Content quality is not a direct ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. Google doesn’t read your content to grade the quality of your writing. ChatGPT isn’t trying to evaluate your content quality at all.
Google measures user behavior as a proxy for quality. The primary signal they track is pogo-sticking (when someone clicks your result, then immediately returns to search for a different page). They’re trying to determine if your content satisfies the searcher’s intent, not if it’s well-written.
This matters because you should focus your efforts on what actually moves the needle for rankings rather than obsessing over prose quality.
How Google Measures Content
Google can’t afford to read every page on the internet and grade it for quality. That would be too expensive.
Instead, they rely on user behavior signals. Former Google engineers have confirmed that click data influences rankings. Amit Singhal stated that “how users interact with a site is one of those signals.” Udi Manber testified that if most users click result #2 instead of #1, “after a while…Result 2 is the one people want. So we’ll switch it.”
They might also use Chrome data to determine visitor satisfaction. Some evidence suggests they compare content against pages rated favorably by their quality raters using machine learning. But there’s no evidence they use large language models to read and evaluate content quality.
What Is Pogo-Sticking?
Pogo-sticking is when someone clicks your result from Google, finds it unsatisfying, and immediately hops back to the search results to try another link.
This is a strong negative signal. If many users do this, Google learns your page isn’t satisfying the query. Google engineers have confirmed that pogo-sticking is a very strong sign that a page isn’t meeting search intent.
To prevent pogo-sticking:
- Make sure your content fully answers the query
- Use clear layouts with large, legible fonts and short paragraphs
- Add a clickable table of contents so users can jump to relevant sections
- Keep information fresh and comprehensive
- Use visuals and subheadings to make content easy to scan
The goal is simple: prevent users from returning to search results to look at another page.
Search Intent Matters More Than Writing Quality
Satisfying search intent is Google’s top priority. If your page doesn’t match what users are looking for, it won’t rank, even if the writing is excellent.
A Backlinko case study showed a high-quality expert article stuck on page 2 until it was rewritten to match user intent. Once it did, it jumped to #1.
How to satisfy intent:
- Analyze the top-ranking pages for your keyword. Note their format and content (lists, how-to guides, product pages). These results have passed Google’s user intent test.
- Align your content type. If competitors show comparison lists, write a comparison list. If they provide tools, provide a tool.
- Cover exactly what users expect to find. Use clear subheadings so readers jump straight to answers.
- Structure content for quick answers with bullet points, images, and highlighted key points.
How ChatGPT and AI Search Engines Rank Content
ChatGPT and other AI answer engines don’t evaluate content quality independently. They pull from high-ranking web results.
When ChatGPT’s search feature is triggered, it looks at Google or Bing results and then cites those sources. One analysis found that ChatGPT “searched Google’s SERPs, weighed the value of results based on ‘trust’ factors across the internet as a whole, and then made recommendations accordingly.”
To rank in ChatGPT, you need to rank in Google or Bing first. A blog post ranking #1 on Bing for a query tends to appear high when ChatGPT answers the same query. There’s no separate “AI quality score.” The AI answer engine uses traditional search rankings as its source.
Does Google Use AI to Evaluate Content?
No evidence suggests Google runs every page through a language model to score it. Google uses sophisticated machine learning (BERT, MUM, RankBrain) to understand queries and content context, but still relies heavily on explicit signals.
Leaked internal documents show Google’s system as a mix of hand-crafted signals and machine learning. Their ML-influenced signals use language models like BERT but break down those signals for transparency. Google’s ranking algorithms are mostly deterministic features (page content, links, clicks) tuned by engineers.
Running a full-scale LLM like GPT on the entire web would be enormously expensive. Google relies on proxies: trusted links, user behavior logs, content markers, and feedback from quality raters.
Why Content Quality Still Matters
Even though Google doesn’t grade your prose, high-quality content has indirect SEO benefits.
Well-researched, comprehensive content keeps visitors on your page longer and lowers bounce rate. Both send positive signals to search engines. Engaging content attracts backlinks and social shares, which are concrete ranking factors.
High-quality content builds brand trust and authority. Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines emphasize E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) for sensitive topics. While E-E-A-T isn’t a direct ranking input, content demonstrating it is seen as trustworthy.
Strong content fosters user trust, making readers more likely to engage and convert. It earns off-site endorsements. Content quality isn’t a magic ranking factor, but it’s the foundation for all the signals (backlinks, user engagement, brand queries) that help SEO.
What Actually Matters for Rankings
If your primary goal is increasing traffic from Google and ChatGPT, focus on these elements:
Targeted Keywords: Identify search queries that matter for your goals. Focus on the keywords real users type just before they purchase or act. These should guide your content topics and include long-tail terms that match search intent.
Title Tags: Include your main keyword in the HTML title tag. Google confirms that keywords in title tags help algorithms understand a page’s topic. A clear, descriptive title helps both ranking and click-throughs.
H1 and Headings: Use the same keyword in your H1 heading and related terms in subheadings. Google treats the H1 as a strong relevance signal. Structured headings improve readability and help search engines parse content hierarchy.
URL Slug: Make the page URL clean and keyword-rich. Google uses keywords in the URL as a minor relevance signal. /seo-ranking-factors is better than /p?=123.
Technical and UX: Ensure fast load speed and mobile-friendliness. Google’s Core Web Vitals (page load and stability) and mobile usability are confirmed ranking factors. A slow or broken page harms user satisfaction.
The Future of Content Quality in Search
This could change in the next few years. Elon Musk recently discussed how Grok (X’s large language model) is reading the top 10 million tweets daily, with a goal of eventually reading all 100 million tweets posted each day.
It’s hard to say if it would make financial sense for Google to use a large language model to read all the content on the internet. However, if models continue to get 90% cheaper year over year, eventually it might.
What You Should Do
Right now, content quality is not a ranking factor. But you should still create high-quality content.
Your users will appreciate it. Quality content gets shared and linked to more often, which are ranking factors. And maybe someday the algorithm will measure quality directly.
For now, be smart about picking which terms you’re trying to rank for. Make sure those terms are in the URL slug, meta title, and H1. Focus on satisfying the searcher’s intent. Make it convenient for people to get the information or take the action they want.
At all costs, prevent searchers from returning to the search results to look at another page.
If you need help optimizing your content for AI search algorithms, contact TJ Digital to learn how we can help your business show up in Google, ChatGPT, and other AI platforms.