Google lied to us (again): The truth behind Googles leaked documents
So, what happened?
Let us step you through it in simple terms. Thousands of pages of documents leaked onto the internet told us a lot about how Google determines where your website will rank based on its highly secretive algorithm.Some of these factors we’ve always known, but others mentioned within the leaked doc have been previously publicly denied by Google themselves. So – what can we learn from this rare leak from behind the Google walls.
TL;DR - your metadata, post click engagement and Domain Authority have always been important to your Google rankings, despite Google themselves telling us they’re not.
Click ‘em to win ‘em
We’ve always known that clicks help your ranking, but through the leak we know what happens after the click is equally as important. We now know that all clicks aren’t same – and we now have categories in ‘bad’, ‘good’ and the goal click, ‘unicorn’. A bad click is one we already know all too well - spammy, with a low engagement rate and session time. ‘Good’ clicks lead to engaged users, but what we are continuing to investigate is what makes a ‘unicorn’ click.
This focus on post click engagement more closely mimics the social media algorithms – where ensuring users stay and engage versus click and bounce (back to the SERP) is more important in the search than we’ve previously been led to believe.
Authority has always been king
One of the most eye-opening revelations from the leaked Google documents is the existence of "siteAuthority." Despite Google's repeated denials of using domain authority as a ranking factor, the leaked documents confirm that site authority does play a significant role in determining your search rankings. This means that building and maintaining a credible, authoritative site is more critical than ever.
Chrome's Secret Powers
One of the most surprising discoveries from the leaked Google documents is how user data from Chrome influences search rankings. The documents reveal that metrics gathered from Chrome users—like page views and user behaviour—play a crucial role in determining your site's ranking. This means optimising your site for Chrome users could be more important than ever. By ensuring a seamless, engaging experience for your Chrome visitors, you stand to give your site a significant boost in Google's eyes. It seems making Chrome users happy can also make Google happy!
Author! Author! How Fresh is Your Content?
Google has long downplayed the impact of metadata on your search ranking, however this leak has revealed several metadata factors that have a concrete impact. The documents indicate that Google considers factors like content freshness (via meta content dates), authorship, whether a page is related to a site's central focus and alignment between page title and content all impact your rank.
So what now?
While the Google leak has confirmed a lot of information on how Google determines it’s rankings, SEO’s are still in the dark on how much weighting it places on these factors. One thing is quite clear: SEO is everywhere, metadata, what users click on, who the author is, the date and even the browser you are using are all or will be factors that your SEO will have to consider.
You may be thinking, with all of these new insights, how do you keep on top of all of these changes in an ever evolving SEO landscape? Speak with us at Oversite, we can help you identify new opportunities for your website success. Click the link below for an obligation free demonstration of our Independent Digital Audit.
