{"id":2265,"date":"2022-01-10T09:16:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T09:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seopolarity.com\/blog\/?p=2265"},"modified":"2022-01-10T16:29:04","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T16:29:04","slug":"does-google-use-analytics-and-chrome-data-for-ranking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seopolarity.com\/blog\/does-google-use-analytics-and-chrome-data-for-ranking\/2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Google Use Analytics and Chrome Data for Ranking?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Google’s John Mueller responded to whether Google uses Google Analytics data (such as bounce rate and time on site) for ranking purposes, as well as whether Google uses Chrome browser data. His responses couldn’t be clearer or more direct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Ranking Purposes, Can Chrome Data Be Used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A participant in the Google Office Hours hangout inquired whether Google used Chrome data for ranking purposes. However, it is unclear what type of “data” the person is requesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He could have inquired about traffic data because there is a popular belief that Chrome tracks traffic data and that Google uses traffic as a ranking factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone blogged about a Brighton SEO presentation featuring three ex-Googlers in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The blogger incorrectly stated that Chrome tracks website traffic for ranking purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That information was then included in someone’s speculative list of 200 ranking factors, where he lists direct traffic as a ranking factor without having fact-checked the video to hear what was actually said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I double-checked, and the ex-Googler did not claim that Chrome uses traffic data as a ranking factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Google Chrome collect data for the purpose of the ranking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This brings us to a question posed at Google SEO Office Hours, where someone inquires whether Google uses Chrome data for ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the question:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat data does Google Chrome collect from users for ranking?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

John Mueller answered:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we use anything from Google Chrome for ranking.<\/p>

So the only thing that happens with Chrome is for the page experience report, we use the Chrome User Experience Report data which is kind of that aggregated data of what users saw when they went to the website, with regards to the page experience specifically.<\/p>

And I think that\u2019s the only thing that we use from Chrome within ranking.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What John Mueller is referring to is the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), which is data collected by Chrome from users who opt in to have their user experience data reported back to them. This is where you get your actual Core Web Vitals scores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Google Analytics used for ranking purposes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The questioner then inquired whether Google Analytics data was used for ranking purposes, mentioning bounce rate data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a widespread belief that Google Analytics data is used for ranking purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He asked:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about Google Analytics data? Do you think Google analytics data has effect on ranking?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

John Mueller\u2019s answer was immediate and without hesitation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.<\/p>

No.<\/p>

We don\u2019t use that at all.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The person who asked the question then inquired about bounce rates and time on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay. So bounce rate and time on site are useless for ranking, right?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mueller answered:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I mean, we don\u2019t use that data so, I think these metrics are sometimes useful for site owners to look at.<\/p>

But that doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re useful for search to actually use.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

John Mueller Dispels Misinformation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a lot of SEO misinformation out there, which has unfortunately been around for a long time and keeps resurfacing year after year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of it is due to sloppy article writing in which no one fact checks their work, resulting in misleading statements about ranking factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of it is due to a reluctance to conduct the necessary research to comprehend the broad scope of the topic, particularly in patents and research papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common mistake is to take one section of a patent out of context and then build an entire SEO theory around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, if a Googler says they don’t use something as a ranking factor and that statement is supported by a lack of research and patents stating otherwise, it’s a good idea to take the Googler’s word for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need help with our free SEO tools? Try our free\u00a0Code to Text Ratio Checker<\/a>,\u00a0Broken Links Finder<\/a>,\u00a0Online Ping Website Tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n