Quality Raters: How Low Quality Content Can Impact Your Google Page Rank

Google has updated its Google quality raters guidelines this week for the purpose of better assessing low quality and lowest quality pages, determining the Google page rank.

The performance of Google’s algorithms is analysed by Google’s quality raters, following specific instructions and guidelines.

A page in which the content does not meet the goal, what is trying to be achieved, is now ranked as low quality because the text is off topic and lacks expertise or the main content is not sufficient.

Google stated “Low quality pages may have been intended to serve a beneficial purpose. However, Low quality pages do not achieve their purpose well because they are lacking in an important dimension, such as having an unsatisfying amount of MC, or because the creator of the MC lacks expertise for the purpose of the page.”

Your Google page rank can be impacted if quality raters determine your page to be of low quality based on qualities such as:

• The main content is insufficient and does not propose expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. 
• A negative reputation of the website or content creator. 
• A shocking or exaggerated title. 
• Adverts distract from the main content. 

Google expands on this, stating “Exaggerated or shocking titles can entice users to click on pages in search results. If pages do not live up to the exaggerated or shocking title or images, the experience leaves users feeling surprised and confused… Pages with exaggerated or shocking titles that do not describe the MC well should be rated Low.”

Here are two examples of articles that have been rated the highest quality.

Here are two examples of articles that have been rated low to the lowest quality.

Take a look at the PDF for more information on the Google Quality Rater guidelines.

If you are concerned about how this may impact your Google page rank, get in contact with one of our experts and find out how we can help to make your pages the highest quality.