Google IR score: what is it and how to use for optimization?

In search engines, when ranking sites, the IR score is used.

This term is described in Google patents.

We will deal with the following questions:

• What is an IR score?
• What data does the metric depend on?
• What should be done in practice to improve ranking?

The term IR score is derived from Information Retrieval score.

In patents for Google's search algorithms, the term IR score is mentioned many times.

It is about both on-page factors and off-page factors.

IR score is a numeric value that describes the matching key phrase of the page found.

IR score is mentioned in various Google patents. For example, the term is registered in such patents as:

• Search query streams;
• Ranking blog documents;
• Modifying search result ranking based on user feedback.

Summary

Based on the knowledge gained, what should be done in practice to improve rankings?

An IR score is a value that indicates how relevant a site document is to a search query.

Details of all indicators and coefficients of the IR score are not disclosed and one can only assume how many ranking signals can be used for the calculation. But a number of signals in the patent is still mentioned.

Use the following guidelines:

• Content must be available on the first screen of the user;
• The best option is if the key phrases are placed, among other things, in the first paragraphs of the main content of the site page;
• Key phrases should be placed in the Title tags, H1-H6, since the occurrences of the page in these tags are more important than the matches at the bottom of the site page;
• Stir the related key phrases on the page in proximity to each other;
• Key phrases should be designed using the optimal font and size;
• Key phrases should be designed using the optimal font color;
• Key phrases should be designed using the optimal background of the font;
• Key phrases should be used in the anchor list of the page.