A Google research paper titled Generative Models are Unsupervised Predictors of Page Quality gives a negative connotation to SEO practices. It has a section called “search engine optimization (SEO) attempts” that says, “documents that attempt SEO are usually flagged as very low quality.”
This paper was first pointed out by Roger Montti who asked if this research paper was what the useful content update was all about. I think Roger is right, this document seems, at least in part, to describe a lot of what updating useful content is all about.
The section goes on to say, “This is intuitive since these texts simply string together a series of keywords and are therefore incoherent. Furthermore, we found a moderate number of product pages and professional profiles that also attempt some form of SEO. We noticed that media-oriented domains , such as image hosting domains, often contain incomprehensible embedded text, presumably for SEO.”
Pedro Dias, former Google spam fighter, now SEO, noted this on Mastodon and said: “This is unfortunate wording by Google in their research paper ‘Generative models are unsupervised predictors of page quality.'” It is clear that SEO is widely spam. and contributes to “low quality”.
Pedro isn’t wrong, but Google’s John Mueller tried to downplay it by saying, “I think one of the challenges is that ‘good SEO’ is essentially invisible: it’s a well-structured page, it has good content, people like — that are not attributes associated with SEO on the larger web.” “I feel like it’s a losing battle to frame it as ‘not all SEO is bad,'” he later added. Keep in mind that Googlers like John Mueller and others have said that SEO is important and something that Google values, but then you have this research paper.. .
It’s sad to see this wording in Google’s research paper, but we know how much of a black eye the SEO industry has on the outside world. If you don’t know, just ask a layman about SEO and see what they say. You’d hope that someone who works at Google on search wouldn’t share such views, but Google is a big company.
In any case, it might make sense to read the research paper knowing that just because there is a patent document or research paper does not mean that Google is using it. But this one could very well be matched with a useful content update.
Search Console is a tool from Google that can help anyone with a website understand how they are performing in Google search and what they can do to improve their search performance to drive more relevant traffic to their websites.
What is Google search console?
Google Search Console is a free service provided by Google that helps you monitor, maintain and troubleshoot your website’s presence in Google search results. You don’t need to sign in to Search Console to be included in Google search results, but Search Console helps you understand and improve how Google sees your site.
How do I access the Google Search Console? Sign in to Google Search Console To sign in, go to search.google.com/search-console/. Press the blue Start Now button to sign in to your Google Account. Once you’ve signed in, confirm that you’re in the appropriate Google Search Console account by selecting the website you want to access from the top left dropdown menu.
Is Google Search Console the same as Google Analytics?
However, despite the similarities, they are not the same. Google Search Console helps you monitor the performance of your website in general and in search engine results. Google Analytics helps you learn more about your users, including who they are, how they found you, and how they interact with your website.
How do I use Google Console and Google Analytics?
Enable the import of Search Console data into Google Analytics
- Go to your Google Analytics account.
- Go to Acquisition (left sidebar) > Search Console.
- Click the Set up Search Console data sharing button.
- Select your Search Console account.
What is Search Console in Google Analytics?
Search Console reports in Analytics provide information about the performance of your organic search traffic.
Why should I submit sitemap to Google Search Console?
Google offers Google Search Console to help you monitor your website’s indexing status and improve its visibility. You’ll use it to submit to a sitemap so Google can index your site. Google will probably index your site eventually, but submitting a sitemap speeds up the indexing process.
Should I remove my sitemap in Google Search Console? Over time, Google’s systems will stop trying to use that particular sitemap file. Note: Removing the sitemap file does not prevent URLs listed in the sitemap file from being indexed. A sitemap file helps us crawl more efficiently, which is generally why we recommend using it.
When should I submit a sitemap to Google?
Ideally, you should only submit your sitemap once (per search engine) to the search console. After that, they will continue to re-index it according to a schedule that they think makes sense based on what they know about your site. You should also reference your sitemap in your bots.
How often does Google check sitemap?
Once you upload your sitemap to Google and Bing Webmaster Consoles, you can be sure that search engines will find them. In fact, they probably crawl your site at least once a day.
What is sitemap in Google search console?
A sitemap is a blueprint of your website that helps search engines find, crawl and index all of your website content. Sitemaps also tell search engines which pages on your website are the most important.
How do I check my sitemap in Google console?
Sign in to Google Search Console. In the sidebar, select your website. Click on ‘Sitemaps’. The ‘Sitemaps’ menu item is in the ‘Index’ section.
How do I add a sitemap to Google console?
How to submit a sitemap to Google Search Console
- Find your sitemap page on your live site. …
- Navigate to âSitemapsâ under âIndexâ in the left navigation pane of the site.
- Remove old, outdated sitemaps if submitted. …
- Under âAdd New Sitemapâ you can add your sitemap URL and click Submit.
How do I enable Google Search Console?
Log in to your Google Admin console. Sign in using your admin account (not ending in @gmail.com). Additional Google services. Click Google Search Console.
How can I enable Google Console? Turn Google Search Console on or off for users
- Log in to your Google Admin console. …
- In the Admin console, go to the Applications Menu. …
- Click Google Search Console. …
- Press Service Status.
- To turn the service on or off for everyone in your organization, click On for everyone or Off for everyone, and then click Save.
How long does Google Search Console keep data?
Search Console stores data for the last 16 months. As a result, SEO reports in Analytics also include data for up to 16 months. Data is available in Search Console and Analytics approximately 48 hours after Search Console collects it. This time frame may vary depending on your time zone.
What data does Google Search Console collect? You can see data like user queries and how many times your site’s URLs appear in search results (impressions), along with post-click site engagement data like bounce rate and ecommerce conversion rate. This combination of data helps you optimize your site for the most profitable traffic.
Is Google Search Console data reliable?
Because the two services have different purposes, Google Search Console and Analytics will do things like aggregate data in different ways, so the reports will be different and look inconsistent. The data is correct, but it is simply displayed differently.
Is Google console accurate?
Google Search Console (GSC) is not as accurate or valuable for small businesses and startups, but large companies can benefit from GSC data. With its extensive web analytics tools, GSC lets you analyze traffic sources, bounce rates, and location-based search trends.
Is Google Search Console real time?
As complex and exciting as the data provided by GSC is, many marketing veterans have begun to notice that what they get in Google Search Console reports doesn’t always match what’s happening on the web in real time.
How long does it take Google to reindex?
If you’ve recently added or made changes to a page on your website, you can request that Google re-index your page using any of the methods listed here. You cannot request indexing for URLs that you do not manage. Crawling can last from a few days to a few weeks.
How far back does Google Analytics keep data?
You can choose how long Analytics keeps data before automatically deleting it. The maximum time Analytics will retain Google Signal data is 26 months, regardless of your settings. By default, Google login data expires after 26 months.
How long does Google Analytics take to show data?
Many of your reports and surveys may take 24 to 48 hours to process data from your website or app. You can use the Realtime and DebugView reports to confirm that you are successfully collecting data from your website or application.
Where is my Google Analytics data stored?
When a company uses Google Analytics, the data is stored and processed on Google’s servers in the United States. This transfer of data from Europe to the United States has been a point of contention for several European regulators.
Do you need a Gmail account for Google Search Console?
Note: You will need to have a Google account for this method to work when setting up Search Console. Don’t worry, it’s free too. If you already have Google Analytics, Adwords or Gmail, you can use the same login.