Help! Wikihow is constantly outranking me with low quality articles

by Eduard
5 replies
  • SEO
  • |
This is unbelievable and frustrating as hell. A few months ago before the recent Google algorithm updates, I had several articles ranking on the 1st or 2nd place on Google for key search terms. Now most of them have dropped 2 or 3 spots, and 80% of the time, the articles that now rank above them are articles on Wikihow.

My problem and irritation with this ranking change is this:

1) Many times the first 3 or 4 consecutive articles ranking on Google for a certain search term are ALL from Wikihow. I mean, whatever happened to results diversity?

2) Some of these articles barely have a loose version of the search phrase in their title or content. And they're not very relevant.

3) Almost all these article are of very poor quality. I'm sure that when it comes to searches like how to tie a tie or how to save a document, Wikihow may have some decent articles to serve. But I'm talking about more complex topics, which require some level of expertise, and the articles on Wikihow simply don't reflect such expertise. They are vague, repetitive, simplistic and just plain wrong.

4) Unsurprisingly considering their quality, the Wikihow articles generally have few, if any external backlinks.

I just don't understand why Google gives Wikihow so much authority.

So I want to ask you: Do I have a serious chance of beating Wikihow at this game? And how can I rank above it?

I think Google really screwed things up with its latest algo changes. It's simply not serving good, relevant content. At least for the niches I'm in.
#articles #constantly #low #outranking #quality #wikihow
  • Profile picture of the author Larry Leggett
    It's authority may be doing the trick here (I think). A similar kind of thread were posted here a few days ago. There yelp listing was outranking the actual business website.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8422997].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author paulgl
    Nobody is going to go to wikihow for:
    "more complex topics, which require some level of expertise"

    Nor is anyone going to go to wikipedia for anything earth
    shattering, as far as in-depth facts and history.

    But the internet generation loves them.

    Only technical professional journals and treatises would ever
    rank for anything. That's not what people want.

    The definition of low quality is always what my competitor
    chooses to publish.

    Google could care less about quality. Only that guy who lives in
    a cave that everyone seems to listen to does. He said it, so
    it must be true.

    Paul
    Signature

    If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8423009].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Eduard
      Originally Posted by paulgl View Post

      Nobody is going to go to wikihow for:
      "more complex topics, which require some level of expertise"

      Nor is anyone going to go to wikipedia for anything earth
      shattering, as far as in-depth facts and history.
      That is true. Which is why many people who want serious answers bother to scroll on the search page a bit and get to my article. Nevertheless, Google sees these articles on Wikihow as worthy of ranking above mine.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8423289].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Wikihow is most likely ranking because of a boat load of internal pages targeting the same niche/subject, that's how you rank multiple pages per individual keyword/phrase.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8423391].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Eduard
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      Wikihow is most likely ranking because of a boat load of internal pages targeting the same niche/subject, that's how you rank multiple pages per individual keyword/phrase.
      Makes sense. Unfortunately my sites have nowhere near the number of pages Wikihow does, so I can't get as many internal links. I guess I will have to compensate some with external ones.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8426637].message }}

Trending Topics