Google’s 3rd ranking signal: The Deduplication System

Google has expanded the typical organic listings on search result pages with new categories over time. Some examples include:

• Featured snippets 
• Top stories
• Interesting finds

The latter two are displayed most on mobile phones.

Opportunities existed in the past with these additional sections since they increased visibility in search results. But not anymore. The “deduplication” algorithm that Google now uses ensures that a URL only displays once on the first page of search results. The URL will not be among the top 10 organic results if displayed in a different section.

The URL’s organic position won’t change even if it comes in at position 11.

What Is the Deduplication System?

Deduplication Systems’ responsibility is to identify a URL if it appears twice in Google search results. Duplication occurs when the same page shows up twice in the search results; deduplication systems only function to eliminate this duplicate page from the search result page.

This Ranking Signal belongs to Systems because Google has numerous systems that seek to eliminate duplicate pages from the search results page.

Types of Duplication Systems

There are two types of duplication on the SERP:

• External Duplication
• Internal Duplication

External Duplication

Consider a scenario in which a searcher enters a single term, and Google’s engine detects that you have 100 pages for that keyword, but 20 of those pages contain the same type of content.

The 20 duplicate pages will be eliminated from the search result page when Google’s Deduplication Systems are activated in such a case. This process is known as the External Duplication System.

Internal Duplication

The process of internal duplication requires you to accept the cost of being too good. Whenever Google thinks it can respond to a question right on the search results page, then, at that point, it provides you with the solution to that query directly in the form of Feature Snippets on the search results page itself. This system is known as the Internal Duplication System.

The information displayed in the Feature Snippets in the search result now originates from one or more web pages, meaning that the information on those web pages is so good that Google can confidently display it to the search user.

However, when Google selects the website’s content to answer user queries, that website suffers due to Google’s respect because there is no traffic at that time.

Previously, when Google displayed a website in Features Snippets, it also ranked that website in the top spot. However, Google has since stopped doing this and has merely stated that when the same URL appears twice on the search result page, it degrades the quality of SERP (Search Engine Result Page).

Now that we look closely, Google’s assertion is also true. Still, in this case, the website owner suffers because if the searcher does not click on the website and does not enter the website, how can that website owner receive advertising revenue, or what will drive sales? What benefit does such quality content provide the website owner, then? We refer to this as internal duplication because from Google’s point of view, it is like a direct friend zone.

If we duplicate the content carelessly, our website will die from external duplication. Our website will die from internal duplication if we post too many high-quality, SEO-friendly articles on our website.

Now the question arises: Why are these systems termed Ranking Signals if they delete websites from search result pages?

Why Are These Systems Called Ranking Signals?

If any pages are removed from the search result page, their space won’t be left empty; instead, other new pages will have a chance to take their place and reach the top of the list. The loss of one is the gain of the other.

How To Optimize Your Pages?

There are two ways to optimize your pages for Deduplication Systems.

External Deduplication Systems

If any of your pages are removed by Google due to plagiarized content, there is only one thing you can do. STOP COPYING THE CONTENT.

If you publish content that is copied from somewhere else, Google will remove your page from the SERP as well as the Deduplication system. Google might also stop indexing your page/website, which may lead to you having trouble with indexing your web pages. Therefore, avoid posting copied content of any type and only publish original content.

Internal Deduplication Systems

Sometimes, website owners close the Snippets of the website using the No Snippet Meta Tag. this removes your pages from Feature Snippets. However, this will do your website more harm than good.

On applying the No Snippet Meta Tag, your webpage will appear in the results without a description, which is useless. If your webpage appears below the Feature Snippet with no description, it will affect your CTR, leading to all hard work to rank your content in vain.

However, there are certain policies by Google that you have to follow if you want your website to appear under the Feature Snippets. However, if you deliberately violate these policies, your entire website, performance, indexing, and ranking will all be at risk.

What is the solution?

The right way to tackle this problem is to create a different page. Publish the content under Feature Snippets by creating another page on your website.

Keep this new page’s URL similar to the one on the previous page. You are aware of the quality of your content because Google is displaying it in Feature Snippets; all you need to do is design the second page such that it does not resemble the first one.

