Google Warns Against “Sneaky Redirects” When Updating Content via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

When dealing with outdated website content, Google has warned against using certain redirects that could be perceived as misleading to users.

The advice came up during a recent episode of Google’s Search Off The Record podcast.

In the episode, Search Relations team members John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman discussed strategies for managing “content decay” – the gradual process of website content becoming obsolete over time.

During the conversation, the two Googlers addressed the practice of using redirects when older content is replaced or updated.

However, they cautioned against specific redirect methods that could be seen as “sneaky.”

When Rel=canonical Becomes “Sneaky”

The redirect method that raised red flags is the incorrect use of rel=canonical tags.

This was brought up during a discussion about linking similar, but not equivalent, content.

Sassman stated:

“… for that case, I wish that there was something where I could tie those things together, because it almost feels like that would be better to just redirect it.

For example, Daniel Weisberg on our team blogged about debugging traffic drops with Search Console in a blog post. And then we worked on that to turn that into documentation and we added content to it. We want people to go look at the new thing, and I would want people to find that new thing in search results as well.

So, to me, like that one, I don’t know why people would need to find the older version forthat, because it’s not like an announcement. It was best practice kind of information.

So, for that, would it be better to do like a rel=canonical situation?”

Mueller immediately raised concerns with Sassman’s proposed use of the rel=canonical tag.

Mueller replied:

“The rel=canonical would be kind of sneaky there because it’s not really the same thing… it’s not equivalent.

I always see rel=canonical as something where you tell search engines ‘these are actually equivalent, and you can pick whichever one you want.

We’re kind of seeing it as like, ‘Well, these are equivalent, but treat this as a redirect,’ which is tricky because they’re like, ‘Ah, they say rel=canonical, but they actually mean something different.’”

What To Do Instead

If you find yourself having to make a similar decision as Sassman, Mueller says this is the correct approach:

“I think either redirecting or not redirecting. It’s like really saying that it’s replaced or keeping both.”

The best way to link a page to a newer, more comprehensive page is with a redirect, not a rel=canonical.

Or you can keep them both up if you feel there’s still value in the older page.

Why SEJ Cares

Using redirects or canonical tags incorrectly can be seen as an attempt to manipulate search rankings, which violates Google’s guidelines and can result in penalties or a decrease in visibility.

Following Google’s recommendations can ensure your site remains in good standing and visitors access the most relevant content.

Listen to the full podcast episode below:

Featured Image: Khosro/Shutterstock

Google Defends Lack Of Communication Around Search Updates via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

While Google informs the public about broad core algorithm updates, it doesn’t announce every minor change or tweak, according to Google’s Search Liaison Danny Sullivan.

The comments were in response to Glenn Gabe’s question about why Google doesn’t provide information about volatility following the March core update.

OK, I love that Google informs us about broad core updates rolling out, but why not also explain when huge changes roll out that seem like an extension of the broad core update? I mean, it’s cool that Google can decouple algorithms from broad core updates and run them separately… https://t.co/2Oan7X6FTk

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) May 9, 2024

Gabe wrote:

“… when site owners think a major update is done, they are not expecting crazy volatility that sometimes completely reverses what happened with the major update.
The impact from whatever rolled out on 5/3 and now 5/8 into 5/9 has been strong.”

Sullivan explained that Google continuously updates its search ranking systems, with around 5,000 updates per year across different algorithms and components.

Many of these are minor adjustments that would go unnoticed, Sullivan says:

“If we were giving notice about all the ranking system updates we do, it would be like this:

Hi. It’s 1:14pm — we just did an update to system 112!
Hi. It’s 2:26pm — we just did an update to system 34!

That’s because we do around 5,000 updates per year.”

This is covered on our long-standing page about core updates: https://t.co/Jsq1P236ff

“We’re constantly making updates to our search algorithms, including smaller core updates. We don’t announce all of these because they’re generally not widely noticeable. Still, when released,…

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) May 9, 2024

While Google may consider these minor changes, combining thousands of those tweaks can lead to significant shifts in rankings and traffic that sites need help understanding.

