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Several months ago we covered discussion around a patent document filed by Google named ranking documents. We said, Patent: Google Faking Search Results To Trick SEOs?
In short, the document described a mechanism for Google to shift, flux, bounce the search results around to detect changes by spammers and then adapt to discover the spammers techniques or patterns.
Neat, very neat.
But does Google actually use this in their algorithms? We do know the search results are constantly changing. We also often have reports of the results bouncing between one ranking and another ranking fairly often. SEOs call this flux, SERPs bouncing and so on. But does it mean Google uses this patent in their algorithms?
Listen to what Google's Matt Cutts said in this video:
A WebmasterWorld thread is in discussion about did Matt say they don't use this in their algorithm or not. One SEO said:
Cutts does not flat out say, "We're not using that patent." I think his point is more that we should NOT read a patent and decide, "Well, I give up." And fair enough.
But why would Matt give this as one of the two examples of the misconception that patent apps does not mean Google algorithms?
What do you think?
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
