Comments on: What does Google do with all that click-thru data? http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/ Because not everyone can throw thousands of dollars at the 'How do we market ourselves online?' question... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:57:14 +0000 hourly 1 By: Garrett http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/#comment-126437 Garrett Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:07:38 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=1270#comment-126437 Hello, I am a layperson, so I would just like a response that is not too technical. I am updating my site, so I check my SERPs for my key words on a daily basis, and frequently go to the various pages on my website. So between these two activities, we are talking about maybe 50 clicks per day that are related to my website, www.creativecounselors.com. I like the google toolbar (primarily to have access to my google bookmarks). However, I will dismantle it if it is potentially detrimental to my SERP's if Google is tracking me and thinking that I am artificially trying to inflate my SERP's. Should I get rid of the google toolbar? Thanks, Garrett Hello,

I am a layperson, so I would just like a response that is not too technical.
I am updating my site, so I check my SERPs for my key words on a daily basis, and frequently go to the various pages on my website. So between these two activities, we are talking about maybe 50 clicks per day that are related to my website, http://www.creativecounselors.com. I like the google toolbar (primarily to have access to my google bookmarks). However, I will dismantle it if it is potentially detrimental to my SERP’s if Google is tracking me and thinking that I am artificially trying to inflate my SERP’s. Should I get rid of the google toolbar?

Thanks,
Garrett

]]> By: Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/#comment-60662 Matt McGee Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:47:21 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=1270#comment-60662 @Linda -- great point about certain queries leading to certain types of behavior, sometimes including only spending a few seconds on the clicked-to site. They have so much data, and so many smart mathematicians / scientists / engineers, I would think there are already IF/THENs built into their data analysis. IF it's this kind of query, THEN the click-thru might lead to a short visit, etc. I'm sure that's part of any analysis they're doing, don't you think? @adw - good call on the geographic nature and even time-based nature of click-thru behavior. @CMG - thanks. And so they could do that on both the paid results and the organic results, yes? I would think so. @Conrad - understood, thank you. And what Linda was talking about would certainly factor into that. Some searches don't require lengthy stays on the site you click through to visit. Great comments, everyone - thank you so much. Good stuff to think about. @Linda — great point about certain queries leading to certain types of behavior, sometimes including only spending a few seconds on the clicked-to site. They have so much data, and so many smart mathematicians / scientists / engineers, I would think there are already IF/THENs built into their data analysis. IF it’s this kind of query, THEN the click-thru might lead to a short visit, etc. I’m sure that’s part of any analysis they’re doing, don’t you think?

@adw – good call on the geographic nature and even time-based nature of click-thru behavior.

@CMG – thanks. And so they could do that on both the paid results and the organic results, yes? I would think so.

@Conrad – understood, thank you. And what Linda was talking about would certainly factor into that. Some searches don’t require lengthy stays on the site you click through to visit.

Great comments, everyone – thank you so much. Good stuff to think about.

]]> By: Conrad Johnson http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/#comment-60350 Conrad Johnson Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:16:04 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=1270#comment-60350 I think what Paisley was trying to illustrate (albeit poorly and rude) was that bounce rate is a valid metric to consider here. Where if the click through rate on a position in the serps is high, but the user just bounces back to the serps to look for another result, then the serps didn't do their job in providing the most valid results and that particular result with the high bounce rate gets voted down as it doesn't engage the user and provide a vaild result to the search phrase I think what Paisley was trying to illustrate (albeit poorly and rude) was that bounce rate is a valid metric to consider here.

Where if the click through rate on a position in the serps is high, but the user just bounces back to the serps to look for another result, then the serps didn’t do their job in providing the most valid results and that particular result with the high bounce rate gets voted down as it doesn’t engage the user and provide a vaild result to the search phrase

]]> By: CMG http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/#comment-58903 CMG Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:33:31 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=1270#comment-58903 I used data harvesters many times and although you can target specific keywords, I haven't seen anything yet that could simulate different searches made from different IPs so I am sure Google could easily identify click fraud. I used data harvesters many times and although you can target specific keywords, I haven’t seen anything yet that could simulate different searches made from different IPs so I am sure Google could easily identify click fraud.

]]> By: adw http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/#comment-56791 adw Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:08:50 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=1270#comment-56791 They may not use it to directly affect SERPS, but rather to look for interesting patterns. For example, perhaps users in one geographical area click a certain result more than others, or perhaps there's patterns based on the time of day that the search takes place, etc. They may not use it to directly affect SERPS, but rather to look for interesting patterns. For example, perhaps users in one geographical area click a certain result more than others, or perhaps there’s patterns based on the time of day that the search takes place, etc.

]]> By: Linda Bustos http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/google-click-thru-data/1270/#comment-56559 Linda Bustos Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:11:37 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=1270#comment-56559 Hmm, this is tricky - because relevance is not just pre-click but post-click - did the searcher find what he/she was looking for? How long did he/she stay on the site? Well, mission accomplished depends on what the query is - maybe one was looking for the answer to a question and a 10 second visit was all you need. Perhaps Google takes the most popular search terms and tests out click data on those first - like "credit cards" for example - are people looking for information or applications? Are they looking for comparison sites or specific credit card issuers' sites? Often comparison sites outrank the banks in US search, but not in Canada, and you get UK results mixed into both .com and .ca versions of Google. And don't forget wikipedia and blended search results. It would make sense for Google to track which types of sites attract clicks - if nobody cares about credit card news or images, then it's better for Google to show just pages. If nobody wants to know the history of credit cards through Wikipedia, then skew that one down a bit. I believe Google has the ability to do manual programming (thoughts?) on priority terms. But we love to speculate! Hmm, this is tricky – because relevance is not just pre-click but post-click – did the searcher find what he/she was looking for? How long did he/she stay on the site?

Well, mission accomplished depends on what the query is – maybe one was looking for the answer to a question and a 10 second visit was all you need.

Perhaps Google takes the most popular search terms and tests out click data on those first – like “credit cards” for example – are people looking for information or applications? Are they looking for comparison sites or specific credit card issuers’ sites? Often comparison sites outrank the banks in US search, but not in Canada, and you get UK results mixed into both .com and .ca versions of Google. And don’t forget wikipedia and blended search results.

It would make sense for Google to track which types of sites attract clicks – if nobody cares about credit card news or images, then it’s better for Google to show just pages. If nobody wants to know the history of credit cards through Wikipedia, then skew that one down a bit.

I believe Google has the ability to do manual programming (thoughts?) on priority terms. But we love to speculate!

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