As every digital marketing and SEO agency knows, Google updates its ranking algorithm multiple times a week and hundreds of times each year. Each update is different: some significantly impact search rankings, but most are imperceptible.

Google rolled out a fairly prominent algorithm update affecting news sites and blogs early this month. In a recently published document titled “Ways to succeed in Google News,” the search giant specifically warns against using “block scraped content” and “block rewritten content.”

“Scraping commonly refers to taking material from another site, often on an automated basis,” the document reads. Block rewritten content “refers to taking material from another site, then rewriting that material so that it is not identical… This includes, but is not limited to, rewrites that make only very slight changes or those that make many word replacements but still keep the original article’s overall meaning.”

Fresh, relevant content is crucial to successful SEO, which is why many agencies offer blog-writing or editorial services. A regularly updated blog is a great way to share written content that appeals to Google’s algorithm and offers your customers valuable information. Better still, this content can be used to increase your online visibility via social media distribution.

Google’s latest algorithm update seeks to discourage websites from publishing questionable news and cribbing content from other sites. If your website has experienced a recent, drastic ranking drop, it may be time to review your content strategy with your SEO agency.

As a Google Premier Partner digital marketing and SEO agency with access to valuable insights on Google’s preferred practices, GrowthEngine Media is positioned to help your website appear in search results related to your business. SEO is the cornerstone of any digital marketing campaign, and GrowthEngine has the experience and track record to ensure you’re found when it matters most.