Short Clicks Vs Long Clicks

Long Clicks – Short Clicks – Determines User’s Satisfaction

Various search engines and Google regulate search result rankings by looking at huge amounts of user data and scrutinise user activity within the results. The search engines examines large sets of user data observing a variety of things in determining user’s satisfaction with the search results which are the long clicks vs. short clicks.

Internal metric Google utilising to determine search success, is time to long click and to comprehend this metric,it is essential for search marketers to assess changes in the search landscape. Moreover it is also beneficial for optimization of policies.

Long clicks take place when users perform a search and clicks on a result, remaining on the site for a long period of time. In the ideal scenario, they do not tend to return to the search results to click on some other result or to reframe their search. They do not return back to the result set immediately in order to click on another option.

Long clicks, in general are alternative for satisfaction and success. A short click on the other hand takes place when a user tends to perform a search and clicks on a result and then returns to the search results quickly to click on another product. They are an indication of dissatisfaction and failure.

Search Engine Result Page - SERP

Short clicks is when a user performing a search gets back and forth between the search engine result page – SERP, for the search option and sites displayed within the result.

In this case, the user does not come back to the result page immediately to click on other search option or to change the search option. From the point of view of Google’s perception the outcome which ends with longer clicks successfully fulfils the search query.

Moreover, a search engine also determines the time taken between clicks as a means of satisfaction which would decrease the chances of providing results which do not deliver valuable content for a specific search query.

This data can be stored for each search query and compared to the normal short click behaviours by a SERP rank page. For instance, if Google finds that the first result for a search query tends to have a remarkable high bounce rate, this information is read as negative signal by the search engine’s algorithm.

Google – Measures Short Click – Leveraging Tracking Mechanisms

Subsequently, the search engine tends to reduce the page’s rank within the SERP in its future algorithm update. For the result to be highlighted, it would perhaps need a statistically above average short click rate.

Google tends to measure short click activity by leveraging the prevailing tracking mechanisms. The long clicks are important to Google since it provides a means to measure the satisfaction of the result established on downstream behaviour.

 Google is aware that the search algorithm is still not quite smart and could tend to make mistakes. This could often lead to wrong path by forceful search engine optimization.

Feedback mechanism is provided by long clicks, a kind of human quality assertion which could be lacking in the algorithm. The talk from Google could be a part of the algorithm, though what the future holds in store remains to be seen.

Google Changing its Influential Search Engine

Google is planning to change the way its influential search engine endorses websites on tablets and smartphones which is expected to control where most of the individuals shop, eat and obtain information. The formula to be revised is scheduled to be released soon and would be favouring websites which Google considers as `mobile friendly’.

Websites that do not tend to fit into the description would be demoted in Google’s search results on the tablets and smartphones and those qualifying for the same would be more likely to appear at the top of the rankings which will be a prized position enabling them to translate into more visitors and money.

Though Google’s latest formula would not be affecting searches on the laptop and desktop computers it would be having a large effect on how and where individuals spend their money, now that most of them have been relying on their smartphones while comparing products in stores and in locating restaurants. Hence, Google’s new rating system is being billed by some of the search experts as `mobile-geddon’.

According to CEO of websites building service Duda, ItaiSadan, comments that `some sites will be going to be in for a big surprise when they find a drastic change in the amount of people visiting them from mobile devices’.

A Substantial Change to Its Mobile Search Rankings

As per Matt McGee, editor-in-chief for Search Engine Land, this could be the most substantial change which Google Inc. has made to its mobile search rankings, a trade publication which follows every tweak that the company makes to its secured guarded algorithms. A little more information on why Google is doing it and what is happening –

• Websites need to be designed in order to load quickly on mobile devices to stay in Google’s good style. The content also needs to be accessible easily on scrolling up and down without the need to swipe left or right. It would also be helpful in making purchases or taking other functions on the website could be seen easily and touched on small screens.
• Websites, if designed only with PC users in mind, graphics would take long time to load on mobile devices where the columns of text would not accommodate on the small screen making the reading a bit uncomfortable. Google has been advising websites to cater to mobile devices for several years since it is where individuals are progressively navigating for information
• The strength of mobile searchers in the U.S. has increased by around five percent wherein inquiries on PCs have been decreasing as per research firm comScore Inc. It estimated that around 29 percent of most of U.S. search requests, about 18.5 billion, in the final three months of last year, were made on mobile devices. The bulk of searches was processed by Google with two thirds in the U.S. and more in many other countries

Websites to Comply with Google’s Mobile Standards

Google has revealed its plans almost two months back, to reduce complaints. It also created a detailed guide and a tool to test compliance along with the new standards. The company faced disturbance over the past changes in its search formula.

