For a while now you will have noticed content being altered so that it is "search engine optimised" which basicaly means salted with words that push it further up Google's search pages. In fact, sites claiming to be SEO friendly are usually shite advertising vehicles which are about as useful at providing information as the Russian Secret Service is capable of telling Tsar Putin what is really going on in the world.

Yesterday Google launched its Helpful Content Update for English-speaking users, while a second is scheduled for the next few weeks in other languages. In a post, the Mountain View company explains that credible content will be rewarded and that it helps people, “helpful” in fact, as well as the most reliable reviews.

“Many of us have experienced the frustration of visiting a web page that appears to have what we’re looking for, but doesn’t live up to our expectations,” writes Google.

“We work hard to make sure the pages we show on Search are as useful and relevant as possible. To do this, we are constantly refining our systems – last year, we rolled out thousands of search updates based on hundreds of thousands of tests. quality, including assessments where we collect feedback from human reviewers.

” With the novelty, educational content, entertainment content, reliable websites for shopping and pages related to technology will be rewarded, preferring original sites, containing reviews and insights."