The biggest talking point in the SEO world right now is undoubtedly the big Google leak that SEO veterans Rand Fishkin and Mike King made public on May 27. Let’s dive into what we know so far and how this could impact SEO going forward.
Background: Google’s secrecy
Google, like other search engines, has always been secretive about its ranking factors – the mechanisms that determine a website’s position in search results. The reason is simple: if these algorithms were made public, it would be easy to manipulate your way to better positions, which would reduce the search engine’s credibility.
Despite this, Google has been clear about its goal: to deliver the most relevant answers possible to users’ questions. They have continuously communicated various areas that website owners should consider, such as speed and user experience, content quality, and authority signals.
About the Google leak
On May 27, Rand Fishkin and Mike King released details of a massive Google leak. It all began when someone at Google accidentally posted parts of internal documentation about the search engine’s ranking factors on GitHub. This documentation, which includes 2,500 pages and 14,014 attributes, was copied and handed over to Fishkin in the hopes of spreading the information.
What Does the Documentation from the Google Leak Contain?
The leaked information provides insights into the data Google uses to rank websites. Among other things, it confirms the use of click data, something Google previously denied. However, it does not specify how different ranking factors are weighted, leaving much to speculation.
Lessons from the Google leak
We are still in the analysis stage, but some important insights have already emerged:
- Domain rating/authority exists: Despite Google’s previous denials, the documentation shows that something called “siteAuthority” is used, which points to an authority signal that affects the entire site.
- Click and user behavior matters: The documentation mentions a system, Navboost, that evaluates user behavior as part of the ranking process. This confirms that click-through rate and user behavior play a role in ranking.
- Links are still important: Links from strong and relevant sites continue to be an important ranking factor. The documentation suggests different levels of quality rating for links.
What does the Google leak mean for SEO?
For SEO experts, this leak is a goldmine of information that can help them better understand and optimize against Google’s algorithms. Here are some practical tips based on the leak:
- Continue to build authority: Links from strong and relevant sites are still critical. Build links and referrals to your website to strengthen its authority.
- User Experience Optimization: Create click-friendly links in search results and ensure that users stay and consume the content on your page. This improves both the user experience and your rankings.
- Experiment and test: Despite what Google says, keep testing and building your own hypotheses. Google will never reveal its secret recipes, so trust the data from your own experiments.
Google or SEO experts: who to trust?
Both Google and SEO experts have their own agendas. Google wants to protect its algorithms to maintain credibility and ad dollars, while SEO experts want to prove their expertise to help clients rank higher in search results.
Listen to Google when they talk about their ambitions and how they want to solve users’ problems. When it comes to what actually works, it’s wise to follow experts who have analyzed real data, especially when their theories contradict what Google claims.
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