In 2011 and 2012, two of the bigger revisions done were focused on clearing out misleading websites. Though the attempt sounded reasonable, several websites complained that the company’s changes unfairly demoted them in the ranking and made their content difficult to locate. Though most of the major merchants as well as big companies have websites which tend to meet up with Google’s mobile standards, it is considered that the new formula is likely to hurt millions of small businesses which do not have the money or incentive to familiarise their sites for smartphones. McGee is of the opinion that `a lot of small sites do not really have reason to be mobile friendly till now and that it would not be easy for them for these changes’.

Search Formula – Variety of Factors 

The Search formula comprises of a variety of factors in determining the rankings of its results. One being the most important consideration is that whether a site contains the most relevant information pursued by the search viewer. New striking order in Google’s mobile search could demote some sites to the back pages of the search results inspite of their content being more relevant to a search request than the other sites which tend to be easier to access on smartphones.

White Andrews, Gartner analyst states that this could be a very unfortunate significance though justifiable since the viewer would not be inclined to view other sites which would take a long time to open or difficult to read on mobile devices.

He adds further that `availability is part of relevancy and a lot of people are not going to think something is relevant if they cannot get it to appear on their iPhone’. Neil Shah, research director for devices and ecosystems with Counterpoint, a technology market research firm comments that `in the end, Google is an advertising platform company and its success is based on the success of its digital marketing customers’.

Flying Pigeons: Google’s updated search algorithm

Is that a bird? An airplane? Or may be superman? No that is the “Pigeon”. Google has recently updated their search algorithm with undisclosed changes and the folks at Search Engine Land have dubbed it “Pigeon” as it lacks any internal names among Google’s mojo and the last one was named “Panda”. The update has only been rolled out in US English searches and will be gradually rolling out for others, though a timeline is not available at the moment. While this has led to a lot of speculation about its effects on rankings and relevance of search result along with more localization, we try to dissect and strain out whatever useful information we can from this update.

What it brings to the Table? 

The core changes have happened behind the scenes and are not fully disclosed by Google till now. However, it seems like it is affecting local search results. Some sources have quoted saying that local searches are now more tied to local information in traditional Google search and from Google maps. Talking specifically, you may now see the top carousel displaying contextual and relevant information in a visually appealing package. Also local directory searches are getting more preferences now along with Yelp at top result for searches specifying it, which also implies that individual items don’t show until 2nd page.

What is in it for Business? 

The most recently affected are small businesses. Small businesses may see an increment or decrement in their referral count, leads and other statistics. Major directory websites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Urbanspoon are experiencing increased page 1 rankings and some changes in search results. Google has also said that their new algorithm improves parameters such as distance and location ranking significantly, and is aiming to provide more relevant/contextual results for end-users but it may be affecting individual businesses to get a better SERP. Thus more localization can be a boon for directory based searching where as a bane for individual websites thus making your SEM all the more important to stay relevant.

The Reason

We all like to know the whys of every change that happens specially if it affecting us. Thus it is legitimate to ask why this sudden shift in focus? Right at this moment it is more speculation than fact as the rolling out is partial and it will take more analyzing to come out with something concrete. One reason can be the fact that Yelp accused Google of favoring their search results. In addition, users on mobile devices would be happier if searches provided them with detailed location, information and localized information might warrant a shift as mobile is becoming an increasingly important strategy. Hence, it seems like we may have to play the “wait and watch” game for a few weeks.

The Future

Some are already stating that Google has turned the world of digital marketing on its head. For any SEM professional this can be the most challenging and scariest of propositions to deal with. A high degree of adaptability and vision is required to taste success. As it is often said, “Survival of the Fittest”.