{"id":634463,"date":"2024-09-05T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/"},"modified":"2024-09-05T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T13:00:00","slug":"was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"#Was Google\u2019s document \u2018leak\u2019 a strategic move? An SEO theory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a39c837ef5ac\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a39c837ef5ac\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#What_if_the_Google_document_%E2%80%9Cleak%E2%80%9D_was_intentional_Heres_why_it_might_have_been_purposefully_shared_with_industry_experts\" >What if the Google document &#8220;leak&#8221; was intentional? Here\u2019s why it might have been purposefully shared with industry experts.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#If_you_recall%E2%80%A6\" >If you recall\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#Rand_Fishkins_insights\" >Rand Fishkin\u2019s insights<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#Smoking_gun\" >Smoking gun<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#But_seriously_high_level_it_for_me_Rand\" >But seriously, high level it for me, Rand<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#Mike_Kings_insights\" >Mike King\u2019s insights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#My_top_5_takeaways_for_SEOs_from_the_sharing_of_internal_Google_documents\" >My top 5 takeaways for SEOs from the sharing of internal Google documents<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#1_Discovery\" >1. Discovery<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#2_Decipher\" >2. Decipher<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#3_User_experience\" >3. User experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#4_Content\" >4. Content\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#5_Mobile-friendly\" >5. Mobile-friendly<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#Why_you_should_always_test_and_learn\" >Why you should always test and learn\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#NavBoost_highlights\" >NavBoost highlights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/was-googles-document-leak-a-strategic-move-an-seo-theory\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_if_the_Google_document_%E2%80%9Cleak%E2%80%9D_was_intentional_Heres_why_it_might_have_been_purposefully_shared_with_industry_experts\"><\/span>What if the Google document &#8220;leak&#8221; was intentional? Here\u2019s why it might have been purposefully shared with industry experts. <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\nRead it again: there was no leak. The information was shared with industry veterans.<\/p>\n<p>It certainly is a treasure map for SEOs. Solving this puzzle will require our collective insight, critical thinking and analysis \u2013 if that\u2019s even possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Why the pessimism? <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s like when a chef tells you the ingredients to the delicious dish you\u2019ve just consumed. You hurry to note it all down as he turns away. <\/p>\n<p>But when you try recreating the same recipe at home, it\u2019s nowhere near what you experienced at the restaurant.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the same with the Google document \u201cleak.\u201d My perspective is our industry was given the types of ingredients used to determine the top search results, but <strong>no one<\/strong> knows how it\u2019s all put together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Not even the brightest two among us who were <strong>given<\/strong> access to the documentation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-if-you-recall-nbsp\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_you_recall%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>If you recall\u2026\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In May, thousands of internal documents, which <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear to have come from Google\u2019s internal Content API Warehouse, claimed to have been leaked (per publication headlines).<\/p>\n<p>In reality, they were <strong>shared<\/strong> with prominent industry SEO veterans, including Rand Fishkin, SparkToro co-founder. Fishkin outright acknowledged in his article that the information was shared with him.<\/p>\n<p>In turn, he shared the documentation with Mike King, owner of iPullRank. Together and separately, they both reviewed the documentation and provided their own respective POVs in their write-ups. Hence, my take on all of this is that it\u2019s strategic information sharing.<\/p>\n<p>That fact alone made me question the purpose of sharing the internal documentation. <\/p>\n<p>It seems the goal was to give it to SEO experts so they could analyze it and help the broader industry understand what Google uses as signals for ranking and assessing content quality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t pay a plumber to bang on the pipe, you pay them for knowing where to bang.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no leak. An anonymous source wanted the information to be more broadly available.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1524\" height=\"292\" alt=\"Google Search docs\" class=\"wp-image-446265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak.png.webp 1524w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-600x115.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-800x153.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-200x38.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-768x147.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1524px) 100vw, 1524px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak.png.webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1524\" height=\"292\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak.png.webp\" alt=\"Google Search docs\" class=\"wp-image-446265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak.png.webp 1524w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-600x115.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-800x153.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-200x38.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/its-not-a-leak-768x147.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1524px) 100vw, 1524px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Going back to the restaurant metaphor, we can now see all the ingredients, but we don\u2019t know what to use, how much, when and in what sequence (?!), which leaves us to continue speculating.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The reality is we shouldn\u2019t know.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google Search is a product that\u2019s part of a business owned by its parent company, Alphabet.<\/p>\n<p>Do you really think they would fully disclose documentation about the inner workings of their proprietary algorithms to the world? That\u2019s business suicide.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is a taste.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For established SEOs, the shared Google documentation that\u2019s now public sheds light on some of the known ranking factors, which largely haven\u2019t changed:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ranking features: 2,596 modules are represented in the API documentation with 14,014 attributes.<\/li>\n<li>Existence of weighting of the factors.<\/li>\n<li>Links matter.<\/li>\n<li>Successful clicks matter.<\/li>\n<li>Brand matters (build, be known).<\/li>\n<li>Entities matter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s where things get interesting because the existence of some aspects means Google can boost or demote search results:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SiteAuthority \u2013 Google uses it but also denied having a website authority score\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>King\u2019s article has a section called \u201cWhat are Twiddlers.\u201d While he goes on to say there\u2019s little information about them, they\u2019re essentially re-ranking functions or calculations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1470\" height=\"334\" alt=\"Twiddlers\" class=\"wp-image-446266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers.png.webp 1470w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-600x136.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-800x182.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-200x45.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-768x174.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1470px) 100vw, 1470px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1470\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers.png.webp\" alt=\"Twiddlers\" class=\"wp-image-446266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers.png.webp 1470w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-600x136.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-800x182.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-200x45.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/twiddlers-768x174.