If there’s something SEO people like, it’s reading between the lines and speculating. It’s a crucial thing to do really, in an industry that largely revolves around reverse-engineering Google’s work. So recently, when a Google representative casually announced that “Panda is now part of Google’s core ranking algorithm” this introduced a new concept that would almost instantly get people buzzing.
So what exactly is Google’s core ranking algorithm?
Simply put, Google’s “core” ranking algorithm comprises parts of the ranking engine which stood the test of time, development-wise. You see, Google is very keen on automatising – so they will pour immense work into every little module they develop until it requires very little hand-holding to perform its function. When a part of the algorithm has proved consistently useful, effective, and fail-proof, it’s usually added to the core of the search engine.
What are the take-away lessons, here?
It’s reasonable to surmise that Google search ranking algorithms are comparable to an intricate machine which is under continuous development. The parts of the machine which have proven effective and reliable are deemed as “core”, while the remaining parts keep getting actively worked on until they’ve proved stable enough. When a part of the algorithm joins the core, it has been so painstakingly debugged that it will have achieved near perfect efficiency. As such, it could remain unchanged for a while, or at least require minimal human maintenance from that point onward.
Does the Google Core Imply Absolute Perfection?
It doesn’t necessarily mean the entire core is a flawless machine of perfection, though… simply that it doesn’t get in the way of other parts. It is however possible that a part could become redundant over time. A good example would be the PageRank algorithm, which originally was a key aspect of what made Google so unique and efficient. Nowadays it remains part of the core, although merely on a symbolic level – since other more refined parts have been set created to further refine the original intent behind PageRank (which was to access the quality of a page by relying on the amount of back-links pointing there).
To conclude: the Google Core is but a scientific curiosity, as far as us marketers are concerned. As much as it may be fun to speculate about, it doesn’t change anything in the actual work process. Anyone seeking to gain Google’s grace would benefit from trying to decode Google search engine. They should just focus on working along with it to provide high quality content that delivers value to the users.
