LinkAdage’s Take On Google's New Search Engine
Patent
John Lessnau
Has Google thrown the cyber world a curveball? Let's fill in
some blanks and connect a few dots regarding the recently-filed
patent application for Google's latest Search Engine algorithm -
Search Engine 125. For those unfamiliar with the inner workings
of search engines, each Search Engine uses its own unique
formula for determining that all-important ranking for each web
site. Remember, users who query a Search Engine rarely look
beyond the first page, so if you want to increase visitor
traffic, step one is to develop your website in a way that
matches the major search engine's ranking algorithms. You need
to find out what the search engines like and make sure you feed
it to them.
Now, over the years, the formulae used by search engines to
rank a site have grown more complex. Pre-2000, search engines
didn't do much more than count keywords on a site. The more
times the words 'limburger cheese' appeared on the site, the
higher the site's limburger cheese search engine ranking
position (SERP). Of course, the key then became to develop SEO
text with limburger cheese mentioned in every header, twice in
subheads and at least once in every paragraph. Hardly
compelling reading, except for the most avid of limburger
cheese fans.
So, the Google, Yahoo, and MSN search engines moved to improve
the quality of their SERPs, to provide users with helpful,
expert information. Changes were made to the keyword algorithms
(the weighing formulae), awarding more points for things like
the quality of inbound and outbound links to and from a site.
This meant that quality links from a relevant 'authority' site
- a highly-prized designation, will move your site up in the
SERPs.
Well, on March 31, 2005, Google applied for a patent on its
latest search algorithm. For those who have no fear of their
brains exploding from buzzword overload do a search on “Patent
Application 0050071741” to read the entire patent. The patent
application describes "a method for scoring a document
comprising: identifying the document; obtaining one or more
types of history (sic) data associated with the document; and
generating a score for the document based on the one or more
types of historical data."
Apparently (or not), Google has determined that historical data
associated with each site is an essential ingredient in
developing the highest quality search results for users who
query. And just what kind of historical data are we talking
about here? Well, things like:
* the site's inception date (more likely the date the Search
Engine noticed you)
* how frequently documents are added and removed from the site
* how often sites change over time
* number of visitors over time
* number of repeat visitors
* number of times your site is bookmarked
* how often keyword density is changed
* the rate at which the site's anchor text is revised
* inbound/outbound links - how long in place and high trust
(quality) links
The list goes on and on. Factors associated with your domain
include: how long your site has been registered, has the domain
expired (ghost sites), is the domain stable - as in not moving
from one physical address to another.
Links remain a key component of Search Engine 125. Links have
to be relevant to your site. Links to your site increase in
"SERP Power" as they age. Link growth should be slow and
steady. A sudden influx of inbound links - especially links
that have no relationship to the content of your site - is a
surefire way to drop in the SERPs. Google gives such sites a
much lower score.
How about data on your visitor traffic? How will Search Engine
125 weigh that? Number of visitors, growth in visitor rates,
spikes in visitor rates, the length of each visitor's stay,
number of bookmarks to and favorite rankings of your site - all
enter into Google's new Search Engine algo according to the
patent application.
Another weighing factor is search results. The number of
searches using a given query word or phrase, a sudden increase
or decrease in click through rates, an exceedingly large number
of quick click throughs (which might indicate 'stale' content),
again all factors that Google believes will increase the
quality of its search results.
Other factors are also listed as part of the patent
application. A site with frequent ups and downs in traffic will
lose points for untrustworthiness (even if your site sells only
seasonal items!). Keyword volatility, focus change and other
variables will also be employed in Google's never-ending quest
to quantify the quality of each site its Search Engine delivers
to users based on their queries.
So, okay, where's the mystery? The intrigue? The
disinformation? The e-commerce community is abuzz with
speculation - speculation that Google's well-publicized patent
is nothing more than a plant to throw off the competition,
disinformation intended to keep the competition and SEOs off
balance. So why the speculation? Well, even a quick scan of the
patent application reveals large areas of gray, vagaries and
downright inconsistencies within Google's proposed ranking
criteria. For example, sites are penalized for changing content
often (untrustworthy) and rewarded for the frequent addition of
new content (freshness). A paradox, you say? Or all part of
Google's master plan to feint right while going left.
The object, in the end, is quality search results. That's what
Google, Yahoo and the other popular search engines want - that
perfect equation, the ideal formula that will provide high
quality search results. And for site owners and designers who,
in fact, do keep their sites fresh, who have quality links
useful to visitors, who deliver the information the user is
looking for - there's no reason for concern. However, the
owners of links farms, keyword dense sites and cyber garbage
dumps should sit up and take notice. In the end, quality search
engines will inevitably improve the quality of content available
on the Internet.
About The Author: John Lessnau, the CEO and founder of
LinkAdage Text Link Advertising center, invites you to visit
http://www.linkadage.com to learn
how you can make extra money
buying and selling text links on your websites.
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