedicated SEOs ensure content quality and alignment with brand identity, and monitoring tools enable quick responses to traffic fluctuations or algorithm updates.
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30:07Understanding algorithm updates and monitoring website impactThe impact of algorithm updates on website traffic can appear within a week or months later. Consistent monitoring of traffic by category and competitor analysis is crucial for addressing issues to maintain compliance with Googles quality standards.
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35:14AI, SGE, and the future of content management and SEO optimizationAs AI and SGE gain more prominence in search, strategies must shift to building a dedicated audience on a publishers domain. Publishers must improve content and user experience, and build community on their own platforms to lessen dependence on Google for content distribution.
Quotes
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"If old content on your site isnt maintained for quality and relevance to users, the site is vulnerable to future algorithm updates. Algorithms look at the site in its entirety, not based on the freshness of the content." - Constance Ejuma
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"To address content bloat, you must determine the easiest way to surface low-quality content or content that may be causing bloat. Then figure out what action to take against them." - Constance Ejuma
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"Addressing content bloat isnt about getting rid of things just because you feel like it. It must be supported by data. Otherwise, you risk hurting the sites visibility, traffic, and authority." - Constance Ejuma
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"If you were on page one for a particular topic, or a certain type of query, who is now ranking where you used to rank for that term? Look at Google's guidelines for that specific algorithm update." - Constance Ejuma
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"With AI and SGE, Google is now a competitor of mine. How do I improve my content and user experience so that people automatically know to come to me directly? How do I create a community on my own website?" - Constance Ejuma
Up Next:
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Part 1The dangers of content bloat
Constance Ejuma, VP of SEO at Penske Media, delves into content bloat. Creating and publishing high-quality content today isn’t enough protection from algorithm updates. If the older content on your website is neglected, your site is still vulnerable to future algorithm updates, which assess the entire site rather than just the latest content additions. Today, Constance discusses the dangers of content bloat.