Google Search Quality Rating Guidelines Not Designed for SEOs

Google’s John Mueller has a short post on the subject. posted Twitter that needs to be emphasized. He said, “However, the guidelines for quality assessors are not guidelines for SEOs.” We often forget that these Search Quality Assessment Guidelines are intended for search quality evaluators, and are not specifically designed as guidelines for SEOs.

However, the guidelines for quality ratings are not guidelines for SEOs.

– 🐄 John 🐄 (@JohnMu) January 12, 2022

If you remember, just google published it publicly in 2015 after years and years of failed efforts to keep them private. The documents were leaked by someone on the search quality assessment teams (contractors Google didn’t directly employ) and the SEO world would then tear them apart. We saw that first version leaking 2007/2008 and numerous versions since then. Well, Google just said let’s make everyone read it so they can publish it publicly over here – it was last updated last october.

That being said, we all need to remember that while it is useful for SEOs to envision what Google search results are supposed to look like, they are not designed for SEOs. Yes, Google referred to these guidelines as something SEOs might want to review. But again, it might be an exaggeration to ask Google SEO-related questions about the Search Quality Rating Guidelines, as they are not designed for SEOs, but for their reviewers.

It’s just something to keep in mind. Don’t get me wrong, every SEO should read the guidelines in full at least once a year.

Forum discussion at Twitter.

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