Is Google Becoming More Selective? Implications for Content Discoverability

In recent months, web developers and SEO experts have noted significant changes in Google’s indexing practices, observing a shift towards more selective indexing of web content.  Two blog posts, one by Red Revolution and another by Vincent Schmalbach, highlight these shifts and their potential impact on content discovery.

Here’s what they observed:

  1. Decreased Indexing Frequency: Web pages are being crawled less frequently than in previous years.  Red Revolution found that existing, high-quality content is crawled approximately 47% less frequently than it was in 2022-2023.
  2. Selective Indexing: Google appears to have adopted a more selective approach to indexing, favoring well-known brands and established websites.
  3. Emphasis on Uniqueness: Google appears to be prioritizing highly unique content for indexing, favoring materials that offer novel insights or fill gaps in existing online information.
  4. Emphasis on Authority: Sites perceived as highly authoritative in their niche, such as established legal resources, may have more content indexed. This aligns with Google’s expanded E-E-A-T quality assessment framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).

Legal professionals should be aware of how changes in indexing practices may impact the discoverability of information online. “It’s not just about creating good content anymore – it’s about convincing Google that your content is absolutely necessary for their index,” observes Vincent Schmalbach.

Hat tip to beSpacific.