News

New Google Update Will Prioritize Quality Websites In Results

The update is billed to be useful for users seeking educational materials, arts and entertainment, plus tech-focused content and shopping results.

Published

4 years ago

August 23, 2022

Nour Nasir

Google

A new Google update has just been announced and the company is promising a raft of updates to its search algorithm that will prioritize “quality websites” in the search results, with a view to helping its users uncover more reliable or accurate source material.

Google’s long-term focus has always centered on promoting quality content in search results, and this update seeks to address concerns from some users that the company’s results haven’t been optimal of late.

“We definitely want to speed up the experience for people and make them feel like they’re getting what they’re looking for. We’re trying to show people more helpful and authentic content. […] content made by and for humans, which is a lot of what people seem to be seeking,” says Danny Sullivan, Google Search Spokesperson.

The update, known internally as the “helpful content update“, began a global rollout for English-speaking searches this week, focusing on targeting SEO-first content designed for the sole purpose of ranking on page one.

There’s no news yet as to whether we might be looking at a rerun of 2012’s infamous “Penguin” update, which saw thousands of SEO-focused affiliate sites wiped from search results, destroying the income streams of many internet entrepreneurs.

Google says its product testing indicates that the algorithm update will prove especially helpful for results relating to shopping, arts and entertainment, tech-related content, and online learning. The search giant will simultaneously tweak its existing product review results by adding more firsthand and in-depth experiences to reviews.

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Instead of sending users to a page that aggregates and rounds up other review sites, or to suggestions from people who have never used a product, Google’s spokesperson Danny Sullivan says the company is working to unearth more experienced product reviews and opinions.

So the big question is, should website owners be worried? Google maintains that the update will not impact results if a site isn’t primarily spammy or SEO-driven, but instead focused on genuinely helpful content. Let’s wait and see how things progress over the coming months!

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.