Google Search Algorithm | Yahoo Search Algorithm | Search Engine Optimization | SERP | Search Engine Result Page

Search Engine Algorithms

The major search engines are constantly changing their algorithms which drive the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP). They do this to improve search for users as well as improve the efficiency of personalized search which in turn improves the relevancy of the contextual ads that are presented to users on pages where Google and Yahoo place paid advertising.

Google Search Algorithm Updates

Google has added page load time into their Adwords Quality Score which gives efficiently coded and served pages a boost.

Google still depends on two key factors to return a URL higher in the SERP: optimized web page content and good inbound links. Google's algorithm now considers the use of an underscore "_" as a separator. This means that what was formerly a phrase in a URL "automobile_marketing_strategy" is now considered three separate keywords, and a site wouldn't have to depend on a user adding the underscore to their search parameter.

Given the huge volume of dynamic sites that now exists, Google claims that a dynamic URL, that is a site with parameters passed in the URL such as http://www.mydomain.com/page.php?userid=4&cat=45 is treated as a static as long as there at most three parameters passed in the URL.

Although this is not one of the most recent changes to the Google Algorithm, Google did make an effort to reduce the ability to "Google Bomb", that is where a search for "miserable failure" lead to President Bush's homepage at The White House. Google has NOT changed the high value that it places on link text, but their algorithm will look for patterns in the same word or words being used over a short period of time, and will consider this to be "Google bombing".

Yahoo Search Algorithm Updates

It appears that Yahoo's algorithm now places more weight on the keywords in a domain name for it's ranking purposes. It has also begun to place more weight on inbound links which has raised the SERP position for many sites that have been proactive in building links with other sites.

Another element of the Yahoo algorithm is "click volume". The more clicks on your website from Yahoo SERPs the more you will rise in the Yahoo algorithm.

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