But StumbleUpon has redesigned its index in recent months and changed the way its ranking algorithm works.

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Google employs proprietary technology and the details of its ranking algorithm, the process which determines what tops the list when search results are returned, is a closely guarded secret.

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He says there's early, anecdotal evidence that Times stories are ranking higher under the new algorithm.

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In regards to rankings, in 2010 Google began using site speed as a ranking factor in their search algorithm.

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To come up with our power ranking we input earnings, press mentions, web hits, cover stories, TV mentions and social media following numbers into an algorithm that creates the ranking.

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Or look at Google: Larry Page and Sergey Brin came up with their famous search algorithm by applying the ranking method used for academic articles (more citations equals more influence) to the sprawl of the Internet.

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All of the data is processed through an algorithm that creates our power ranking.

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About three years ago, U.S. Squash made a drastic change to its junior ranking system: Instead of being determined by an algorithm that evaluated the probabilities of matches between competitors, they now base rank on the number of points players earn at a tournament.

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Small businesses have been crushed by algorithm thrash, when they abruptly dropped out of view on the SERP due to a ranking change.

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Google's search algorithm ranks sites based primarily on the number of links from other sites, as well as the search ranking of those linking sites themselves.

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