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Google has recently filed a patent that details many points that Google uses to rank web pages. The title of the patent is "Information retrieval based on historical data" and it reveals details of algorithms that Google uses in addition to its main ranking algorithms.

In this article series, we're trying to find out what this means to your web site and what you have to do to optimize your web pages so that you get high rankings on Google. Click here to read part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.

How Google might track your surfing behavior

Last week, we informed you that Google tracks user behavior to determine the ranking of web sites. Google has recently released web accelerator program that is intended to make surfing faster for broadband users. Google might use this program to track the surfing behavior of people who have the web accelerator installed.

This means that Google now has at least four different tools that allow Google to track which web sites you visit: the Google toolbar, Google Desktop, Gmail and the new Google web accelerator.

These tools could help Google to collect the user information that is mentioned in the patent specification. As soon as you login to any Google service (Gmail, AdWords, etc.) this information can be assigned to your name and address.

Other factors that might influence your Google rankings

In addition to factors regarding user behavior, link popularity and domain names (see previous issues of this newsletter), the patent specification lists some other factors that might influence how Google selects results.

The document specification indicates that web pages with frequent ranking changes might be considered untrustworthy.

In addition, keywords that have little change in the result pages are probably matched to domains with stable rankings. Keywords with many changes in the results are probably matched to domains with more votality.

What does this mean to your web site?

Regarding these factors, there's nothing you can do to influence the ranking of your web site. Fortunately, there are many other factors that allow you to influence your rankings on Google.

In general, it is important that your web page content is optimized for Google. The ranking factors mentioned in the patent specification are only additional factors. If your web page content is not optimized, all other ranking factors won't help you much.

Remember that this patent doesn't mean that Google really uses all of this. The patent only lists options that might be used by Google. The most important factors for high rankings on Google are good incoming links and optimized web page content. You should make sure that your web site has both if you want high rankings on Google.

Google launches web accelerator tool

"Google has launched a new tool that has been designed to increase the speed of a users broadband connection. Called the Google Web Accelerator, the new downloadable application will supposedly use the power of Google’s global computer network to allow pages to load faster on a users machine."

Editor's note: We recommend that you read the articles below about Google's web accelerator before installing it on your computer.

Google's accelerator breaks web apps, security

"Google officials Friday confirmed that the company was aware of as many as five sites where Web Accelerator was returning users cached pages under other people's user names."

Google Web Accelerator considered overzealous

"The accelerator scours a page and prefetches the content behind each link. This gives the illusion of pages loading faster (since they’ve already been pre-loaded behind the scenes). Here’s the problem: Google is essentially clicking every link on the page — including links like 'delete this' or 'cancel that.'

And to make matters worse, Google ignores the Javascript confirmations. [...] Google ignores it and performs the action anyway."

Yahoo developing an audio search engine

"Web giant Yahoo is developing a search engine for finding downloadable songs and music data from across the Internet. [...] The specialty engine will let people search on an artist's name, for example, and retrieve all the available songs from other music services, as well as album reviews and band information from Yahoo Music."

"Yahoo's engine searches both the Web and the content of its media partners and those companies that distribute video via Media Really Simple Syndication, a self-publishing specification that enables publishers to distribute audio and video to Web-content aggregators."

Search engine newslets

• Class action lawsuit against FindWhat.com.
• AOL opens blog service to IM users.
• Google slow to police AdWords.
• Ask Jeeves eyes growth under IAC umbrella.

Google speed bump draws scorn

"Google has raised privacy and security hackles once again, this time by developing an application that accelerates Web surfing but can also delete pages or serve up password-protected content."

Google's new tools: proceed with caution

"Before you embrace all of Google's new technologies, consider the privacy implications. Google's stuff is great, Fred Langa says, but don't get carried away with the novelty of it all."

Google back after going black

"Internet search giant Google's engine sputtered briefly over the weekend when its Web site blacked-out, leaving millions of visitors looking for answers elsewhere."

MSN Search share anyone's guess

"Is MSN gaining or losing search share to Google in North America? Yes and no. It depends who you ask. But it may not matter. [...] Searchers are looking at more than one search engine when making queries."

'Google power' under fire

"What are the wider implications for marketers of Google's dominance? [...] Google, however, fervently denies the implication of such murmurings and that it is failing to look after its advertisers as well as its users."

Another 5 out of 5 rating for IBP

IBP has received a 5 out of 5 rating from SoftPedia.com. In addition, it has received the "100% clean" award that certifies that IBP is spyware, adware and virus free.

Download your IBP copy now. Click here.

Get better search engine rankings with IBP 8!

The final IBP 8 version is now available. The new IBP version is twice as powerful as the old IBP 4 version, that's why we called it IBP 8.

This is new:

• Link Popularity Improver
• Web Site Optimization Editor
• Scheduler to automate ranking checks and submissions
• Keyword Editor with special Google AdWords support
• Pay Per Click Search Engine Manager
• enhanced project management: one project for all tools
• you can work on multiple projects at once
• better report customization
• complete new user interface to support the new features

IBP 8 helps you to get more visitors, more customers and more sales. Marketing experts and webmasters recommend IBP. Just take a look at the free demo version.

Get better results with your Google Adwords

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Find out how to lower your advertising costs while increasing your profit.

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We're looking for feedback to our software program IBP.

Tell us how IBP has helped to improve your online marketing.

The names of all participants will be entered into a raffle for an iPod Shuffle. Thank you for helping us make IBP a better product!

The winner of the iPod Shuffle (who accepts the prize) will be listed in this newsletter. This offer is valid until 15 May 2005.

• Google ranking secrets revealed - part 4
• Brand new IBP 8 version for your web site success
• Google ranking secrets revealed - part 3
• Google ranking secrets revealed - part 2
• Google ranking secrets revealed - part 1
• Google changes its algorithm again
• How long does it take to get listed in Google?
• Cloaking: Does your web host change your pages?
• View all past issues...