by Brian Lawrence

In March 2024, Google rolled out its most recent core algorithm update. With the new update, the search engine giant hopes to combat spam and penalize websites that abuse AI while rewarding sites that offer quality, authoritative content. Often Google core updates draw more attention than usual because of sweeping changes. This update is no different.

Hundreds of thousands of websites have already suffered, with Google deindexing many niche blogs and review sites that predominantly feature AI-generated content. Make no mistake: If a website doesn’t conform to Google’s new spam policies, it will no longer appear in SERPs.

The good news is that businesses with websites that embrace quality content over quantity should remain untouched for the most part, including wedding industry businesses. Even so, there are numerous steps you can take to ensure your wedding industry website avoids perceived violations that could lead to deindexing.

Before jumping into ways your website can be proactive, let’s explore the specific practices Google wants to eliminate.

Google’s New Spam Policies

Expired Domain Abuse: You can no longer get away with purchasing expired domains for the sole purpose of manipulating search rankings.

Scaled Content Abuse: Whether a website employs content from humans, AI, or a combination, massive amounts of useless content will lead to penalties. Content must display your experience and expertise in your industry and not exist solely for ranking purposes. Google wants you to focus on why you’re creating the content.

Site Reputation Abuse: Websites can no longer host third-party content irrelevant to the hosting website’s expertise.

What to Do If Your Website Has Been Affected

Although you may already play by the rules, there’s a chance your website was a victim of Google’s initial rollout of the core update. It’s still unclear how or when offending websites might be able to recover from deindexing. But for other websites, there are some things to look for when identifying reasons for changes in web traffic and conversion rates.

1. Ad Spamming: Are the ads on your website affecting user experience?

2. Link Relevance: Are the links to pages on your site adding value beyond the original search intent? Are you providing enough internal and external links to keep visitors engaged?

3. AI Content: Are you using AI-generated content without using humans to edit for correctness?

4. Updated Content: Are you updating old content to keep it relevant?

5. SEO Web Traffic: Are you embracing other means of generating web traffic like email lists and social media?

If you believe the core update is behind any negative changes, assessing your website’s user experience is crucial.

How Wedding Industry Businesses Can Be Proactive

Google’s Helpful Content Update (HCU) and March 2024 Core updates require businesses to take proactive steps to adapt to the new policies. Here are several strategies to help the wedding industry in particular:

Showcase Visuals

In the wedding industry, setting up appealing visuals is crucial to selling services and products like dresses online. Invest in high-quality photography and videography to showcase your products in the best light. Update your website with captivating imagery that appeals to engaged couples.

Local SEO

For wedding vendors serving specific geographical areas, Local SEO is a must. Ensure your business listings are accurate and consistent across online directories and review platforms.

Provide Quality Content

Regardless of the AI-generated content you use, have a human edit the content for accuracy and include unique experiences within the writing. Create informative blogs, downloadable guides, and interactive tools to address the questions and concerns of couples. In addition, review and update existing content with valuable new information.

Personalize the User Experience

In the wedding industry, personalization is key to winning over couples. Tailor your website to resonate with different segments of your target audience.

Avoid the Appearance of Spam

Adjust the ads on your website so that they seamlessly fit without impacting user experience. In addition, try updating and repurposing existing content rather than producing a large amount of new content that doesn’t serve your customers.

Continue to schedule regular SEO audits of your websites to stay informed of any major changes in visitor traffic or keyword rankings. With this drastic new core update, predicting which websites will have trouble is difficult. Although most sites focus on experience, expertise, authority, and trust (EEAT) when creating content, even the most well-run websites have been targeted by Google’s new policies due to perceived issues with user experience.

Stay ahead of website changes to prevent issues from spiraling out of control.

While Google’s March update will present challenges in the first few weeks of implementation, it also presents opportunities for innovation and growth. By adopting new strategies now, wedding industry businesses can reevaluate their SEO strategies while increasing authority through improved user experience.

Consider inviting engaged couples to provide feedback on your wedding business website. It’s a move that can help you identify where your website needs improvements.

A renewed focus on high-quality content is a positive development that will have a long-term impact.

If you’re looking for ways to navigate Google’s ever-changing algorithm, we can help! Reach out to us to learn more.