The Evolution of Website Ranking: From Links to Quality Content: When search engines first appeared, links from other resources were one of the main tools for determining a site’s ranking. At the time, relatively few sites made this method effective. Links from government and authoritative sources were precious.
Dofollow and Nofollow links
HTML created an attribute system to help search engines treat links differently.
Dofollow links signal that the content creator considers the linked page necessary, instructing search engines to follow the link and consider it when ranking. Typically, they are links to other pages on the same site or to authoritative sources of information.
Nofollow links: These links contain an attribute that instructs search engines not to follow them and not to consider them when ranking. They are often used for promotional or low-value links. However, search engines may still consider these links even though they do not directly affect SEO.
Dofollow and Nofollow links in modern ranking
As search engines have evolved, the influence of links on website ranking has significantly decreased. By 2024, their influence has become so minimal that they are virtually ignored, especially for lower-ranking sites. While links still have some value, a page needs thousands of links for a tangible SEO-positive effect. With the development of artificial intelligence, the ranking of websites now depends more on the quality of information rather than the number of links. However, one of the main limitations of AI is its inability to generate new ideas, and it tends to favor the most common information on the web, which can sometimes be outdated or incorrect.
Search engines today
Google Search Engine: In 2023, Google radically changed its ranking algorithms, pushing smaller websites off the first pages of search results if the company deemed their content insufficient. While this was often true, as many small sites were rewriting content from other sources, it caused search relevancy issues. Therefore, Google began to favor forums like Reddit and Quora as higher-quality sources. By early 2024, these forums dominated the first pages of search results alongside large sites with large audiences but often low-quality content. This shift drew criticism, especially for medical and financial queries, when, for example, a farmer’s opinion on headache treatment on Reddit prevailed over a practicing physician’s opinion on a personal blog. By mid-2024, Google wholly removed forums from YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) search results. Despite these changes, small, high-quality sites still need help to rank high, with many only appearing after the third page of search results, even if their information is more valuable than on more significant sites.
Bing search engine: Bing works differently. Its search algorithms prefer relevant information without paying much attention to site ranking, and small sites are more comfortable with this search engine. Bing analyzes pages over time and often provides more relevant answers to many queries than competitors.