More open communication from Google could go a long way.

Ongoing Shifts From Web Changes

Beyond algorithm adjustments, Sullivan noted that search results can fluctuate due to the nature of web content.

Google’s ranking systems continually process new information, Sullivan explains:

“… already launched and existing systems aren’t themselves being updated in how they operate, but the information they’re processing isn’t static but instead is constantly changing.”

Google focuses communications on major updates versus a never-ending stream of notifications about minor changes.

Sullivan continues:

“This type of constant ‘hey, we did an update’ notification stuff probably isn’t really that useful to creators. There’s nothing to ‘do’ with those types of updates.”

Why SEJ Cares

Understanding that Google Search is an ever-evolving platform is vital for businesses and publishers that rely on search traffic.

It reiterates the need for a long-term SEO strategy focused on delivering high-quality, relevant content rather than reacting to individual algorithm updates.

However, we realize Google’s approach to announcing updates can leave businesses scrambling to keep up with ranking movements.

More insight into these changes would be valuable for many.

How This Can Help You

Knowing that Google processes new information in addition to algorithm changes, you may have more realistic expectations post-core updates.

Instead of assuming stability after a major update, anticipate fluctuations as Google’s systems adapt to new web data.

Featured Image: Aerial Film Studio/Shutterstock

Google’s Strategies For Dealing With Content Decay via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

In the latest episode of the Search Off The Record podcast, Google Search Relations team members John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman did a deep dive into dealing with “content decay” on websites.

Outdated content is a natural issue all sites face over time, and Google has outlined strategies beyond just deleting old pages.

While removing stale content is sometimes necessary, Google recommends taking an intentional, format-specific approach to tackling content decay.

Archiving vs. Transitional Guides

Google advises against immediately removing content that becomes obsolete, like materials referencing discontinued products or services.

Removing content too soon could confuse readers and lead to a poor experience, Sassman explains:

“So, if I’m trying to find out like what happened, I almost need that first thing to know. Like, “What happened to you?” And, otherwise, it feels almost like an error. Like, “Did I click a wrong link or they redirect to the wrong thing?””

Sassman says you can avoid confusion by providing transitional “explainer” pages during deprecation periods.

A temporary transition guide informs readers of the outdated content while steering them toward updated resources.

Sassman continues:

“That could be like an intermediary step where maybe you don’t do that forever, but you do it during the transition period where, for like six months, you have them go funnel them to the explanation, and then after that, all right, call it a day. Like enough people know about it. Enough time has passed. We can just redirect right to the thing and people aren’t as confused anymore.”

When To Updates Vs. When To Write New Content

For reference guides and content that provide authoritative overviews, Google suggests updating information to maintain accuracy and relevance.

However, for archival purposes, major updates may warrant creating a new piece instead of editing the original.

Sassman explains:

“I still want to retain the original piece of content as it was, in case we need to look back or refer to it, and to change it or rehabilitate it into a new thing would almost be worth republishing as a new blog post if we had that much additional things to say about it.”

Remove Potentially Harmful Content

Google recommends removing pages in cases where the outdated information is potentially harmful.

Sassman says she arrived at this conclusion when deciding what to do with a guide involving obsolete structured data:

“I think something that we deleted recently was the “How to Structure Data” documentation page, which I thought we should just get rid of it… it almost felt like that’s going to be more confusing to leave it up for a period of time.

And actually it would be negative if people are still adding markup, thinking they’re going to get something. So what we ended up doing was just delete the page and redirect to the changelog entry so that, if people clicked “How To Structure Data” still, if there was a link somewhere, they could still find out what happened to that feature.”

Internal Auditing Processes

To keep your content current, Google advises implementing a system for auditing aging content and flagging it for review.

Sassman says she sets automated alerts for pages that haven’t been checked in set periods:

“Oh, so we have a little robot to come and remind us, “Hey, you should come investigate this documentation page. It’s been x amount of time. Please come and look at it again to make sure that all of your links are still up to date, that it’s still fresh.””

Context Is Key

Google’s tips for dealing with content decay center around understanding the context of outdated materials.

