There are many factors that determine the position of your page in search results, but Google does not disclose all information to avoid spam. However, it was recently stated that one of the algorithms the company uses to evaluate page quality is the IR score. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this criterion and give you tips on how you can improve your website’s ranking by increasing your IR score.
Evaluate your page relevance
Google evaluates your page relevance with a simple formula: multiplying your IR score by the PageRank value. Both factors are important for increasing your website’s ranking in search results, but the first is less well known. You can easily calculate your website’s PageRank using a specific tool, but this is much more complicated than a Google IR score. However, the parameter has been mentioned several times in Google patents, which makes it possible to have a general understanding of its nature and develop tips on how to use it to your advantage.
What is Google IR score
The IR score or Retrieval score is a metric used by Google to rank websites. Basically, it’s the numerical value of the keyword relevant to your website in relation to the phrase’s placement on the page. “The IR score for a blog/blog post can be determined based on how a search query’s search terms match an index created based on hash documents.”
According to Google patents, the IR score is used to evaluate site quality signals, rank website materials and take into account user feedback.
The search engine calculates two types of IR scores:
- Scores of clicked results
- Scores of all results shown before clicking
In addition, Google also records information about users’ behavioral data in order to increase the relevance of search results and provide information previously deemed appropriate by other users.
Why should you work on your IR score?
Given that the IR score is mentioned multiple times in Google patents, it is possible to conclude that this criterion is crucial in determining your website’s ranking, but there is no indication that it is a mandatory factor. Google doesn’t give a full explanation on how the IR score is calculated. However, there are still some clues as to the occurrence of the search term on the page and its proximity in the text.
What does the Google IR score depend on?
Basically, this parameter depends on both the content of your page and the number of anchor links. According to the information presented in the patents, the IR score is determined by the following factors:
- Whether keywords are placed in the main content and/or the first few paragraphs
- Font size and color
- Placing keywords in the page title and headlines one to six
- Whether the anchors contain keywords
In addition to these criteria, Google may also check your website structure and user profile terms used to improve search results. Once these terms are defined on your page, it will increase your website’s ranking for a given user. Therefore, it is recommended to include subject-specific terminology in the content. The most effective way is to add them in the page title, URL address or first paragraphs.
How can you improve your website’s IR score?
To avoid spam and other undesirable results, Google does not explain exactly how the IR score is calculated. However, it is possible to gain a general understanding of the dos and don’ts when creating your website content.
- Try to put all relevant information on your first page, as users rarely move to the second page of a website.
- Add keywords to the beginning of your text. It should be mentioned in the first few paragraphs on the first page, and should also be included in the page title and headings one through six.
- Remember to place the keywords close together as this will also affect the page ranking.
- Try to optimize the font size and color and background color.
- Use keywords in your page’s link list.
Promote your website with Google IR
Evaluating page quality is crucial to providing users with the most relevant results, and Google and other search engines use certain algorithms to do this best. An example is Google IR: Retrieval score. You can improve your page ranking by increasing the IR score. To do this, ensure the correct placement of keywords in the content and link list and optimize the font.
