Google Updates Search Quality Raters Guidelines

Google has updated its Google Search Quality Raters Guidelines PDF just a bit over 9 months since the last update. The document keeps getting smaller, from 175 pages in 2020 to 172 pages in 2021 and now to 167 pages in 2022.

Here is what Google documented it changed:

  • Refreshed language to be aligned with the newly published Search Quality Rater Guidelines: An Overview (PDF)
  • Refined YMYL to focus on topics that require a high level of accuracy to prevent significant harm; added a new table of examples and refreshed existing examples
  • Added clarifications to Low and Lowest Page Quality sections to emphasize that the type and level of EAT depends on the purpose of the page, and that low quality and harmful pages can occur on any type of website
  • Refactored language throughout to be applicable across all device types
  • Minor changes throughout (updated screenshots; removed or updated outdated examples and concepts; removed user location when irrelevant; etc.)

Here are the previous versions, compared to the live version:

Here is the updated change log of this file from Google (click to enlarge):

click for full size

I did not do a comparison in detail Lily Ray posted a more detailed comparison on Search engine country.

Forum discussion at Twitter.

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