The search results a person sees today can be influenced by what they looked up in Google weeks, months, or even years ago.
Users are said to track them on Google in the past, and search algorithms use this data to deliver personalized results.
If this is true, it means that users may not see the same SERPs for the same query, as the ranking position of the URL may vary from person to search.
This chapter will investigate the claims surrounding user search history as a ranking factor and shed light on the extent to which it affects results.
Disclaimer: User search history is a ranking factor
When users log into their Google accounts, search results are said to be personalized based on their search history.
Google collects web and app activity from all logged-in users.
You can opt out of data collection, but it is enabled by default.
This data is collected to better understand a person’s interests so that Google can provide a more tailored experience (eg, search results, ads).
There are different claims about the degree of personalization of search results.
In most cases, user search history is considered to have a slight influence on the results.
However, Google’s critics don’t think so.
DuckDuckGo claims Personalization is so powerful that it creates a “filter bubble” that limits users’ exposure to new resources, ideas, and perspectives.
DuckDuckGo accused Google of using an extreme degree of personalization, saying two users could search for the same content at the same time and get wildly different results.
Is user search history as important as Google’s critics say?
This is what the evidence says.
Evidence of user search history as a ranking factor
User search history was a Google ranking factor back in 2007 when the company confirmed the update in the announcement:
“We are constantly working to improve the quality of your search results. One of the ways we address this is by personalizing your search experience.
After all, you are the only one who truly knows what you are really looking for. “
Google continues Personalized search results Today, although the company firmly deny DuckDuckGo claims the effect is so strong that it creates a filter bubble.
In fact, search results are not always personalized.
According to them, when they do appear, the effects are minimal and not very different from person to person. Danny SullivanGoogle’s search liaison.
“Personalization doesn’t happen very often, and usually doesn’t change search results significantly from one person to another. It’s often applied so easily that the results are very similar to what people without personalization see.”
User Search History as a Ranking Factor: Our Verdict
According to Google, we concluded that user search history is a less influential ranking factor.
It’s easy to test the degree of app personalization.
Just search in the new incognito window and no account-based activity will be used to deliver results.
These results are then compared to the SERPs in the login search.
Anyone who wants to opt out of using account-based activity personalization can do so through the Web & App Activity settings in their Google Account.
Featured image: Robin Biong/Search Engine Magazine
