Google's View of Search Algorithms: Analysis and Implications

Recently, Google representatives expressed the opinion that the algorithm works as it should, and site owners should focus more on their users, and not try to satisfy the algorithm's requirements. But the same Google representatives also say that the search team is working to show more good content.

"If the algorithm isn't broken, why are they working on it like it's broken?"

To answer this question, it's important to try to understand what a search looks like from Google's point of view. Google makes this task easier with its Search Off The Record (SOTR) podcast, where Googlers discuss search from their side.

🚀 In one of the recent SOTR podcasts, Googlers Gary Illis and John Mueller discussed how something could break inside Google, but from their point of view, it's a small, not worth announcement. But people outside of Google notice that something is broken.

• 📌 Gary Illis shared his thoughts on whether to "externalize" (communicate) that something is broken: "There's also the flip side where we think, 'Well, we don't really know if it's going to be noticed,' and then two minutes later there's a blog posting something like, 'Google is no longer indexing new articles. What happened?" And I'm like, "Okay, let's externalize it."
• 📌 John Mueller then asks, "So if we're being pressured from the outside, we're externalizing it?" To which Harry replies, "Yes. Absolutely. Yes."
• 📌 John continues: "So the louder the people outside, the more likely Google will say something?"

To this Gary says yes and no, as sometimes nothing is broken and there is nothing to announce, even if people complain that something is broken. He explained: "I mean, in certain cases, yes, but it doesn't always work, because some of the things that people perceive from the outside as a failure on our part actually work as intended."