Passage indexing – 10 February Google algorithm update

 The first algorithm update of 2021 landed on 10 February, commonly referred to as passage indexing although passage ranking is probably a more suitable description. The update didn’t have a major impact on ranking positions and it was more of a new feature introduction than the kind of algorithm update we’re used to seeing from Google.

That said, the new feature does change how Google’s algorithm indexes and ranks content.

Passage ranking is an AI-powered update designed to help Google return the best result for “very specific” searches. Essentially, the update allows Google to rank a passage that specifically addresses the user’s search query, even if the page itself is optimised for a different keyword.

For example, let’s say you have an in-depth blog post covering a broad topic, such as buying a second-hand car. Your primary keywords will be things like “buying a second-hand car,” “how to buy a second-hand car” and “what to check when buying a second-hand car”.

Your page title, headings and content will be optimised for keywords like this but your guide may include a section on the common financing options available to people buying used vehicles from a dealer.

Now, someone searching for information on the differences between Hire Purchase (HP) and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) financing options may see your buying guide because Google understands the intent of their specific query and your comparison provides the best answer to their question, even if other posts are better optimised for the query.

Here’s what Google has to say about the update:

“Very specific searches can be the hardest to get right, since sometimes the single sentence that answers your question might be buried deep in a web page. We’ve recently made a breakthrough in ranking and are now able to better understand the relevancy of specific passages. By understanding passages in addition to the relevancy of the overall page, we can find that needle-in-a-haystack information you’re looking for.”

Google says passage indexing (or ranking) will affect seven percent of search queries across all languages as it rolls out gradually. This began in the US for English results on 10 February and continues to roll out globally.