If it is copied, Google might not even index this new page. If you follow the steps correctly, both your old and new pages will show up in the Top Search Results in the Feature Snippets.

By employing this technique, you will receive traffic while also abiding by all Google policies.

The Rise Of Facebook – How It’s Changed Over The Years

The last 20 years have seen a rapid expansion of social media. Social media was viewed as a fad or trend in its early years. But clearly, it wasn’t. Social platforms keep expanding and have fundamentally altered each of our lives. There is no doubting the strength and appeal of social media, with half the world’s population using them in some capacity.

 

Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world. Even though most of us are highly aware of the platform, you might be curious as to how Facebook became the global giant it is today. Let’s look back on the past 17 years of Facebook’s development and speculate about what the future may hold.

2003

THE BEGINNING

In his dorm room, Mark Zuckerberg developed a website called “Facemash,” hacking the database of Harvard students to produce a “Hot or Not” game where users may rate other students based on their appearance.

Not many people liked this. But it prompted Zuckerberg to think about its appeal and potential.

2004

EXPANDS ACROSS UNIVERSITIES

Facebook’ was created, and Mark Zuckerberg defined it as a Harvard student online directory where they could discover friends and subsequently the friends of their friends.

 

Initially only open to Harvard students, the platform soon opened to Yale and Stanford students and those attending other American universities.

 

Friends can write messages to one another on a user’s profile page that Facebook has created called “The Wall.”

 

Facebook surpassed 1 million active users in just one year.

2005

EXPANDS TO MORE USERS

High school students can now access Facebook.

 

Introduces a mini-feed, which posts a live broadcast of a user’s activity on the platform.

 

Although he’s unsure how, Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges that advertising is Facebook’s business model.

 

Facebook’s top priority is platform expansion, which it does by adding new features and emphasizing the user experience.

 

2006

INTRODUCING THE NEWS FEED

Anyone over 13 can access Facebook, whether they are in college or high school.

 

News Feed was created so you could view all of your friends’ live activities.

The News Feed, however, was detested at the time. Many people thought it was too similar to Twitter.

 

Remember how you could now poke people awkwardly through the internet?

2008

FACEBOOK GOES WORLDWIDE

A whopping 100 million people use Facebook.

 

With support for languages other than English, Facebook has gone global.

 

Zuckerberg further alludes to the idea that Facebook will make money by enabling users to place advertisements on their network.

2009

FIGHTING OFF THE COMPETITION

Over 200 million people use Facebook.

 

Facebook unveils its renowned “Like” button.

 

Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges that they are aware this would eventually happen when they are asked if a new platform may overtake Facebook. He concentrates on consistently coming up with fresh ideas and developing new applications, working toward a family of apps.

2010

ANOTHER BIG MILESTONE

Facebook reaches more than 500 million people.

 

A full-length movie chronicling Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook called “The Social Network” releases worldwide.

 

The success of Facebook, according to Zuckerberg, is a result of its emphasis on socializing, asserting that social versions of things always perform better than non-social versions.

2011

INTRODUCING THE FACEBOOK TIMELINE

The Facebook “Timeline” has taken the role of “The Wall,” which displays a user’s updates on Facebook in reverse chronological order.

However, users weren’t too pleased with the abrupt adjustment when embarrassing old images of people started to surface.

2012

ACQUIRES INSTAGRAM

Instagram has 29 million users and is bought by Facebook for $1 billion due to its success and potential. According to Zuckerberg, Instagram is a fantastic program, and he wants to support its expansion.

Facebook reaches 1 billion monthly active users by October.

2013

TRIES TO ACQUIRE SNAPCHAT

Facebook now allows people to search for other users by details such as their location and job.

 

Later that year, Facebook recognizes the popularity of Snapchat and tries to buy it for 3 billion dollars. Snapchat surprisingly refuses.

2014

FOCUS ON NEWS

After studying Twitter’s model, Facebook creates its own trending topics feature, laying the foundation for it to develop into a more prominent news-sharing platform.

