Google’s New Popularity Rank; Traffic Versus Links
There is a fresh thread at WebmasterWorld named Google algo moves away from links, towards traffic patterns. This reinforces what many have been saying for the past year or so.
Google’s popularity came from using linkage data and PageRank to score how popular a Web page is. Times are changing and algorithms need to shift.
Linkage data, although incredibility important, is not the complete future of Web page popularity. Traffic is where the popularity is heading, and Google is trying to lead the pack to it.
How does Google measure traffic of a Web site? They can look at dozens of factors, including clicks from the SERPs to your page, and then back. They can use the Google Toolbar data, AdSense data, AdWords data, Analytics (although they would never), and so on. Just keep thinking….
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
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Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Roundtable Search Forum Coverage - Barry Schwartz is the Editor of Search Engine Roundtable
Comments
6 responses so far ↓
Peter T Davis on Apr 10, 2006 at 9:18 am
I hope this doesn’t just become another way to keep new sites down. They’re doing a good enough job of that already. Of course, I shouldn’t complain about that, sitting happily on several dozen senior websites.
Gregg Kell on Apr 10, 2006 at 9:35 am
I wonder how this change will impact current search rankings? Any clues on how to obtain first page rankings reasonably “rapidly” given the focus on traffic?
Brett Trotter on Apr 10, 2006 at 7:47 pm
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Quadra Solutions on Apr 13, 2006 at 9:15 am
DOes this really make sense? How will a new (and legitimately good) site ever stand a chance to rise to the top based on this new algorithm if it were to be implemented?
Website Design & Development - Quadra Solutions
ssk on Apr 13, 2006 at 2:37 pm
popularity is not necessarily an indication of quality
gt on Apr 15, 2006 at 8:58 pm
Traffic is more important than the amount of links. Anyone can throw a bunch of links on to a site, but to get traffic you’ve got to have something there worth looking at…
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