NavBoost / CRAPS

NavBoost watches what users do after a Google search: do they click on a weather page and stay — or jump straight back to Google? The last, longest click of a session is the strongest signal because it shows the need was genuinely met. Real user behavior becomes a re-ranking signal, without Google having to read the content directly.

Anonymized, aggregated click logs from Google search results — per query and per document. Google observes patterns across many users, not the behavior of individuals.

goodClicks/badClicks = clicks rated as satisfying or disappointing; lastLongestClicks = the last, longest click of a session — the strongest satisfaction signal, because it marks the need that was met. [B] fields, [C] thresholds.

Authority and Trust are primary: when users click a page and don't immediately bounce back, it proves the page is perceived as a trustworthy, recognized source. Expertise and Experience are indirect — NavBoost acts as a 'lie detector': pages that are factually weak get avoided, even when that's not visible from the outside.

NavBoost cannot be manipulated directly — it reflects genuine user satisfaction. In practice: titles and snippets in search results must deliver on their promise. A page about general climate served for 'storm Berlin tomorrow' risks immediate bounces — and a worse ranking as a result. The best optimization is a page that genuinely answers the user's need.