 

Most importantly, Zuckerberg asserts that he is still preoccupied with enhancing Facebook’s offerings and user experience rather than how they will increase income.

 

With the purchase of WhatsApp for $19 billion, Facebook saw the potential of instant messaging services.

 

The virtual reality start-up Oculus receives funding from Mark Zuckerberg, who sees it as the wave of the future.

2016

NEW VIDEO FEATURES

Facebook Live is introduced, a service that allows users to create and watch live-stream videos.

 

Facebook encourages publications to produce original video content for the platform to increase the amount of video content available.

 

Facebook Marketplace is introduced as a platform for local community-based buying and selling.

 

Oh, reactions are a thing now!

2017

INVESTING IN AUGMENTED REALITY

The astonishing 2 BILLION monthly users on Facebook!

 

Facebook says they’re embracing augmented reality (AR). Phone cameras could be used for people to engage with friends, family, and companies without the usage of glasses.

2018

FOCUS ON FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Instagram has one billion users, whereas WhatsApp has 1.5 billion.

 

Facebook modified its News Feed feature to emphasize material from friends and relatives. As a result, users are exposed to more posts from their close friends and relatives. severely limiting the reach of businesses and NGOs.

 

Create a “Facebook Watch” section where users can view video material—spending a lot of money on original content production for the site.

 

The risks of false information start to surface as Facebook becomes a platform where news is frequently shared. Some groups can use Facebook’s extensive audience to disseminate false information. Even today, Facebook is still trying to solve this problem.

2019-2022

LARGEST SOCIAL NETWORK PLATFORM IN THE WORLD

Social media is currently used by more than 50% of the world’s population, and 346 million new users have joined in the past year.

 

Facebook is currently the largest social network in the world, with roughly 2.96 billion monthly active members.

 

The platform continues to focus on and promote video content in its quest to become a news platform for users worldwide.

 

Businesses spend billions annually advertising on the site because they believe it to be one of the best channels for reaching consumers.

Currently, when people search for sensitive information — such as suicide, abuse, or other topics — Google will display the contact information for the relevant national hotlines above its search results. However, the company explains that people in crises may search in various ways, and it’s not always apparent to a search engine that they’re in need, even if it would raise red flags if a human saw their search queries. 

 

Google claims that with machine learning and the latest improvements to its AI model called MUM (Multitask Unified Model), it will be able to automatically and more accurately detect a broader range of personal crisis searches due to MUM’s ability to better understand the intent behind people’s questions and queries.

 

At its Search On event, the company unveiled its aim to rebuild Search using AI technology, although it had not yet addressed this particular use case. Google then concentrated on how MUM’s improved comprehension of user intent may assist online searchers in gaining a more profound knowledge of the subject they are studying and guide users along new search avenues.

 

Now, MUM will be employed to comprehend better the subjects that someone in need might look up, which aren’t always as evident as typing in a natural cry for assistance.

Beyond the fires

Google has plans to expand and develop the program over time to include data like traffic conditions and road closures in addition to fires.

According to Google sources, the Crisis Map application could be updated to identify Australian threats from tropical storms, cyclones, floods, and landslides, as has been done in other nations like Canada, Colombia, India, Japan, and Taiwan. Currently, the Crisis Map application focuses on bushfires and mirrors the map provided by the NSW Rural Fire Service.

 

The Crisis Map project is slightly different from Google’s conventional data collection methods, and a shift towards greater reliance on data feeds from third parties, including rural fire departments, emergency agencies, and the general public.

 

While the new application may have the potential to improve upon existing websites and online services, its real success will depend on such crucial elements as:

 

• the information provided’s usefulness
• the applicability of its contents
• the capacity of the application to establish itself as a reliable information source.

 

Therefore, it appears that the availability of the most recent and up-to-date information may be more critical to the quality of information offered by the program than simply how rapidly the Crisis Map application can synthesize data gathered from various sources.

Checkout our new blog on GOOGLE BERT Algorithm!

 

Real life in real-time

Bushfires are the most dynamic and quickly spreading natural occurrences outside earthquakes and tsunamis.

