Imagine waking up one morning to discover that the secret recipe behind Google’s search rankings has been revealed.
That is exactly what happened with Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro and founder of Moz.
He said, “In the last quarter century, no leak of this magnitude or detail has ever been reported from Google’s search division.”
The leak was extensive, revealing over 2,500 pages of Google algorithm factors and 14,000+ attributes influencing search rankings. It has revealed the mystery behind Google’s algorithms and introduced some previously unknown ideas to the public.
Let’s dive into the leak in detail.
What Exactly Happened?
On May 5th, 2024, Rand Fishkin obtained sensitive information about Google’s algorithms, which he made public on May 27th. But the initial leak occurred much earlier. On March 13th, 2024, thousands of documents from Google’s internal Content API Warehouse were released on GitHub by an automated bot known as yoshi-code-bot. The source of the leak was initially unknown but later revealed to be Erfan Azimi of EA Eagle Digital.
“The leak mostly confirmed a lot of things SEO testers have already known for years. For example, the leak suggests that triggering a peak of spammy anchors over a period of time can result in a penalty,” says Ted Kubaitis, founder and CEO of SEO Tool Lab.
However, the leak has also upset SEO and digital marketers as it highlighted some factors that Google had previously denied, like using user data in search algorithms.
It’s important to note that the leak is specifically related to an API for cloud-based document storage and retrieval, not organic search algorithms. And while the leaked documents highlight some ranking factors, they do not mention an important detail: how much these factors actually weigh in the overall ranking process.
“The attributes aren’t ranked in any way. So even getting confirmation that, yes, post-search click behaviour is a factor that impacts your site’s ability to rank is only marginally helpful—because we don’t know how significant of a factor it actually is,” explains marketing expert Phil Stott.
Key Findings from the Google Algorithm Leak
Here are the standout takeaways from the Google algorithm leak:
1. NavBoost
This feature assesses search demand by tracking how many times a keyword is searched and how often search results are clicked on. It also tells apart long and short clicks and rates queries based on what users are really looking for. For example, if users spend a lot of time on videos or images related to a query, NavBoost will trigger video or image features for that query and similar ones.
2. Twiddlers
Twiddlers are specialised re-ranking functions that adjust how a document’s information retrieval score is calculated or alter its ranking. They help fine-tune search results by tweaking how documents are ranked.
3. Demotions
It’s true that your content can be demoted for various reasons. These include mismatched links, negative SERP signals that show user dissatisfaction, poor product reviews, irrelevant locations, exact-match domains, or adult content.
4. Change History
Google keeps track of the last 20 changes made to your webpage. So, if you want to make sure that any old or outdated content doesn’t mess with your current rankings or search results, you’ll have to update the page more than 20 times.
5. Successful Clicks Matter
According to the leaked algorithm, you must create high-quality content and user experiences to rank well. This is because Google measures user engagement with metrics like badClicks, goodClicks, lastLongestClicks, and unsquashedClicks to evaluate how users interact with your content.
6. SiteAuthority
Google uses a concept called “siteAuthority,” which impacts the overall ranking of your site based on the quality of its content. What’s interesting to note is that despite publicly acknowledging this in 2011 after the Panda update, Google has since denied having a specific website authority score.
7. Whitelists
Some modules hint that Google keeps whitelists for certain domains, especially for things like elections and COVID-19. For example, there’s is ElectionAuthority and is CovidLocalAuthority, which show that these domains get extra attention.
8. Brand Matters
Branding significantly influences how Google identifies, sorts, ranks, and filters entities. “If there was one universal piece of advice I had for marketers seeking to improve their organic search rankings and traffic broadly, it would be: “Build a notable, popular, well-recognized brand in your space, outside of Google search,” says Rand Fishkin.
What Does the Google API Information Mean for SEO and Digital Marketers?
So, you’ve just learnt about the Google algorithm leak. If you’re wondering, “What’s in it for me?” I’ve got you covered.
1. High-Quality Content Still Matters
Here’s the obvious: high-quality content isn’t going anywhere, and the leaked documents reaffirm this.
Source: AIOSEO
Here’s how you can ensure your content is of high quality:
- Content Optimization: Optimize your content beyond just the keywords. Make sure it aligns with user search intent and has proper internal linking.
- Avoid Content Decay: Over time, content can lose its ranking and traffic—a phenomenon known as content decay. Regularly updating your content is essential to prevent it from becoming outdated.
- Implement E-E-A-T: One way to do this is by optimizing author SEO. Highlight authors with solid expertise and numerous citations across the web to build trust and enhance your content’s authority.
2. Special Whitelists for Critical Content
The algorithm leak highlighted that Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) types of content get a special boost. Google puts extra focus on content related to critical topics like elections and COVID-19 through whitelists. Why? To ensure reliable and accurate information about these topics is prioritized during critical events.
Therefore, if you’re in a field where accurate information is paramount—like healthcare, finance, or law—make sure your content is always factual and trustworthy. This way, you’ll not only stay in Google’s good books but can also provide valuable information to your audience.
“We don’t know how Google uses these classifiers or to what extent they affect your rankings. Still, it’s clear that if your site falls into a YMYL category, you must tailor your SEO strategies to meet the criteria outlined in the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. Specifically, that means building trust with users by creating credible and accurate content from an expert’s point of view,” explains digital marketing expert Neil Patel.
3. Build Site Authority
One of the biggest revelations from the leak is that Google actually uses a “siteAuthority” score to rank websites, a concept it previously denied. While SEO experts have suspected this for years, they’re finally proven right.
Source: AIOSEO
Here are a few ways to build your site’s authority:
- Build a strong brand and get it mentioned across various digital platforms. This helps Google see your brand as trustworthy and valuable, improving search rankings.
- Acquire backlinks from reputable sites. Toxic backlinks can damage your site’s credibility.
- Create comprehensive content clusters that cover topics thoroughly. Interlink these articles to establish your authority in specific subjects, showing Google that your site is a leading resource in your niche.
We’ll Never Know Everything
Google’s algorithm leak was the biggest in its history. But it’s important to remember it’s just a small fragment of a much larger puzzle. The truth is, we’ll never know everything about Google’s algorithms, as they are constantly evolving. While the leak does not change the way we approach SEO, it has given us a better understanding of Google’s algorithm and how we can improve.