What Are Google Algorithms?

 In order to understand what a Google algorithm is, let’s first look at what algorithms in general are. The standard definition is: a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps. 

In the language of computers, an algorithm sets the stage for the computer to perform a very specific task. For instance, the computer may be programmed to randomly come up with a number between 1 and 100. This is a task that has a set beginning point and end point. Thus, it is finite.

Another way of looking at an algorithm is to think of it as a mathematical equation. You could be asked to count backward by 4s from 100 to 80. You would then say, “100, 96, 92, 88, 84, 80.” On paper, you might be expected to show in a column how you achieved each answer by subtracting the number 4. Though this is a simplistic look at an algorithm, it will help in understanding more complex versions.

What Is a Google Algorithm?

Google algorithms follow the same basic definition and rule of an algorithm that we described. Think about the last time you searched for something on Google. Whether you typed “cute cat videos” or “shoe stores in Pennsylvania,” the search engine returned millions of results for you to choose from.

But how did it decide which results to show you, and in what order? An algorithm.

Google has a very complex algorithm for serving search results, and it changes relatively frequently. And although the company does not make the exact algorithm public, here are a few elements that we know for a fact have an impact on a page’s ability to appear in the results for certain keywords:

• The keyword’s appearance in the page’s title, header tags, and meta description
• The amount of naturally-occurring, organic links to the page
• The way the website performs on mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets

Of course, these are just some of the characteristics the Google algorithm explores when determining how to deliver and rank pages. There are likely dozens, if not hundreds, of others.

How does Google determine which elements matter the most?

As the Google algorithm “reads” a webpage, it prescribes a pre-ordained numerical value to each trait it’s seeking on the page. That numerical value is then added to the end result. Thus, the web page that has the most desirable traits will rise to the top of the page rankings because the algorithm assigns it more importance.

These calculations by the Google platform are conducted incredibly quickly, and the rankings factors may fluctuate as web developers manipulate the attributes that contribute to page rankings across a website, or on a single page.

Therefore, rankings, as assigned by the Google algorithms, are fluid. A page that ranks third for a keyword may rise to first or fall to tenth as the content on both it and the other pages in the results change. Usually, the top spots are held by businesses that do search engine optimization, or SEO service, on their sites.

As mentioned previously, the Google algorithm partially uses keywords to determine page rankings. The best way to rank for specific keywords is by doing SEO. SEO essentially is a way to tell Google that a website or web page is about a particular topic.

Years ago, it was commonplace for many sites to “keyword stuff” their content. In essence, they assumed that the Google algorithm would think that the more keywords that were written, the more important the page should be.