 

Information regarding bushfires or other risks must, in theory, and in the majority of circumstances, be gathered and delivered from blaze zones in real-time mode utilizing real-time data feeds to be truly useful to the majority of users who reside in or travel through vital areas. They should offer any available information on the following:

 

• the direction of the fire spread 
• its magnitude
• its velocity and acceleration
• its shape and other relevant data.

 

The efficient coordination and implementation of these aspects in the near future are still impossible. However, it is not impossible given the rapid development of satellite communications, smartphone technologies, wireless sensor networks, the Internet of Things, as well as signal and image processing techniques.

 

Therefore, the new Google effort might initially serve an educational and awareness-raising purpose. The most up-to-date or essential information on bushfires could not always be accessible, either as a result of the environment surrounding them changing very quickly or even as a result of internet infrastructure breaking down due to fires.

BERT: Google’s Algorithm That Aims to Revolutionize SERPs

Many of us already communicate directly with Google since it is integrated into many aspects of our lives. Users type queries such as “when does Spring start” or “how do I get to the market” as if they were conversing with a person in person. But bear in mind that Google is an algorithmic company. And one of those algorithms, Google BERT Update, aids the search engine in comprehending user queries and delivering relevant results.

 

Yes, bots can grasp the human language, including slang, errors, synonyms, and language expressions in our speech. Still, we don’t even notice because technology has improved so much since bots were first created.

 

Google developed this new search algorithm to comprehend users’ search intentions and the contents of websites better. But how does it operate? How does it impact your SEO plans?

What is Google BERT Algorithm?

The Google BERT algorithm improves the search engine’s comprehension of spoken language. This is crucial in the world of searches since people naturally express themselves in their search phrases and page contents, and Google works to match them appropriately.

 

Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers is abbreviated as BERT. BERT is a neural network. Computer programs called neural networks are modeled after animals’ central nervous systems, which can learn and detect patterns. They are a part of artificial intelligence.

 

The neural network of BERT can pick up on the nuances of human linguistic expression. It is based on a Natural Language Processing (NLP) model called Transformer that recognizes the connections between words in a sentence as opposed to examining each word separately in order.

 

BERT is a natural language processing pre-training model. This indicates that the model’s data set can be utilized to create various systems because it was trained on a text corpus (like Wikipedia). It is feasible to create algorithms that, for instance, analyze questions, answers, or sentiments. This entire situation relates to artificial intelligence. That is, bots perform all tasks!

 

After being set up, the algorithm keeps picking up new knowledge about human language by analyzing the vast amounts of data it gets. Beyond the artificial intelligence world, which resembles more science fiction, it is essential to know that BERT comprehends the full context of a word, including the terms that come before and after it as well as their relationships, which is crucial for understanding the contents of websites as well as the purposes of users when they search on Google.

What is NLP?

NLP is an artificial intelligence field that converges with linguistics when studying the interactions of human and computational languages. The goal is to bridge the gap between two languages and enable them to communicate.

This type of system has been around since Alan Turing’s work in the 1950s. However, it was not until the 1980s that NLP models left their manuscripts and were integrated into artificial intelligence. Since then, computers have been processing massive amounts of data, revolutionizing the relationship between humans and machines.

 

Is BERT a replacement for RankBrain?

Google is always looking for new ways to improve the user experience and deliver the best results. BERT is not the beginning or end of this. RankBrain, a search engine update that transformed the search universe, was announced in 2015. It was the first time the algorithm used artificial intelligence to understand and search content.

 

RankBrain, like BERT, employs machine learning but does not employ Natural Language Processing. The method focuses on query analysis and grouping semantically similar words and phrases, but it cannot understand human language independently.

 

So, when a new query is entered into Google, RankBrain analyzes previous searches and determines which words and phrases best match that search, even if they don’t exactly match or have never been searched. The bots learn more about word relationships and improve their ranking as they receive user interaction signals.

 

As a result, this was Google’s first step toward comprehending human language. Even today, it is one of the algorithms’ methods for understanding search intentions and page contents to provide better user results.

