Content Site Update Recovery - Possible Methods

I want traffic and I want it NOW

Many (but not all despite what you’ve heard) content sites got hit HARD by last year’s HCU and this year’s March Spam/Core Updates.

There’s been a on of speculation X about how to recover.

The real answer is: no one knows.

But based on my analysis of the SERPs and looking at content sites that are somehow still thriving against all odds, I came up with a list of changes that site owners can make that might lead to a recovery.

If you’re in Max Pain Mode right now then these ideas are definitely worth a try.

Become an “e-com business”

Google is effectively trying to destroy content sites as a business model.

You can see it in the SERPs yourself. Content sites are dropping like flies but even really low-end blog posts from e-com businesses are rising.

Google is attempting to favor “real businesses”. In G’s eye’s, if you sell a product you’re a Real Business and if you don’t you’re not.

We’re quickly getting into “if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” territory.

White-labeling a product isn’t hard. It takes a little bit of money but anything worth doing does.

Search for “white label [product in your niche]” and I guarantee there will be multiple options to choose from. Pick one and get the ball rolling.

Then set up a Shopify store on a subdomain and BAM now you’re an e-commerce business.

OK. It won’t really happen that quickly.

SEO is always a waiting game.

You’re going to have to wait forever for Google to reclassify you as an e-com biz instead of a content site and then wait even longer before you see any results in the SERPs, if ever (it is what it is).

But I think this is a glaringly obvious move that’s worth trying.

Add a forum

UGC sites are growing.

Reddit and Quora, obviously. But also random forums.

I don’t want to dox anyone’s site but I’m even seeing forums on low-DR sites pop up in the Discussions and Forums section in the SERPs.