Does Traffic of clicks from Google mean anything for ranking?

[Andersen]

I have been wondering if list sites that get a high amount of clicks from google , or maybe just general visits (maybe measured through use of the googlebar ) , gets higher listings compared to sites with smaller amount of traffic. I say this cause my high traffic sites basically rule on their phrases. What do you think about this?

[Brett_Tabke]

Does it affect your ranking?
Yes, many believe so.

Higher clicks better? Not necc so.
Some fell the click algo is based on "position" on the page.

Some hypothetical:

- If you are at 10, and getting clicks, you may move up.
- If you are 1 and getting "too many" clicks, you may move down.
- If you are #3 and getting more clicks than the #1, you may move off the page entirely because it is an aberration.
- If you are at #1 and there are numerous "full circle" clicks (user leaves page, and then clicks #2 in a short time), you may get booted.
- If users clicks on your listing - and never comes back to Google, then you may get booted.
- If there are adwords on the page, and they under preform - then a listing could get booted.

In other words - we have NO CLUE how Google might use this data. From what I have seen of click data (from the old Direct Hit), click actions all work counter intuitively and can not be predicted.

[GerBot]

This type of ranking completes the three main methods which have been used to date.

Ranking Based on Human Classification – Yahoo Dmoz
Ranking Based on Connectivity – Google AV
Ranking Based on Usage Information – Direct Hit

Many of the vertrin SEOs here will remember DirectHit

This was addressed in the Hilltop Paper so I know at least one Google employee can see the benefit.

For what it is worth – I expect the questions are:

1)If a listing attaracts higher than average clicks for their position – increase ranking

2)If listing attracts lower than average clicks for their position – reduce ranking

3)If visitors returns to Google (for the same/related search) in more than average time – reduce ranking

4)If vistors returns to Google (for the same/related search) in less than average time – reduce ranking

I also think this tech goes much further matching one search to another using semantic type tech but I can’t be stuffed typing it all here :)

[internetheaven]

I think it should be pointed out that even if Google WERE using clickthroughs to determine ranking it will be a very, very small part of the ranking process - nowhere near the level of Direct Hit.

It's very easy to get focussed on one particular aspect of ranking and give all your attention to it, so if you are considering that this is your only way to get to the top then you need to look elsewhere.