Passage ranking · Passage-level indexing
Passage indexing refers to indexing and ranking at the passage level rather than the whole page. It predates LLMs at Google, but has become central with generative retrieval, where each passage is evaluated and retrieved independently.
Standalone definition · 36 words
Where does passage ranking at Google come from?
Google announced in October 2020 that it could better understand specific passages of a page to answer very specific searches. Danny Sullivan clarified that it was a ranking change, not an indexing one: the term “passage indexing” is therefore a misnomer, but it has stuck.
Why is this principle central for GEO?
RAG systems split pages into passages and retrieve them individually. A good paragraph can be cited even if the page does not rank well. The unit of competition becomes the passage, not the page.
How do you write for the passage?
One idea per section, a heading that poses the question, the answer at the top, the subject named in the text, sourced figures and lists or tables when the data fits. Long, diffuse passages compare poorly with dense ones.
Frequently asked questions
Passage indexing or passage ranking?
Google says passage ranking. Passage indexing is a common shorthand.
Does passage ranking apply to all searches?
It mainly targeted very specific queries.
Should I split my pages?
No: structuring with headings is enough, without multiplying pages.