SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

74
SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages

Transcript of SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Page 1: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

SMX Madrid 2008

Uncovering the Algorithm

A Peek Inside How Google Evaluatesand Ranks Pages

Page 2: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Why Do We Need toUnderstand Google's Algorithm?

Page 3: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

To Predict the Potential Challengesof Earning Top Rankings

Page 4: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

To Evaluate Strengths & Weaknessesin a Site's Strategy

Page 5: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

To Provide Expert Advice to Clients,Developers & Management

Page 6: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

To Understand How to Competein the Search Results

Page 7: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

What Tactics Are Usedto Understand Algorithms?

Page 8: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Split-Testing with Nonsense Wordson Controlled Domains

Page 9: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

An Example:

This link carries moreweight than this link.

Why? Because it'shigher up in the code.

Page 10: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Trial-and-Error Testing in the SERPs

Page 11: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Examination of Search EnginePatent Applications

Page 12: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

An Example:

Page 13: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

An Example:

Page 14: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Parsing Academic Information RetrievalPapers & Tests

Page 15: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

An Example:

Page 16: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Paying Close Attention to the SearchEngine Representatives

Page 17: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

An Example:

Owning a keyword match domain name is going to carry some weight in Google for the foreseeable future. It is something we want to reward.

- Matt Cutts at the Domain RoundtableApril 2008

Page 18: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Learning from Blogs, Forums & theOnline Community

Page 19: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

“Sexto Sendido” for the SERPs

Page 20: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

What Are the Major Elementsin Google's Algorithm

Page 21: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Keyword Usage

Page 22: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Title Tags

Page 23: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Headline Tags

Page 24: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Body Text

Page 25: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Domain Names & URLs

Page 26: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Link Anchor Text

This Anchor Text tells search engines that this URLis relevant to those keywords

Page 27: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

An Aside on Anchor Text...

Page 28: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Meta Description Tag

Page 29: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Meta Keywords Tag

Meta Keywords in HTML

Page 30: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Image Alt Tags

Page 31: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Emphasized Text (Bold/Strong)

Page 32: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Semantic Analysis?

Page 33: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Domain Authority

Page 34: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Building a “Domain Graph” of Links

Page 35: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Domain-Level Trust Evaluation

Page 36: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Inbound Link Diversity

YourSite.com

Page 37: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Branded Search Volume

Page 38: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Registration Data & History

Page 39: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Page Level Link Analysis

Page 40: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Internal vs. External Links

Page 41: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Editorial Link Assessment

Page 42: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

TrustRank

Page 43: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

PageRank

Page 44: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Links as Votes (aka Raw Link Juice)

Page 45: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Temporal Evaluation & QDF

Page 46: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

External Link Growth Over Time

Page 47: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Content Changes over Time

September 2005 May 2008

Page 48: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

QDF - “Query Deserves Freshness”

Page 49: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Intent Detection & “QDD”

Page 50: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Detecting Multiple Query Intents andApplying “Query Deserves Diversity”

Page 51: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Selecting Unique Results

Company names (where searchers might want positive and negative press, along w/ official company domains, e.g. “Inditex”)

Product searches (where e-commerce style results might ordinarily fill up the SERPs, but Google tries to provide some reviews and non-commercial, relevant content, e.g. “iPod”)

News & political searches (where it might be prudent to display "all sides" of an issue, rather than just the politically one-sided blogs that did the best job baiting links, e.g. “Zapatero”)

Page 52: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Supplemental & Duplicate Results

Page 53: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Why Do Pages Go “Supplemental”?

Page 54: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Duplicate Content Issues

Page 55: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

How Search Engines HandleDuplicate Content – Step 1

Page 56: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

How Search Engines HandleDuplicate Content – Step 2

Page 57: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Step 3

Page 58: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

How Search Engines HandleDuplicate Content – Step 4

Page 59: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

GeoTargeting

Page 60: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Elements that Predict Location

Server Hosting Location Language Domain Extension Domain Registration Data

Page 61: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Spam Detection

Page 62: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Hidden Content

Page 63: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Hidden Text in HTML

Page 64: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.
Page 65: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Cloaking

Page 66: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Manipulative Linking

Page 67: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Parasite Hosting

Page 68: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

The Future of Algorithms

Page 69: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Personalization

Page 70: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

User & Usage Based Data

Page 71: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Focus on Non-US/Non-English Results

Page 72: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

More Advanced Link Interpretation

Page 73: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

More Social Data

Page 74: SMX Madrid 2008 Uncovering the Algorithm A Peek Inside How Google Evaluates and Ranks Pages.

Thank You!

Slides online at: www.seomoz.org/dp/smx-madrid