Google’s passage ranking algorithm has been released today. The algorithm should help the longer articles rank better for different topics addressed in different parts of the same article.
While the update was originally announced in October 2020, Google has confirmed that the passage ranking update has been rolled out today for queries in the US in English. The algorithm will be soon rolled out for more countries and then for more languages.
Ranking Passages for Different Queries
While long-form articles can cover more in-depth content, Google can now understand and rank different passages in the same article for different queries. For instance, a passage or a set of passages inside your article can rank for a query X, while another passage in the same article can rank for query Y.
These search results will not look any different from other search results. The search volatility has been calmer since the update has been rolled out, and most SEO-optimized websites are not expected to be affected by this update.
Note: The update finished rolling out on February 15, 2021.
