Hello, fellow content peeps!

I’m back after a bit of a break. After a summer of juggling a few big projects and a much-needed family trip to the UK, I’m deliriously happy to be in front of my screens, talking about content & SEO again.

It’s been quite a year in the content industry.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on how much has changed in the past year. If you talked to me one year ago, I’m not sure I could have predicted everything that has happened or what I’d be doing these days.

Still, it’s been a brutal year for many of us, too. Many really great indie publishers have closed shop, and many of my friends, colleagues, and fellow operators are still navigating our space's painful pivots and ever-changing realities.

This month, I’ve returned to my content groups and digital work with renewed energy. It’s been one year since Google slammed the hammer on indie publishers with the original Helpful Content Update (HCU) - so I thought it would be a good time for a check-in.

HCU - One Year Later - How are we doing?

It’s been about 13 months since I watched the shifting tide (and massive traffic losses) of my beloved publications with the HCU.

Looking back, my initial gut instinct was, ‘This is just another Google update’ - a bit of a shakeup. At first, I was optimistic that the search results would improve, that, like other updates before, things would eventually shift and move, and Google would eventually get things ‘right’ again. At the very least, as a content purist, I was hoping that Google could surface real, valuable, quality content.

I wrote about all of this here, and reading my initial thoughts feels like a lifetime ago. You can read them for yourself here.

Some things I wrote about then still ring true.

One of the big initial shifts in search was the overnight growth and prevalence of forums.

Reddit seems still to be a big winner in this new search landscape.

In a recent Sistrix article that did a deep dive into the massive growth of Reddit, we can see where we stand today.

Look at these numbers

• 70 million daily users (and growing)

• Organic search traffic 714 million clicks per month

• 3rd in overall visibility (after Wikipedia, Amazon)

And Reddit keeps growing.

Folks.

This is the new internet.

If you want to have an online presence right now and be searchable on Google, you must pay attention to Reddit.

Look up almost any topic. Reddit will pop up.

“best content marketing books” - Reddit thread ranking #1

"examples of content marketing strategies” - ranking #2

While some may balk at these results, we cannot ignore the reality of today's internet.

Reddit is here to stay.

I’m sure I’ll be talking a lot more about Reddit content marketing strategies this year. We can’t ignore this big of an opportunity anymore.

Small and indie publishers are still struggling.

This year has been rough for indie publishers, and one year later, we’re still seeing the effects and ramifications of HCU.

While a few SEOs are still focused on finding the small handful of sites that have recovered (yes, there have been a few), I don’t believe we have a solid playbook for full recovery.

Even if we did, many small publishers and independent brands couldn’t afford to invest in recovery efforts anyway.

In a recent post, Katie Berry shared what so many publishers are feeling—we cannot all quickly and successfully ‘pivot’ and figure this out.

Some great articles lately share the heartbreaking reality of what's happened in Google search this year to small publishers. Here are a couple worth reading this week:

With all that’s happened after HCU, one would expect Google results to be more helpful, but there’s still much chatter that search results are worse than ever.

The State of Google Results is Going Mainstream

It used to be that only SEOs discussed the results we’re seeing in Google, but due to the search results there and the lack of quality content, AI overviews are now a mainstream topic of discussion.

This video has 2.3 million views right now.

Hello Fresh, a publication that has seen some recovery in Google search this year, published a guide for ‘non SEOs’ and readers on how to search for better content: https://housefresh.com/finding-helpful-content-in-an-enshittified-google/.

This, my friends, is where we’re at.

While Google experiments with more AI results, the rise of forums, and yes, Reddit, the internet is changing again.

While I could debate for hours that the results we’re seeing now in search may not be better, I don’t think this is the debate I want to hover over.

It is what it is.

And, just like the early days of search, there are still opportunities to be found in content, in search, and in marketing in this ‘wild west’ and shifting landscape.

Embracing the internet we have today.

I’ve had some interesting discussions lately about the state of the internet today. Things are rapidly changing and I don’t think it does us any good to cling to what was.

We’re already seeing the top-of-the-funnel search terms dominated by AI overviews.

We will continue to see more zero-click searches, sure. We are surely seeing some of the biggest shifts in how we find, discover, and use information than we’ve ever had. Still, I believe this new internet can be a fun place for creative types. There are many uncharted opportunities.

I'm happy, excited, and thankful to be a part of figuring out ‘what’s next’. It’s been a painful year, to be sure, but I’m ready to keep exploring.

Things to Read, Watch, and Ponder

▶️Ever wonder what’s really driving revenue for sites like CNN, USA Today, and Forbes? This eye-opening post uncovers the underbelly of content creation and SEO strategies these giants use to stay on top. Read it here.

▶️ Want to dive deeper into your Google Search Console data? This guide explains how to export bulk data into BigQuery for better insights and improved SEO strategies. Check it out!

▶️ What’s the latest in blogging trends for 2024? With insights from over 12,000 bloggers, this survey from Andy Crestodina reveals the key shifts and strategies that will shape content in the coming year. Get the scoop here.

▶️ Who are the biggest traffic losers in SEO this year? Ahrefs breaks down the websites that have lost the most traffic, giving us a peek into the changing dynamics of the SEO world. Take a look.

One year after the HCU, we’re still figuring things out. But despite all the challenges, I believe there are still playbooks we can discover and strategies we can refine to navigate this new content landscape.

I’ll leave you with this: the opportunities are still there if we can adapt. And I’m excited to explore more about this in the weeks to come.

Until next time, stay creative and keep pushing the boundaries of content.

Cheers! Amy

Some Bonus Newsletters You’ll Love

If you want to get into the weeds on these topics, here are some newsletters that I read regularly that I think you’ll enjoy: