The Lowdown On How Google Algorithms Work
The following algorithms are what Google and other search engines use to look at websites and evaluate their strengths and usefulness to the consumer. Have a quick read – we think it will help improve your Search Engine Marketing (SEM) knowledge strategies and strengthen your overall campaign decisions in the long run.
Latent Semantic Indexing or LSI
This algorithm is designed to help Google read REAL content and distinguish it from “stuffed” or computer generated content. This algorithm evaluates keywords and related words to determine the strength of the content’s value. It’s also the ultimate “heads up” to affiliates that if you use content in your marketing materials (and you almost certainly do), it’s infinitely better to make it as natural and original as possible rather than artificial and recycled, since Google can easily distinguish between high quality and poor quality content.
Re-ranking Search Results Based on Local Inter-Connectivity
This is a secondary ranking algorithm done with an eye to links that have industry or community relevance. It’s a common assumption that rankings within a particular community are the most valuable type of rankings since they affect general search rankings. Needless to say, taking measures to increase your search ranking within a targeted community of people who buy products related to what you’re selling will be of great advantage to you.
Topic Sensitive PageRank TSPR
This algorithm only allows for on-topic links to be counted towards a site’s overall page rank. It reduces the necessity for complicated systems of scoring incoming and outgoing links, and make it imperative that you establish quality links in order to move up in the SERPs. Fluff or bogus links intended to trick the spiders will simply be ignored.
Supplemental Index
This is the algorithm behind the infamous Google Slap. Untrustworthy pages get sent to this “index purgatory”, as an indication of the lack of trust that Google has in them. Factors that bring on a slap are keyword stuffing, duplicate content, irrelevant or misleading content, and other classic SEO missteps. Once you’ve been relegated to the supplemental index, it’s tough to get out. Many affiliates simply start from scratch again in order to get back on their feet rather than try to change existing content.
Spam Detection
Links from untrustworthy sites can offset the amount of good links a site has, which is why it’s important to pay attention to who is linking back to you without your knowledge. There are a lot of link detectors out there that will let you map out where you’re getting linked from. Here’s a free one you can use to start: http://www.domain-pop.com/
Human Reviewers & Behavioral Data
Search Engines are putting human value judgements back into the decision-making process and taking behavioral aspects into account in their new algorithms. A good thing if you think machines already have too much power!
Personalized Search
Techniques such as Referring URL (Google strings) and IP Mapping will allow for tailored ads and localized interest search results. This can create a far more specific set of results for individual users and make sure that in an undifferentiated webscape, interactions with the net are more personalized.
4 Responses to The Lowdown On How Google Algorithms Work
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RSS 2.0 
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