--- title: "Google adds a main content section to its helpful content page" url: https://seomadman.com/news/google-helpful-content-main-content-section section: news language: en published: 2026-10-02T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-02T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Content strategy", "Core updates"] --- # Google adds a main content section to its helpful content page ## The short answer Google's helpful content page now has a Main content section, reported on 2 October 2026. It defines main content as any part of a page that directly helps it achieve its purpose, and lists four attributes raters assess: effort, originality, talent or skill, and accuracy. Google repeats that rater data is not used directly in ranking. ## Key takeaways - The page now says one of the most critical factors in assessing page quality is the quality of the main content, beyond E-E-A-T. - Google defines main content as any part of the page that directly helps it achieve its purpose, from text and media to calculators, reviews and headings. - Raters are trained to assess four attributes of main content: effort, originality, talent or skill, and accuracy. - Google says crediting other sources does not replace original effort, and names generating pages from feeds or bulk unsupervised generative AI text as little to no effort. - The page still says raters do not control rankings, rater data is not used directly in ranking algorithms, and E-E-A-T is not a specific ranking factor. Google added a passage and a new section to its "Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content" page, reported by [Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-helpful-content-main-content-and-eot-sa-42218.html) on 2 October 2026. The page now says that beyond E-E-A-T, the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines treat the quality of the main content as one of the most critical factors in assessing page quality. ## What counts as main content? Google defines it as any part of the page that directly helps the page achieve its purpose. The examples are: - Primary text and media: text, articles, images, audio and video. - Interactive features: calculators, online tools, games and search functionality. - User-generated contributions: forum discussions, reviews, comments and uploaded media, when they directly fulfil the page's purpose. - Tabbed or expanded sections, such as product specs, safety notes and reviews. - Page titles and headings that summarise the topic. ## What do raters assess? Raters are trained to look at effort, originality, talent or skill, and accuracy. - **Effort.** The human work behind the content or the systems powering it. High effort includes original analysis, translating a poem manually or a custom interactive map for a game. - **Originality.** Unique information or perspectives not already on other sites. - **Talent or skill.** Clear writing, well-produced video, functional tools. Not all content needs specialized expertise: Google's example is someone sharing how they cleared their driveway of snow. - **Accuracy.** Informational pages should be factually accurate, and YMYL topics must be highly accurate and consistent with established expert consensus. ## Where does automation fit? Google puts automatically generating pages from feeds, or using generative AI to produce large amounts of text without manual oversight or curation, at little to no effort. It adds that crediting other sources does not replace the need for original effort. The "Who, How and Why" section stays. Its "How" part now notes disclosing automation or AI where readers would reasonably expect it, and says using automation to produce content mainly to manipulate rankings violates spam policies. Fabricating creator profiles, such as AI headshots, made-up names or false credentials, is called deception. ## Does this change rankings? The page does not say so. It keeps its line that raters have no control over rankings and that rater data is not used directly in ranking algorithms, using an analogy of restaurant feedback cards. It also still states that E-E-A-T is not a specific ranking factor and that trust is the most important aspect. For publishers, the useful reading is a checklist for a self-review: what is the main content on each page, and does it show effort, originality, skill and accuracy? Our [September 2023 helpful content update](/updates/september-2023-helpful-content-update) page covers the earlier history of this guidance, and Google also [updated its generative AI content guidance](/news/google-ai-content-guidance-factcheck-critical) the same week. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Google count as main content? Any part of the page that directly helps it achieve its purpose. Google's examples are primary text and media, interactive features such as calculators, user-generated contributions, tabbed or expanded sections, and page titles and headings. ### What four attributes do raters assess in main content? Effort, originality, talent or skill, and accuracy. Search Engine Roundtable abbreviates them as EOT/SA, but Google's page spells each one out. ### Does this change how pages rank? Google's page does not say so. It repeats that raters have no control over rankings and that rater data is not used directly in ranking algorithms. ### Is AI-generated content penalised? The page names generating large amounts of text with generative AI without manual oversight or curation as little to no effort. It also says using automation mainly to manipulate rankings violates spam policies. ## Sources 1. [Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content) - Google Search Central (primary) 2. [Google Helpful Content Doc With New Main Content & EOT/SA Sections](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-helpful-content-main-content-and-eot-sa-42218.html) - Search Engine Roundtable