Google’s algorithm may weigh user behavior over traditional content ranking signals, as Kyle Roof discussed on the Niche Pursuits podcast.
The conversation pointed out that both affiliate and informational websites, even those without direct affiliate links, could be perceived by Google as “doorway pages.”
These pages primarily serve to redirect users to other sites for monetary gain, which could negatively impact their standing with Google.
The theory suggests that the presence of display ads, resembling affiliate links, indicates that the primary goal is to lead users away from the site.
This could signal to Google that the site is not a genuine business but rather a doorway to other online shopping experiences.
Despite this, evidence from recent Google updates in September 2023 and March 2024 shows that many content sites, appearing as e-commerce stores with minimal product offerings and sales, continue to rank well.
The discussion also touched on the complexity of Google’s algorithm, which has evolved to be heavily reliant on machine learning, making it challenging for even Google’s engineers to fully understand or predict its behavior.
This complexity could delay significant changes in how the algorithm evaluates user behavior related to e-commerce activities.
Furthermore, attempts to integrate e-commerce elements into sites previously hit by Google’s High Content Usage (HCU) penalties have not shown to aid in recovery, indicating that initial perceptions of a site’s purpose might be long-lasting and difficult to alter.
Focus on creating platforms where users complete their interactions within the site itself, rather than being redirected elsewhere, to potentially improve their standing with Google and future-proof their sites against algorithm changes.