@Bonusgeek 163304 wrote:
Maybe, but I don’t see how new sites would get a fair shake with this. If all of these things will contribute to rankings, then how does a new site with no traffic, no rankings ever get there? Maybe google is doing something like this now, hence why sometimes new sites instantly rank strong for a few days after getting indexed, then fall off the map. Something like a test run to see how users react to the site.
Yes I’ve spotted that. I suspect through the fact of sheer volume, they can afford to play with the longtail and build up a site’s profile gradually, perhaps using one of the many data centers every now and again to artificially increase sites briefly to judge response. They can probably afford to have one or two sites in the Top 10 that aren’t great for short periods.