Write Content for Bots or Humans ?

In a world which is dominated by Google and practically every other transaction starts with a journey from Google Search, it is next to impossible to ignore how google reads content on your website and how to rank your Content on first page. So, who should we write for: people or Google bots? The answer, quite simply, is both.

At first glance, it may seem like a challenging task to satisfy both the human reader and the algorithmic crawler or otherwise known as a spider. After all, they have seemingly different needs: humans look for value, entertainment, and emotion, while Google bots seek structured data, keywords, and metadata. However, the reality is that Google's sophisticated algorithms are increasingly focusing on the human element of content.

Google has come a long way from the primitive keyword-matching days. Its aim? Delivering the most relevant and high-quality results to its users. The Panda update in 2011 started the trend of prioritizing high-quality content over thin, unhelpful pages. The Hummingbird update in 2013 moved Google towards understanding the intent behind search queries, not just the keywords themselves.

Fast forward to 2019, and we have the . With this, Google's understanding of search queries became nearly as good as humans'. According to Google's own words, BERT helped Google Search better understand "one in 10 searches."

All these updates point towards one fact: Google is getting better at understanding content the way a human would. What does this mean for content creators? Writing for humans and writing for Google is becoming essentially the same thing.

Now, what constitutes 'quality content' from Google's perspective? Let's turn to some hard data.

A study conducted by SearchMetrics in 2016 revealed that user signals like click-through rate, time on site, and bounce rate significantly correlate with high Google rankings. Moreover, according to a Backlinko study, the average word count of a Google first page result is 1,447 words, indicating that Google appreciates depth and detail—content that keeps users engaged for longer.

In a world where user experience is a critical ranking factor, the website's loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and navigational structure also come into play. Google's Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics introduced in 2020, is a testament to this focus on user experience.

As Google's understanding of content becomes more nuanced and 'human,' content strategies need to adapt. The key to visibility in the era of evolving SEO is delivering quality content that serves your audience's needs while ensuring a superior user experience. Because ultimately, it's the humans who convert, share your content, and champion your brand—not the bots.