 

So, BERT did not replace RankBrain; it simply added another method of comprehending human language. Depending on the search, Google’s algorithm may use either method (or even both) to provide the best response to the user.

 

Keep in mind that Google’s algorithm consists of a large number of rules and operations. RankBrain and BERT are essential, but they are only a part of this robust search system.

How does Google BERT work?

One of Google’s differentials from other language processing systems is its bidirectional character. The other systems are only unidirectional. They only contextualize words using terms on their left or right in the text.

 

BERT works in both directions: it analyzes the context to the left and right of the word. This brings a much deeper understanding of the relationships between terms and between sentences.

 

Another differential is that BERT builds a language model with a small text corpus. While other models use large amounts of data to train machine learning, BERT’s bi-directional approach allows you to train the system more accurately and with less data. So after the model is trained in a text corpus, it goes through a “fine-tuning.”

 

BERT is now assigned specific tasks, with inputs and outputs based on what you want it to do. That is when it adapts to new demands, such as questions and answers or sentiment analysis.

 

It should be noted that BERT is an algorithm that can be used in a variety of applications. So when we talk about Google BERT, we’re referring to its use in the search engine system. Google uses BERT to understand users’ search intentions and the contents indexed by the search engine.

 

Unlike RankBrain, it does not need to analyze previous queries to understand what users mean. BERT comprehends words, phrases, and entire content the same way we do. But keep in mind that this NLP model is only one component of the algorithm. Google BERT understands what words mean and how they relate to one another. However, Google still requires all of the algorithm’s work to associate the search with the index pages, select the best results, and rank them in order of relevance to the user.

Tracking BERT changes

It’s difficult to tell whether BERT affected your site’s rankings, but you can see how it changes your ranking content over time.

 

Data Cube provides monthly documentation on changes in keyword rankings. Keyword Reporting allows you to track keywords week after week to determine which keywords rank for your pages. You can see how the content is performing and what type of content your site is ranking for. Is it what it is, who it is, and how it is content? If your site is ranking for glossary and FAQ pages, create a content plan that includes even more informational content.

Google BERT for SEO strategies?

Because BERT is primarily concerned with addressing searcher intent, it will likely have a minor impact on SEO. It is not a change in Google’s ranking factors but rather a more accurate determination of which results appear with which queries.

 

This new update is not intended to replace RankBrain, but rather to fill gaps in Google’s language processing capabilities that RankBrain may not be sophisticated enough to parse.

 

Because the update’s intent is similar to that of RankBrain, the advice for optimization may be the same as that of RankBrain: write content for humans that aims to match what users want. Google stated that traditional SEO changes would not suffice. Instead, the best approach was to create content from the ground up that was authoritative, accurate, and focused on what audiences wanted.

 

Many traditional search engine strategies emphasize metadata creation, linking, and content optimization/keyword density. With algorithm changes like BERT, the best strategy is to concentrate on on-site content that is beneficial to people and assists them in achieving the goal of their original search. The best way to optimize for BERT is to create content built around topics rather than desired keyword rankings.

 

If a web page’s longtail keyword rankings or clicks drop, it could mean that the content doesn’t match those queries as Google thought. It could also imply that meta title tags and content overly focused on search algorithms may suffer inadvertently. Search engines have long ignored prepositions – or “stop words” – such as “to,” “for,” “in,” and so on, but just as these words have meanings to humans, Google’s advances in NLP suggest that when found in page titles and H-tags, these could be important clues for search engines.

 

With BERT’s reliance on natural language and text context, paying attention to the surrounding context of keywords could be one way to optimize for this new model. Creating on-page content that focuses on topics rather than keywords will keep site content consistent for users. Additionally, site owners should create high-quality content that adheres to Google’s best practices guidelines and demonstrates a high level of EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

 

Because the BERT model also applies to rich snippets, content-writing strategies with these snippets in mind are just as important as they have always been. There is no specific strategy for obtaining featured-snippet placements on search results pages. Still, the odds favor pages with clearly structured content, helpful section headings, and content that aims to answer questions or provide step-by-step guides.

 

With BERT’s emphasis on NLP, it stands to reason that pages with specific and detailed advice would better suit complex, unusual, and question-based searches.

