Google’s HCC is one of the modern tools that helps the search engine determine how well the content meets user expectations. In the era of abundant information noise, HCC helps filter out truly valuable and useful pages from those created solely for SEO or profit. In this article, we will look at what criteria the content classifier considers useful, according to Joe Youngblood’s analysis.
The usefulness of UGC content
One of the main factors that HCC highlights is the presence of user-generated content (UGC). Fully interactive platforms such as social networks and forums receive a significant advantage in search results. Google highly values platforms where users share their experiences, opinions, and knowledge, such as Reddit or Pinterest. These sites are considered better sources for training artificial intelligence than blogging platforms that are designed to monetize through advertising.
This trend highlights the importance of creating interactive content that engages users and makes them active participants in the process. In the future, this may lead to partnerships between UGC platforms and various brands for data exchange, advertising or content licensing.
Citing reliable sources
Content that cites facts from reliable and trusted sources has a better chance of being classified as useful. This means that the information should be supported by several authoritative sources or primary sources on the topic. It is important that such facts are relevant to the topic of the page. For example, if the site is devoted to medical issues, then using data from scientific studies would be preferable.
Focus on the topic of the site
Pages that clearly match the main profile of the site have a better chance of ranking well. Google gives preference to specialized resources where the content is focused on one specific topic. This makes such pages more useful for a user who is looking for highly specialized information. However, this approach may limit businesses that provide several different services.
Trusted Websites
Highly trusted sites, such as big brands and media, get an advantage in classifying their content as “useful”. The same content may be rated differently on different platforms: on a highly trusted site, content will be perceived as useful, while on a smaller or new site, its value may be lower. This is due to metrics such as PageRank and site reputation.
Session duration and user engagement
HCC also takes into account the length of time a user spends on a site and the depth of their interaction. Pages that lead to longer sessions are often classified as useful. This is due to high-quality internal linking and links to related content, which encourages the user to explore the site more deeply. Content that can hold the user’s attention and pages that the user returns to receive more “weight” in the usefulness classification.
Naturalness of writing
Content that is not keyword-stuffed and written in a natural form also has advantages. HCC encourages a “human-centric” approach without abandoning SEO best practices. This means that the text should be understandable and useful to humans, not just optimized for search engines.
The home page as an important element
Homepages that contain minimal SEO-optimized content often perform well. A short and relevant paragraph can greatly improve a site’s ranking. An example of this is KnowledgeBase.com, whose homepage ranks highly due to its short and to-the-point description. An exact match between the domain name and the topic also helps to achieve success.
First person stories
Google HCC values content that is first-hand. This could be real-life examples of product use, site visits, or personal experiences. This content demonstrates expertise and real-life experience, making it valuable to users. This is especially true for smaller sites, which can improve their reputation and trust levels.
Social Media Engagement
Social media presence and active interaction with users also play an important role in classifying content as useful. Google analyzes not only the number of subscribers, but also the level of engagement – likes, reposts, comments. Constant activity on several platforms helps to increase the trust and usefulness of the site.
Educational content
Educational content, such as knowledge bases and step-by-step guides, also gets a boost, provided that it matches the main focus of the site. This is due to Google’s goal to provide the best content to train its AI and help users solve their problems and challenges. The more the content answers questions and educates, the more valuable it is.
Google HCC Factors
| No. | Utility factor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | User Generated Content (UGC) | Evaluation of interactive content created by users (forums, social networks). |
| 2 | Citation and reliability | Availability of links to reliable and proven sources. |
| 3 | Compliance with the site’s theme | Checking that the content matches the main focus of the site. |
| 4 | Site Trust Level | PageRank, reputation and site trust. |
| 5 | User Engagement | Session duration, browsing depth and presence of internal links. |
| 6 | Naturalness of writing | No keyword stuffing, natural language. |
| 7 | Home Page Content | Minimal but relevant content on the home page, no over-optimization. |
| 8 | First person content | The author’s personal experience, first-hand demonstration of expertise. |
| 9 | Social Media Presence | Activity on platforms, engagement metrics. |
| 10 | Educational content | Step-by-step instructions, training materials corresponding to the main theme of the site. |
Google’s HCC prioritizes content that is user-focused, contains valuable and verified information, is relevant to the site’s focus, and has high levels of engagement. Sites that provide a unique user experience and high-quality, relevant content receive a significant ranking advantage.
