Google publishes guides on current and retired ranking systems

A new guide to Google’s ranking systems tells you which systems Google uses to rank search results and which are being phased out.

Additionally, in its latest guide, Google introduces new terminology that distinguishes between ranking “systems” and ranking “updates.”

A system, like RankBrain, runs constantly in the background. A To updateon the other hand, refers to a one-time change of ranking systems.

For example, the helpful content system always runs in the background when Google returns search results, although it can receive Update to improve its functioning.

Core algorithm updates and spam updates are other examples of one-time changes to ranking systems.

Now that we’re on the same page with Google’s new terminology, let’s look at the highlights in Google’s guide to ranking systems.

Current Google ranking systems

Here is the alphabetical list of Google’s ranking systems currently in operation.

• Bert:BERT, short for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, allows Googe to understand how combinations of words can express different meanings and intentions.
• crisis information systems: Google has systems in place to provide certain sets of information in times of crisis, e.g. B. SOS alerts when searching for natural disasters.
• deduplication systems: Google’s search systems aim to avoid serving duplicate or near-duplicate webpages.
• Exact match domain system: A system that ensures that Google doesn’t give too much credit to websites with domain names that exactly match a search query.
• freshness systems: A system designed to show fresher content for queries where it would be expected
• Helpful content system: A system designed to better ensure people see original, helpful content, rather than content designed primarily to attract search engine traffic.
• Link analysis systems and PageRank: Systems that determine what pages are about and which ones might be most helpful in response to a query based on how pages are linked together.
• Local news systems: A system that displays local news sources when they are relevant to the search query.
• MUMMY: Abbreviation for Multitask Unified Model, MUM, is an AI system that can understand and generate speech. It enhances featured snippet callouts and is not used for overall ranking.
• neural matching: A system that helps Google understand and match representations of concepts in queries and pages.
• Original content systems: A system designed to ensure that Google displays original content in search results, including original reports, well ahead of those who merely cite it.
• Distance-based demotion systems: Systems that downgrade websites subject to large numbers of content removal requests.
• Page Experience System: A system that evaluates various criteria to determine if a website offers a good user experience.
• Passage Ranking System: An AI system that Google uses to identify individual sections or “passages” of a webpage to better understand how relevant a page is to a search.
• product rating system: A system that rewards quality product reviews by expert writers with insightful analysis and original research.
• RankBrain: An AI system that helps Google understand how words relate to concepts. Allows Google to return results that don’t contain the exact words used in a search query.
• Reliable information systems: Google has several systems to display reliable information, e.g. B. Boosting Authoritative Pages, demoting low-quality content, and rewarding quality journalism.
• Site Diversity System: A system that prevents Google from showing more than two webpage entries from the same website in the top results.
• spam detection systems: A system that deals with content and behavior that violates Google’s spam guidelines.

Retired Google ranking systems

The following systems are noted for historical purposes. These have been integrated into other systems or made part of Google’s core ranking system.

• humming-bird: A significant improvement on Google’s ranking systems, which were introduced in 2013. Systems have evolved since then, says Google.
• Mobile-friendly ranking system: A system that favors content that plays better on mobile devices. It has since been integrated into Google’s Page Experience System.
• Pagespeed system: A system introduced in 2018 that favors content that loads quickly on mobile devices. It has since been integrated into Google’s Page Experience System.
• Panda system: A system introduced in 2011 that favors quality and original content. It became part of Google’s main ranking systems in 2015.
• penguin system: A system introduced in 2012 that demotes websites with spammy link building practices.
• System for secure websites: A system introduced in 2014 that favors websites secured with HTTPS. It has since been included in Google’s page experience system.

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source: Google

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