Takeaway 

The new upgrade is here to stay! Google BERT update is one of the critical updates in recent years. There is no need to be concerned about being punished because this upgrade is concentrated on offering better context-based search results. Instead, it is considerably more concentrated on better understanding search intent.

Google acknowledges that understanding natural language is a complex and ongoing issue, even with BERT.

Google starts rolling out December 2022 Helpful Content Update

How often does it happen that you Google a question and have to click through several links before finding what you have been looking for? Sometimes, you may never even find what you were looking for.

Google’s December 2022 Helpful Content Update aims to tackle this issue. Google’s aim is to weed out higher-value content and rank it on top. The search engine’s goal is to deliver a satisfying experience by matching users with high-quality content.

Let us go through what this new Google Update means and how it affects content creators.

What is the Google Helpful Content Update about?

The December 2022 Google Helpful Content Update is the fifth algorithm update of 2022 by Google. The last helpful content update by Google was announced on August 18, 2022, and it started rolling out on August 25, 2022. The update was aimed at targeting low-quality content marketing specifically done for search engines and not people.

The type of content Google is planning to go after lacks EAT- expertise, authoritativeness, or trustworthiness. Search engine-first content could do well in SERPs and receive a lot of search traffic. However, it leaves the user wanting more and compels them to keep clicking because it doesn’t provide a response to their query.

Google launched a site-wide ranking signal to put the new upgrade into practice. Websites with irrelevant content are categorized by it. 

According to Google, the recuperation process won’t be quick if the new signal deems your website useless. Even after you delete useless information or upgrade your content writing for Google, ranking changes may take months to take effect.

What’s new? 

The helpful content update (aka system) is now a global update that affects all languages, not just English. This will assist Google’s systems in detecting more types of low-quality content created specifically for Search Engine Optimization rather than people.

What does it mean for your website?

• To determine if you’re using helpful content, Google will use a site-wide ranking signal.
• Google considers AI-generated content to be spam and will detect it using its machine learning algorithm.
• Content created for ad monetization and clicks will no longer work.
• There will be no manual penalties, but you may begin to lose organic visibility.
• Where aggregation becomes a problem, detection becomes more visible across a larger volume.

How to tell whether your content is helpful or unhelpful?

Helpful content provides value and satisfies the user’s curiosity. It is original and is not curated from non-human sources. On the other hand, unhelpful content recapitulates data that already exists. Unhelpful content has no unique angle or point of view and leaves gaps for the user to fill. 

If your website consists of unhelpful content that does not match the user’s search intent, you can either improve it or remove it entirely. Either of the two decreases the chances that Google will classify your content and rank it lower.

Answer the following questions to validate if you have helpful content:

• Do you have an existing or target audience that would benefit from your content if it were sent to you directly?
• Does your content show first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge?
• Does your website have a primary purpose or focus?
• After users consume your content, do they have enough knowledge about the topic and leave with a satisfying experience?
• Do you follow Google’s core updates?

If the answers to the above questions were yes, you follow a people-first approach with your content.

If there were some nos, let’s evaluate further:

• Does your content primarily attract search engines and not humans?
• Do you produce content on different topics merely to get a better ranking?
• Do you use extensive automation to create content?
• Does your content lack new insight, and is curating what others say?
• Is your content mostly based on what’s trending and not what your current audience wants?
• Does your content encourage readers to research for more accurate information from different sources?
• Are you following a particular word count approach because you have heard Google has preferences?
• Does the content you produce lack expertise?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, You must address the content on your website that is written with search engines in mind.

What to do now?

We’re just getting started with the December 2022 helpful content algorithm upgrade. The first three to four days after Google announces an update are typically when we notice the biggest effects, but it will take around two weeks for everything to trickle out.

We advise comparing your rankings and organic traffic throughout the coming week to the same time frames from the previous month and year. How this most recent algorithm update has affected your rankings should be determined by if there have been any positive or negative adjustments to ranks and visibility. After that, we advise reading Google’s “More content by people, for people in Search” document to see how you may create more valuable and authentic articles.