No one wants their websites lost in the dregs of Google search. If you want an easily discovered site, you must be on the first or second page of results. But how do you get there? How can you boost your website so potential customers can find you?
The quality of your content has never been more important when ranking on search engines. Gone are the days of keyword stuffing or posting buzzworthy articles to trick algorithms. Today, Google actively rewards websites that offer helpful content and penalizes those that don’t.
We spoke with the founder and digital strategist of Jubilant Digital Marketing, Josh Eliseuson, to learn more about what makes your content stand out to search engines. “Helpful content is a major piece of how we help clients’ websites rank better on Google,” says Eliseuson. “And accessible key factors separate good content from poor.”
DW Creative is a Kansas City-based marketing agency that drives growth for clients by creating meaningful connections between their clients’ brands and the homeowners they serve. DW Creative has worked closely with Jubilant Digital Marketing over the years. Both strive to help build brand awareness and connect clients with potential customers.
By reading this article, you will learn what helpful content is, why it matters, and how to create content that appeals to users and AI.
What Is Helpful Content and Why Does It Matter?
Helpful content serves two critical purposes: it satisfies users’ needs and aligns with Google’s ever-evolving algorithms. In August 2022, Google introduced its “helpful content” update to prioritize content that offers value to readers and penalize sites posting low-quality, irrelevant, or auto-generated material.
Eliseuson explains, “You can create a piece on ChatGPT in an hour or more if you’re doing it well. But what about a truly thoughtful piece that takes a day to write? Does that get noticed? With this update from Google, these pieces are rewarded.”
For businesses, this means the content you create must:
- Be informative and accurate.
- Fit within the theme and purpose of your website.
- Be helpful for users.
Content Must Be Accurate
Google compares your content to other websites to assess accuracy.
“If your website provides information that 90% of other websites disagree with, Google may deem your site untrustworthy and unhelpful,” Eliseuson says. “Of course, the exception may be an opinion piece, but, in general, you must ensure that the information you’re providing is accurate and correct. Otherwise, Google may penalize your site.”
Content Must Be Topical
One of the most important factors in creating helpful content is ensuring it’s relevant to your website’s core purpose.
“It used to be that you could write unrelated, buzzworthy articles to help your site rank in Google search results, but, now, if you want to rank well, your articles need to be related to your website goal,” says Eliseuson. “Helpful content needs to be about the services you offer and the focus of your website.”
For example, if your business focuses on HVAC services, your articles should cover HVAC topics such as maintenance tips, energy efficiency, etc. If you decide to write a random article on celebrity sightings to get clicks, search engines will penalize your site.
Writing about unrelated topics, no matter how trendy, won’t help your rankings.
Content Must Help Users
Your content must be helpful to users. Google can detect how long users stay on a page and interact with it. If users are opening the page but leaving quickly, it may mean the page is unhelpful.
“Google is ranking helpful content partly based on users’ interactions,” Eliseuson says. “If people are clicking links and images and taking the time to read the whole article, Google thinks the page offers valuable information. You don’t just want people to only open the page and leave. You want them to spend time there.”
Pages should be user-friendly by using the following tools:
1. Reverse Pyramid Writing
A reverse pyramid structure means putting the most important information at the top of your article, followed by supporting details, and less critical “fluff” at the end. This approach grabs readers’ attention quickly and ensures they find value in your content even if they don’t read the entire piece.
2. Be Clear, Concise, and Accurate
As previously stated, both Google and users value accurate information. Ensure your page is offering facts that do not conflict with other sources.
3. Engage Your Audience
Engagement signals such as time spent on the page, clicks, and interactions can influence rankings. To keep readers engaged:
- Break up text with headers, bulleted lists, and images.
- Include infographics or visuals to enhance understanding.
4. Make It Readable
Content should be easy to digest. For example, if someone asks, “How do I prolong the life of my air conditioner?” they’re looking for straightforward, actionable advice—not a dense, technical explanation.
Middle-school-level writing is usually sufficient for most audiences, although exceptions exist for specialized fields like medical journals.

Writing for AI
“If you’re going to make impactful content, you’re not just writing for Google anymore,” says Eliseuson. “When you make content, you also have to consider how AI programs process it.”
It’s important to follow best practices for structure and optimization to ensure your content performs well for AI tools like ChatGPT.
“Unlike Google, content structure matters a great deal to ChatGPT,” says Eliseuson. “How you build your content matters in making it more digestible for AI systems.”
Creating Digestible Content
Relevant Titles and Meta Descriptions
Your title should clearly reflect the content of your article. Similarly, your meta description should offer a concise summary of what readers can expect from your content.
“Some blog programs may create a meta description by pulling your first two sentences. This is not a helpful meta description,” advises Eliseuson. “The meta description should reflect the content and what it’s about.”
Use Headers to Break Up Content
Headers such as H1, H2, and H3 tags not only improve readability but also help search engines and AI understand the structure of your article. By clearly labeling sections, you make it easier for tools like ChatGPT to extract and summarize your content.
Add Alt Text to Images
Images are great for engaging readers, but they need alt text to describe their purpose. Alt text helps visually impaired users and allows search engines to understand the context of your visuals.
Can Marketing Experts Help You Create Helpful Content?
Creating helpful, optimized content is a complex process that requires time, effort, and expertise. That’s where professional marketing agencies come in.
“Marketing agencies know how to find relevant keywords to build topical, helpful, and digestible content so your website is easier for users to find,” Eliseuson explains.”We can take the mystery out of the content-building process and help boost your site. With your site higher in search results, you gain access to more potential customers.”
By partnering with experts, you gain access to:
- Strategic keyword research.
- High-quality, engaging content tailored to your audience.
- A better chance of ranking higher on Google and reaching more potential customers.
Next Steps for Building Helpful Content
Helpful content matters because it bridges the gap between what your audience needs and what Google rewards. By focusing on accuracy, relevance, and engagement, you can create articles that serve your users and improve your rankings.
In addition, you should ensure that your content is easily digestible for AI.
Helpful content includes the following attributes:
- Provides accurate information
- Focuses on topics relevant to the hosting site
- Promotes user interaction through images, lists, and simple language
- Has a title and meta description that fit the content
- Uses appropriate headers
- Uses alt text for images
Remember, the ultimate goal is to provide value. Whether you’re writing for search engines, AI, or human readers, the best content always puts the user first. And if you need help, a professional marketing agency can ensure your content strategy aligns with best practices and delivers results.
DW Creative is an agency committed to empowering homeowner-focused businesses. If you want help creating a marketing strategy or brand designs, schedule a fit call with our team to see how DW Creative can help.
If you’re looking for digital problem-solving and marketing expertise, Jubilant Digital Marketing can help. To see a free, personalized proposal, contact the Jubilant Digital team.
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