Google SEO Leak: The Secrets of the Google Algorithm (Finally) Revealed?
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 5:41 am
On May 5, 2024, an anonymous source leaked thousands of internal documents from Google's research team.
These documents revealed not one, not two, but 14,000 ranking factors of the Google algorithm !
A bedside read that captivated our SEO agency .
So, to help you understand Google's SEO leak without having to dissect thousands of pages of code: here is a summary of the 11 key points to remember to know everything about the ranking factors of the Google algorithm.
Why is this data leak a bombshell in the SEO world?
The more than 2,500 leaked internal documents are a wealth of crucial information that sheds light on many of the hypotheses that SEO experts have been making for years about the Google algorithm's ranking criteria .
Although the documents do not reveal the exact weight of each sear africa whatsapp number engine ranking factor , the amount of information provided allows us to list with more certainty the elements necessary to reach the first position on Google .
Some of the ranking system information leaked and analyzed by SEO experts like Rand Fishkin and Mike King contradicts some of Google's public statements through its spokespeople, adding an intriguing twist to this leak.
“This leaked document reveals once again that it is difficult to take Google at its word, highlighting the importance of critical thinking and vigilance in the world of SEO.”
– Florian Valloire , Senior SEO Strategist at Digitad
Here's Rand Fishkin's reaction on social media:
Let’s move on to decrypting the secret information revealed by these internal documen
What are the ranking signals revealed by Google's SEO leak?
11 Key Things to Know About Google Ranking Factors
1) Click data is essential for your ranking on Google
A simple mouse click can influence your page ranking on Google.
The number of clicks on a link in search results allows Google to determine whether the page is of interest to us
Hence the importance of your CTR (Click-Through Rate): the click-through rate on your page in the search results (SERP) is a key indicator of relevance and popularity for your content.
Quick reminder about CTR:
Google not only considers the number of clicks, but also:
Time spent on page after a click : Long clicks, where the user spends a lot of time on the page, are a good signal for Gonversely, short clicks show that the user is dissatisfi
The date of the last good quality click : This helps assess the current relevance of the page.
Where each link clicks come from : Google also analyzes the origin of organic traffic and the type of device used to judge their reliability.
The number of squashed clicks : from untrusted sources unknown to Chromes that could be bots vs. unsquashed clicks from verifiable devices
2) Three levels of page evaluation based on clicks
SEO leak pages evaluation
Google's ranking algorithm classifies pages into three quality levels based on user clicks received and behavior:
High Quality : Lots of device clicks verified by Chrome
Average quality : Some clicks come from unverifiable devices
Low quality : Few or no clicks, no user interactions, link is ignored
3) The importance of Chrome data in ranking factors
In a post-cookie era, SEO leak documents reveal that click data comes primarily from the Chrome browser.
Chrome's built-in NavBoost system helps gain valuable insights into the user journey.
This system was developed to improve the quality of search results.
4) Whitelists for sensitive requests
Documents revealed by the SEO leak indicate that Google applies “whitelists” for certain sensitive sectors in order to ensure the reliability of search results.
These documents revealed not one, not two, but 14,000 ranking factors of the Google algorithm !
A bedside read that captivated our SEO agency .
So, to help you understand Google's SEO leak without having to dissect thousands of pages of code: here is a summary of the 11 key points to remember to know everything about the ranking factors of the Google algorithm.
Why is this data leak a bombshell in the SEO world?
The more than 2,500 leaked internal documents are a wealth of crucial information that sheds light on many of the hypotheses that SEO experts have been making for years about the Google algorithm's ranking criteria .
Although the documents do not reveal the exact weight of each sear africa whatsapp number engine ranking factor , the amount of information provided allows us to list with more certainty the elements necessary to reach the first position on Google .
Some of the ranking system information leaked and analyzed by SEO experts like Rand Fishkin and Mike King contradicts some of Google's public statements through its spokespeople, adding an intriguing twist to this leak.
“This leaked document reveals once again that it is difficult to take Google at its word, highlighting the importance of critical thinking and vigilance in the world of SEO.”
– Florian Valloire , Senior SEO Strategist at Digitad
Here's Rand Fishkin's reaction on social media:
Let’s move on to decrypting the secret information revealed by these internal documen
What are the ranking signals revealed by Google's SEO leak?
11 Key Things to Know About Google Ranking Factors
1) Click data is essential for your ranking on Google
A simple mouse click can influence your page ranking on Google.
The number of clicks on a link in search results allows Google to determine whether the page is of interest to us
Hence the importance of your CTR (Click-Through Rate): the click-through rate on your page in the search results (SERP) is a key indicator of relevance and popularity for your content.
Quick reminder about CTR:
Google not only considers the number of clicks, but also:
Time spent on page after a click : Long clicks, where the user spends a lot of time on the page, are a good signal for Gonversely, short clicks show that the user is dissatisfi
The date of the last good quality click : This helps assess the current relevance of the page.
Where each link clicks come from : Google also analyzes the origin of organic traffic and the type of device used to judge their reliability.
The number of squashed clicks : from untrusted sources unknown to Chromes that could be bots vs. unsquashed clicks from verifiable devices
2) Three levels of page evaluation based on clicks
SEO leak pages evaluation
Google's ranking algorithm classifies pages into three quality levels based on user clicks received and behavior:
High Quality : Lots of device clicks verified by Chrome
Average quality : Some clicks come from unverifiable devices
Low quality : Few or no clicks, no user interactions, link is ignored
3) The importance of Chrome data in ranking factors
In a post-cookie era, SEO leak documents reveal that click data comes primarily from the Chrome browser.
Chrome's built-in NavBoost system helps gain valuable insights into the user journey.
This system was developed to improve the quality of search results.
4) Whitelists for sensitive requests
Documents revealed by the SEO leak indicate that Google applies “whitelists” for certain sensitive sectors in order to ensure the reliability of search results.