“Highly Cited Content”: How to Stand Out with Google’s New Update
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 10:19 am
False information is nothing new on the Internet and we know that it can be extremely damaging on a political and social level.
Last week, Google announced that it will be adding a “highly cited content” notice to Google search results , focused on highlighting the most reliable original sources. The goal is to avoid the lack of context that a story can acquire as it becomes more widely distributed across the web.
According to the company, the update aims to help readers find “ the most useful or vk database relevant information for a news story .” But how could this update affect businesses, marketers, and SEO experts?
If you want to keep up to date with the latest trends in Digital Marketing, subscribe to our interactive newsletter!
The digital world and the era of (dis)information
Since the digital transformation began , we can notice a difference in the way most people search for information, news or some kind of learning.
From television news and newspapers, users began to conduct research on various topics on the Internet.
In this way, they enter a place where, in addition to informative articles, they can absorb knowledge through:
websites;
blogs;
social networks;
podcasts;
videos;
among other various formats.
But while the vast amount of news and information (circulating from numerous different sources) is extremely valuable in understanding different perspectives and constructive opinions on an event, it can be challenging to define whether information is reliable or not – after all, anyone can produce content and publish it online.
This is also because specifically when it comes to current news or “hot topics”, we notice a great movement of users and companies that reproduce and replicate these topics and, not always, with all the necessary information.
This has recently led to a lack of trust in the reliability of sources, as well as an uncomfortable feeling that we are not receiving knowledge about everything that is happening in the world.
But this new “often cited” feature can be a huge advantage in helping us organize information on the Internet and avoid misinformation.
How does Google's new update affect your digital strategy?
First of all, it is essential to reflect on the credibility of your company, brand or business. When I refer to credibility, I want to encourage a thorough analysis of your brand awareness , the way you communicate with your audience and, above all, your authority in your market segment.
But why is it important? Even with many variables in search engine algorithms, one thing is certain: your audience contributes to building your brand’s credibility.
With the new Google Search update, businesses, brands, marketers and SEOs have the opportunity to stand out even more in their markets.
This is because when you offer more value to your audience, more people will consume and share your content, which will make your online domain a reference for them and, consequently, for search engines.
So, if you already understand and work with a good digital content strategy, do not forget the importance of building and establishing a good relationship with your users and thus establish your authority on the subject.
And for that, some Digital Marketing actions cannot be missed. Below we discuss some of them.
Keep reading!
Produce relevant content for your audience
Efficient communication is one of the main pillars that support a digital strategy. Its objective is to transmit information, data or teachings through a specific channel, keeping your audience informed about specific topics.
Developing a content strategy will help you build credibility by educating customers and conveying valuable information to answer the questions that users — regardless of whether they are consumers of your brand or not — are searching for on the Internet. And that's where the new Google Search update can help!
By generating value for users through relevant information, you can build a positive perception of credibility for your brand.
Therefore, search engines are more likely to consider you a trustworthy source, and therefore your content would have a higher chance of being labeled as “highly cited,” which is amazing for brand awareness.
Be an authority in your industry
Becoming an authority on a topic is a challenge, but it is possible to build a path based on knowledge of your market and, especially, your consumers. Offer the best possible experience, create improvements based on the opinion of those who are already your customers and learn to generate value through your content to attract new consumers.
That’s why it’s essential to be present at different stages of the buying cycle. Understanding the main questions your audience has and presenting success stories and customer testimonials can have a greater weight in building your authority.
In other words: if your brand or business does not solve the problem that brought the user to your website or blog, it is very likely that they will leave the page after a short time and without taking any action.
Search engines see this as a negative thing, since the traffic directed to your page does not stop there, and on the other hand, it will benefit you if they understand that what you produce responds to what your audience needs.
Not every "hot topic" is worth exploring
This point, in my opinion, is one of the most delicate for this new update.
After all, ephemeral viralization and sensationalism in the news seem to have motivated this move by Google, which makes sense, if we are surrounded by countless different sources to talk about the same topic.
So, pay attention to what matters: what your audience wants to know and how you can help your content stand out . Adding a critical analysis, an interview with an expert, or even an opinion piece can be the key to not only standing out, but not being undermined by “more of the same” type of content.
And as such, it's highly likely that not all viral topics, news or content are good for your online reputation.
A few years ago, marketers realized that mentioning or talking about Trending Topics generated a quick return of traffic and shares.
But they also realized that they couldn't always develop the conversion strategy at the same speed , meaning that with the new update, it becomes even more important to understand what really generates value for your audience.
