Whilst we debate whether or not the number of clicks that results receive in search results impacts ranking performance in Google, we know in Yandex this is a factor taken into account by the algorithm.
Yandex monitor this, and do penalize webmasters looking to cheat the algorithm in this way.
The PF filter, and it’s fairness, and has been long discussed by SEOs in the forums, as the tactic can also be used as a weapon against competitors who then fall under the penalty.
During the Optimization 2020 roundtable, this topic came up and was addressed by Mikhail Slevinsky, the head of Yandex Webmaster tools, in which he said that they are seeing good progress in their efforts to combat this type of manipulation.
Yandex’s Elena Pershina also added that in surveys conducted by the search engine, more and more business owners are becoming aware of the risks of using such manipulative tactics.