You want to prevent visitors from stumbling across obsolete pages without clarity.

Additional Google-recommended tactics include:

• Prominent banners or notices clarifying a page’s dated nature
• Listing original publish dates
• Providing inline annotations explaining how older references or screenshots may be obsolete

How This Can Help You

Following Google’s recommendations for tackling content decay can benefit you in several ways:

• Improved user experience: By providing clear explanations, transition guides, and redirects, you can ensure that visitors don’t encounter confusing or broken pages.
• Maintained trust and credibility: Removing potentially harmful or inaccurate content and keeping your information up-to-date demonstrates your commitment to providing reliable and trustworthy resources.
• Better SEO: Regularly auditing and updating your pages can benefit your website’s search rankings and visibility.
• Archival purposes: By creating new content instead of editing older pieces, you can maintain a historical record of your website’s evolution.
• Streamlined content management: Implementing internal auditing processes makes it easier to identify and address outdated or problematic pages.

By proactively tackling content decay, you can keep your website a valuable resource, improve SEO, and maintain an organized content library.

Listen to the full episode of Google’s podcast below:

Featured Image: Stokkete/Shutterstock

Google Defines “Content Decay” In New Podcast Episode via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

In the latest episode of Google’s Search Off The Record podcast, hosts John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman discussed “content decay”—the natural process by which online content becomes outdated or loses relevance over time.

While not a widely used term among SEO professionals, the concept raises questions about how websites should handle aging content that may contain obsolete information, broken links, or outdated references.

What Is Content Decay?

Mueller, a Search Advocate at Google, defines content decay as:

“[Content decay is] something where, when you look at reference material, it’s kind of by definition old. People wrote about it because they’ve studied it for a really long time. So it’s an old thing. But that doesn’t mean it’s no longer true or no longer useful.”

It’s worth noting Mueller was initially unfamiliar with the term:

“When I looked at it, it sounded like this was a known term, and I felt inadequate when I realized I had no idea what it actually meant, and I had to interpret what it probably means from the name.

Sassman, who oversees the Search Central website’s content, admitted she was also unfamiliar with content decay.

She stated:

“… it sounded a little bit negative … Like something’s probably wrong with the content. Probably it’s rotting or something has happened to it over time.”

After defining the term, the two dissected various approaches to handling content decay, using Google’s help documents as a case study.

Content Decay Not Necessarily A Bad Thing

Content decay isn’t, by definition, a bad thing.

Blog posts announcing past events or product changes may seem like sources of content decay.

However, Sassman advises keeping that content for historical accuracy.

Sassman gives an example, citing Google’s decision to keep pages containing the outdated term “Webmaster Tools.”

“If we went back and replaced everything where we said ‘Google Webmasters’ with ‘Search Console,’ it would be factually incorrect. Search Console didn’t exist at that point. It was Webmaster Tools.”

Avoiding User Confusion

According to Mueller, the challenge in dealing with content decay is “avoiding confusing people.”

Indicating when content is outdated, providing context around obsolete references, and sensible use of redirects can help mitigate potential confusion.

Mueller stated

“People come to our site for whatever reason, then we should make sure that they find information that’s helpful for them and that they understand the context. If something is old and they search for it, they should be able to recognize, ‘Oh, maybe I have to rethink what I wanted to do because what I was searching for doesn’t exist anymore or is completely different now.’”

No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

There are no easy solutions to content decay. You must thoughtfully evaluate aging content, understanding that some pieces warrant archiving while others remain valuable historical references despite age.

Listen to the full episode of Google’s podcast below:

Why SEJ Cares

The concept of “content decay” addresses a challenge all website owners face – how to manage and maintain content as it ages.

Dealing with outdated website content is essential to creating a positive user experience and building brand trust.

How This Can Help You

By examining Google’s approaches, this podcast episode offers the following takeaways:

• There’s value in preserving old content for historical accuracy.
• Consider updating old pages to indicate outdated advice or deprecated features.
• Establish an auditing process for routinely evaluating aging content.

Featured Image: Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleSearchCentral, May 2024.