How to optimize your content with the new Google update?
There are several best practices for building an efficient SEO strategy, which can be used even more objectively with the new update. Having a well-structured, quality and easy-to-read text is the first step!
Hierarchy of information on the page
When a user reaches your content through an Internet search, they are likely to scan it before reading it: dynamically, they want to be sure that they will find the right answer there.
For a positive user experience, it is essential to structure the page with headings, subheadings and topics.
This way, you can divide your content into smaller sections and, consequently, make it easier for users to access the information they are looking for. After all, long paragraphs and poorly divided sections encourage users to leave the page and look for the answer elsewhere.
Exchange backlinks with other trusted sources
When it comes to trustworthiness and becoming a reliable source on the Internet, it's almost impossible to build that authority alone. After all, if every company or brand specialized in different topics, we'd have a lot of similar information everywhere – exactly what Google is looking to avoid with this new update.
That's why a backlink strategy can be a great alternative! They work as a great reference for Google: if a website that already has a good reputation on the search engine forwards links to yours, Google tends to trust your site more .
On the other hand, directing your users to the original source or one that already has an established authority on that topic can also make a good impression on the search engine.
That is, if Google considers that source to be trustworthy and directs its users to it through search, it is very likely that the redirect links present in that source are also trustworthy. Therefore, make sure to indicate trustworthy sources in your content and find good partners to place your links.
Enrichment of original content
After a lot of research on forums and groups of other marketers, I came to a point that I believe is the biggest differentiator to highlight from the new Google update.
Let's be honest: news content, whether viral or educational, is not always really valuable on the Internet. This is because we find many replicas of an original text or a news item that has just been published!
But if the topic is the same, what can you do differently? One way out is to enrich it with original content, adding different information, or even a critical analysis or opinion on the main topic.
One of the best ways to develop this is, as I mentioned earlier, through your own audience: how that information affects your user, your market , or even by adapting to a language that is more specific or familiar to your audience.
Research what your audience could gain from that information and explore it intelligently and strategically—don't just "Ctrl C + Ctrl V" different words.
Google updates always force businesses and marketers to reinvent themselves, but it’s also a great opportunity to review how you capture your audience’s impressions and return value to them.
How about putting these tips into practice to see if you can earn the trust of the world's most famous search engine?
Last week, Google announced that it will be adding a “highly cited content” notice to Google search results , focused on highlighting the most reliable original sources. The goal is to avoid the lack of context that a story can acquire as it becomes more widely distributed across the web.
According to the company, the update aims to help readers find “ the most useful or vk database relevant information for a news story .” But how could this update affect businesses, marketers, and SEO experts?
If you want to keep up to date with the latest trends in Digital Marketing, subscribe to our interactive newsletter!
The digital world and the era of (dis)information
Since the digital transformation began , we can notice a difference in the way most people search for information, news or some kind of learning.
From television news and newspapers, users began to conduct research on various topics on the Internet.
In this way, they enter a place where, in addition to informative articles, they can absorb knowledge through:
websites;
blogs;
social networks;
podcasts;
videos;
among other various formats.
But while the vast amount of news and information (circulating from numerous different sources) is extremely valuable in understanding different perspectives and constructive opinions on an event, it can be challenging to define whether information is reliable or not – after all, anyone can produce content and publish it online.
This is also because specifically when it comes to current news or “hot topics”, we notice a great movement of users and companies that reproduce and replicate these topics and, not always, with all the necessary information.
This has recently led to a lack of trust in the reliability of sources, as well as an uncomfortable feeling that we are not receiving knowledge about everything that is happening in the world.
But this new “often cited” feature can be a huge advantage in helping us organize information on the Internet and avoid misinformation.
How does Google's new update affect your digital strategy?
First of all, it is essential to reflect on the credibility of your company, brand or business. When I refer to credibility, I want to encourage a thorough analysis of your brand awareness , the way you communicate with your audience and, above all, your authority in your market segment.
But why is it important? Even with many variables in search engine algorithms, one thing is certain: your audience contributes to building your brand’s credibility.
With the new Google Search update, businesses, brands, marketers and SEOs have the opportunity to stand out even more in their markets.
This is because when you offer more value to your audience, more people will consume and share your content, which will make your online domain a reference for them and, consequently, for search engines.
So, if you already understand and work with a good digital content strategy, do not forget the importance of building and establishing a good relationship with your users and thus establish your authority on the subject.
