Google: Sometimes Copied Content is More Relevant
Google’s John Mueller answered a question about how Google handles copied content. Mueller’s answer covered different kinds of duplicate content. He ended his response with an observation about the original source of content and relevance.
How Does Google Determine Original Source of Content?
The person asking the question wanted to know how Google determined which content is the original source and which content copied.
The question:
“How Google determines if a particular… content is copied or not and who is the original source for that content?”
John Mueller gave a broad answer that used different kinds of copied content as examples (like boilerplate content used across an entire website).
This approach had the effect of giving a rounded overview of the different kinds of copied content that Google has to deal with.
Screenshot of Google’s John Mueller Discussing Copied Content
Google’s Mueller explaining how Google handles copied content and why the copy can outrank the original contentMueller answered:
“I think it’s kind of tricky in some aspects… in some aspects it’s really easy because if you take a piece of text and you search for it then it’s exactly the same text that is on the web or on other pages then that’s a pretty good sign that this is copied content.
So for example if you have copied content that is more along the lines of boilerplate text like, you have… legal disclaimer on the bottom of your site. Which is something that you have across all of your pages of your site.
Then technically, that’s copied content.
But practically for us, that’s not really an issue because these are things that people are generally not searching for. It’s not that they’re searching for the legal disclaimer and they want to find your site.
It’s more they’re looking for your primary content. And… in that regard it’s something where we try to weigh the copied content appropriately but also kind of like still look at the rest of your site.
It’s easy to recognize that there’s copied content on these pages but it’s hard to figure out what we should do about that copied content.”
Determining Ownership of Content is Difficult
In the following passage the audio is garbled, that’s why some of the quote is in parentheses, as that’s my estimation of what Mueller said.
John Mueller addressed authorship of content, particularly in the difficulty of identifying who is the primary author.
Mueller said:
“(With regard to the) author or owner of that content, I don’t think we go and make any judgement in that regard because that’s really tricky like… we can’t determine who is the owner.”
Why Copied Content Can Be More Relevant Than the Original
Mueller ended by using Google’s own blog posts as an example of Google’s algorithm ranking other sites ahead of Google’s own content. He said it was about relevance.
“And sometimes the person who wrote it first is not the one for example that is the most relevant.
So we see this a lot of times for example with our own blog posts where we will write a blog post and we’ll put the information we want to share on our blog post and someone will copy that content and they will add a lot of extra information around it.
It’s like, here’s what Google really wants to tell you and it’s like reading between the lines and the secret to Google’s algorithms.
And when someone is searching it’s like maybe they want to find the original source. Maybe they want to find this more elaborate… exploration of the content itself.
So, just because something is original doesn’t mean that it’s the one that is the most relevant when someone is looking for that information.”
Originality Doesn’t Always Mean Relevant
Quoting something and offering commentary on the quote is generally regarded as fair use. Mueller demonstrated that what counts more about content is how it relates to a user query.
Sometimes that can mean making sure that the content answers the why, how, and what type questions that are inherent in some search queries.
Citation
Watch John Mueller answer question about original and copied content:
Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API
Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.
Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:
“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”
This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.
What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.
But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.
Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.
How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:
- Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
- Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
- Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
- Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.
Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.
This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update
Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:
1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update
Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.
2. Changes to Google Search Interface
Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.
3. New Features and Tests
- Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
- Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
- Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.
4. Search Rankings and Quality
- Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
- Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.
5. Advice for Content Creators
- Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
- Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.
6. New Search Features in Google Chrome
Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.
7. New Tests and Features in Google Search
- Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
- Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.
8. Bing’s New Feature
Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.
9. Local Search Ranking Factors
Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.
10. Google Ads Updates
- Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
- Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
- tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
- WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.
These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.
AI
Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate
According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.
In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.
However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.
The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.
In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.
For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.
The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.
In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.
Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator