Google finally sent an official request to SEO experts, where it answers the question of whether it uses CTR (website clicks) in the ranking algorithm. Unfortunately, this statement will lead to even more confusion and debate.
Just a few weeks ago, Google analyst Gary Illis said that CTR influences the ranking of the site in search results, but Moz SEO Britney Muller on Thursday pointed to a new Google document, which implies otherwise.
D For years, Google representatives have told us that CTR data is not used in the Google ranking algorithm. And here is another statement:
“As we said earlier, we use interactions in various ways, for example, for personalization, evaluation and training. We have nothing new to share here, except for what we have said for a long time: good, attractive content is a sure way to success. We encourage site owners to focus on this big picture. ”
10 years ago, Google representatives said they did not use CTR to rank signals. About a month ago, Gary Illies of Google stated the opposite. They say again and again that the click data is inaccurate and littered, so it makes no sense for them to use it.
SEO then publish studies that say that CTR is a ranking signal, then it shows that it does not play any role.
These mutually exclusive statements are even more confusing. The SEOs were hoping that Google this time would clearly state that right now it is not using CTR directly in its main search ranking algorithm. But Google, instead, turned away with the statement quoted above.
They could say that “interactions” are not counted in their ranking algorithm, but they did not. Google could also say that it currently does not use CTR, but reserves the right to use it in the future if it becomes a useful signal. But no!
What does this Google application mean for SEO?
Whether they use the CTR metric or not, they will definitely have systems for detecting manipulations with clicks in their search results. In any case, you still need to create a great site that people will visit. Google will mark this visit (interaction) as positive or negative (in the case of a game with a click-through).
Thus, the task of SEOs is a constant poker game, which has two possible realities, in which Google considers and does not take into account the CTR in the ranking.
The company Futureinapps keeps abreast of SEO and is engaged in website promotion in search networks Google and Yandex.
