Have you read Google's new 2019 Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines?

[MichaelCorfman]

On May 16th Google released a new version of its guidelines for evaluating the quality of the sites included in search results.

According to Search Engine Land:

The refreshed guidelines add more detailed directions regarding interstitial pages and content creator expertise, and buckets “E-A-T” (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) within “Page Quality” in certain sections.

The Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines are what human quality raters use to evaluate websites and SERPs. They don’t directly affect rankings but their judgments are used to improve Google’s search algorithm.

The inclusion of “E-A-T” within “Page Quality” may reflect how Google wants its quality raters to approach evaluating content. The increased emphasis on interstitial pages within the Distracting Ads/SC section may also mean that webmasters and advertisers who use those techniques in an intrusive manner may see lower ratings. And, the more detailed guidance regarding content creator expertise may put questionable or lower-quality content under more scrutiny.

The guidelines are the instructions given to quality evaluators on how to assess website quality and whether the search results they review meet the needs of Google search users.

Understanding the guidelines can be helpful to affiliates (or to anyone responsible for the content of websites). Google cares about the quality of its search results, and so understanding the factors Google uses to assess quality can provide valuable guidance on what is necessary to be viewed as providing quality content deserving of top positions in search results over the long term.

So, for this week's poll I ask if you have seen the new quality guidelines, and if you have or plan to read them. I also encourage to you share your views on the guidelines and whether or not you have made or plan to make any changes to your sites based on the guidelines.

You can see the new quality guidelines here:

Google 2019 Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

If you are interested in seeing the details of how they have changed, you can see the previous guidelines here:

Google 2018 Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

Michael

[ocreditor]

Started to read it, it'll take a while to complete with 166 pages

[AussieDave]

Google cares about the quality of its search results

If that was true, then hacked sites (mostly WP, using an injected code/frame) would be a thing of the 'past' in the Google SERPS. Google bot crawls these hacked WP sites. Hence, like you and I can view the coding, so too does G-bot. Yet, it still indexes this garbage...rolls eyes.

However, getting back to your question... 166 pages long, nope I wont be reading it, what's the point. Remember Matt Cutts (the once poster boy for Google) said.. it's impossible to conduct negative SEO on a competitor's site. Eventually though G conceded and introduced the disavow-tool.

nuff said

[PokCas]

Could someone summarise what are the key differences between 2018 and 2019 guidelines?

[Malikbhai]

Could someone summarise what are the key differences between 2018 and 2019 guidelines?

They're are both separated by 12 months.

[petjah]

Hmm good read material if someone has trouble falling in sleep. Maybe a really good cure against insomnia.

[pseudonym]

Started to read it, it'll take a while to complete with 166 pages

it gets worse. to do this job in google you must actually read it. in full. followed by exams that take up to 6 hours a day, three days in a row. unpaid

[wonderpunter]

166 pages but it's actually an easy read

[JonasCL]

Have not done yet, but will shortly

[Mrmork.Jarttu84]

166pages seems a bit too much