And for that, some Digital Marketing actions cannot be missed. Below we discuss some of them.
Keep reading!
Produce relevant content for your audience
Efficient communication is one of the main pillars that support a digital strategy. Its objective is to transmit information, data or teachings through a specific channel, keeping your audience informed about specific topics.
Developing a content strategy will help you build credibility by educating customers and conveying valuable information to answer the questions that users — regardless of whether they are consumers of your brand or not — are searching for on the Internet. And that's where the new Google Search update can help!
By generating value for users through relevant information, you can build a positive perception of credibility for your brand.
Therefore, search engines are more likely to consider you a trustworthy source, and therefore your content would have a higher chance of being labeled as “highly cited,” which is amazing for brand awareness.
Be an authority in your industry
Becoming an authority on a topic is a challenge, but it is possible to build a path based on knowledge of your market and, especially, your consumers. Offer the best possible experience, create improvements based on the opinion of those who are already your customers and learn to generate value through your content to attract new consumers.
That’s why it’s essential to be present at different stages of the buying cycle. Understanding the main questions your audience has and presenting success stories and customer testimonials can have a greater weight in building your authority.
In other words: if your brand or business does not solve the problem that brought the user to your website or blog, it is very likely that they will leave the page after a short time and without taking any action.
Search engines see this as a negative thing, since the traffic directed to your page does not stop there, and on the other hand, it will benefit you if they understand that what you produce responds to what your audience needs.
Not every "hot topic" is worth exploring
This point, in my opinion, is one of the most delicate for this new update.
After all, ephemeral viralization and sensationalism in the news seem to have motivated this move by Google, which makes sense, if we are surrounded by countless different sources to talk about the same topic.
So, pay attention to what matters: what your audience wants to know and how you can help your content stand out . Adding a critical analysis, an interview with an expert, or even an opinion piece can be the key to not only standing out, but not being undermined by “more of the same” type of content.
And as such, it's highly likely that not all viral topics, news or content are good for your online reputation.
A few years ago, marketers realized that mentioning or talking about Trending Topics generated a quick return of traffic and shares.
But they also realized that they couldn't always develop the conversion strategy at the same speed , meaning that with the new update, it becomes even more important to understand what really generates value for your audience.
How to optimize your content with the new Google update?
There are several best practices for building an efficient SEO strategy, which can be used even more objectively with the new update. Having a well-structured, quality and easy-to-read text is the first step!
Hierarchy of information on the page
When a user reaches your content through an Internet search, they are likely to scan it before reading it: dynamically, they want to be sure that they will find the right answer there.
For a positive user experience, it is essential to structure the page with headings, subheadings and topics.
This way, you can divide your content into smaller sections and, consequently, make it easier for users to access the information they are looking for. After all, long paragraphs and poorly divided sections encourage users to leave the page and look for the answer elsewhere.
Exchange backlinks with other trusted sources
When it comes to trustworthiness and becoming a reliable source on the Internet, it's almost impossible to build that authority alone. After all, if every company or brand specialized in different topics, we'd have a lot of similar information everywhere – exactly what Google is looking to avoid with this new update.
That's why a backlink strategy can be a great alternative! They work as a great reference for Google: if a website that already has a good reputation on the search engine forwards links to yours, Google tends to trust your site more .
On the other hand, directing your users to the original source or one that already has an established authority on that topic can also make a good impression on the search engine.
That is, if Google considers that source to be trustworthy and directs its users to it through search, it is very likely that the redirect links present in that source are also trustworthy. Therefore, make sure to indicate trustworthy sources in your content and find good partners to place your links.
Enrichment of original content
After a lot of research on forums and groups of other marketers, I came to a point that I believe is the biggest differentiator to highlight from the new Google update.
Let's be honest: news content, whether viral or educational, is not always really valuable on the Internet. This is because we find many replicas of an original text or a news item that has just been published!
But if the topic is the same, what can you do differently? One way out is to enrich it with original content, adding different information, or even a critical analysis or opinion on the main topic.
One of the best ways to develop this is, as I mentioned earlier, through your own audience: how that information affects your user, your market , or even by adapting to a language that is more specific or familiar to your audience.
Research what your audience could gain from that information and explore it intelligently and strategically—don't just "Ctrl C + Ctrl V" different words.
Google updates always force businesses and marketers to reinvent themselves, but it’s also a great opportunity to review how you capture your audience’s impressions and return value to them.
How about putting these tips into practice to see if you can earn the trust of the world's most famous search engine?