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1470px) 100vw, 1470px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>King\u2019s article \u201cGoogle only uses the last 20 changes of a URL when analyzing links.\u201d Again, this sheds some light on the idea that Google keeps all the changes they\u2019ve ever seen for a page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1492\" height=\"782\" alt=\"20 changes\" class=\"wp-image-446267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes.png.webp 1492w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-600x314.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-800x419.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-200x105.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-768x403.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1492px) 100vw, 1492px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1492\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes.png.webp\" alt=\"20 changes\" class=\"wp-image-446267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes.png.webp 1492w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-600x314.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-800x419.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-200x105.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/last-20-changes-768x403.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1492px) 100vw, 1492px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both Fishkin and King\u2019s articles are lengthy, as one might expect.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re going to spend time reading through either articles or \u2013 tip of the cap to you \u2013 the documents themselves, may you be guided by this quote by Bruce Lee that inspired me:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbsorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Which is what I\u2019ve done below.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>My advice is to bookmark these articles because you\u2019ll want to keep coming back to read through them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rand-fishkin-s-insights\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rand_Fishkins_insights\"><\/span>Rand Fishkin\u2019s insights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/blog\/an-anonymous-source-shared-thousands-of-leaked-google-search-api-documents-with-me-everyone-in-seo-should-see-them\/\">An Anonymous Source Shared Thousands of Leaked Google Search API Documents with Me; Everyone in SEO Should See Them<\/a>\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I found this part very interesting:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\n\u201cAfter walking me through a handful of these API modules, the source explained their motivations (around transparency, holding Google to account, etc.) and their hope: that I would publish an article sharing this leak, revealing some of the many interesting pieces of data it contained and refuting some \u201clies\u201d Googlers \u201chad been spreading for years.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Google API Content Warehouse exists in GitHub as a repository and directory explaining various \u201cAPI attributes and modules to help familiarize those working on a project with the data elements available.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a map of what exists, what was once used and is potentially currently being used.<\/p>\n<p>Which ones and when is what remains open to speculation and interpretation.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-smoking-gun\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Smoking_gun\"><\/span>Smoking gun<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We should care about something like this that\u2019s legitimate yet speculative because, as Fishkin puts it, it\u2019s as close to a smoking gun as anything since <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/d9\/2023-11\/418021.pdf\"> <\/a><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/d9\/2023-11\/418021.pdf\">Google\u2019s execs testified in the DOJ trial<\/a> last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Speaking of that testimony, much of it is corroborated and expanded on in the document leak, as King <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ipullrank.com\/google-algo-leak\">details in his post<\/a>. \ud83d\udc40<em>\u00a0<\/em>But<\/span> who has time to read through and dissect all that?<\/p>\n<p>Fishkin and King, along with the rest of the SEO industry, will be mining this set of files for years to come. (Including local SEO expert Andrew Shotland.)<\/p>\n<p>To start out, Fishkin focuses on five useful takeaways:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>NavBoost and the use of clicks, CTR, long vs. short clicks and user data.<\/li>\n<li>Use of Chrome browser clickstreams to power Google Search.<\/li>\n<li>Whitelists in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>, COVID-19 and politics.<\/li>\n<li>Employing quality rater feedback.<\/li>\n<li>Google uses click data to determine how to weight links in rankings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s what I found most interesting:<\/p>\n<p><strong>NavBoost is one of Google\u2019s strongest ranking signals<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fishkin cites \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hexdocs.pm\/google_api_content_warehouse\/0.3.0\/GoogleApi.ContentWarehouse.V1.Model.QualityNavboostCrapsCrapsClickSignals.html\">Click Signals In NavBoost<\/a>\u201d in his article, which is where sharing proprietary information is helpful, a lot more of us now know we should be doing our homework on the NavBoost system. Thank you, Rand!<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"230\" alt=\"NavBoost\" class=\"wp-image-446269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost.png.webp 1400w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-600x99.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-800x131.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-200x33.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-768x126.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"230\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost.png.webp\" alt=\"NavBoost\" class=\"wp-image-446269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost.png.webp 1400w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-600x99.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-800x131.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-200x33.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/NavBoost-768x126.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>In case you weren\u2019t aware, that\u2019s coming from Google engineer Paul Haahr. One time, we were in the same conference room together. I feel like I got a tad smarter listening to him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>QRG feedback may be directly involved in Google\u2019s search system<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seasoned SEOs know the QRG is a great source of tangible information for evaluating one\u2019s own site against what Google is asking paid human beings to evaluate quality web results against. (It\u2019s the OG SEO treasure map.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s important about what we learned from this documentation is that quality raters\u2019 feedback might play a direct role in Google\u2019s search system, not just serve as surface-level training data. <\/p>\n<p>This is another reason to carefully read and understand the documentation.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-but-seriously-high-level-it-for-me-rand\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_seriously_high_level_it_for_me_Rand\"><\/span>But seriously, high level it for me, Rand<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Now, for the non-technical folks, Fishkin also provides an overview to marketers in a section titled \u201cBig Picture Takeaways for Marketers who Care About Organic Search Traffic.\u201d It\u2019s great. It covers things that resonate, like:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The importance of \u201cbuilding a notable, popular, well-recognized brand in your space, outside of Google search.\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Large, established and trusted brands are what Google likes to send traffic to, subsequently, in favor of smaller publishers. Who knows, maybe that landscape will shift with the latest August 2024 core update.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He mentions that E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trust) exists, but there are no direct correlations in the documentation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I don\u2019t think that makes those aspects any less important because there are a fair bit of actionable steps a marketer can take to better reflect these quality\/quantity signals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fishkin also points to his research on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sparktoro.com\/blog\/who-sends-traffic-on-the-web-and-how-much-new-research-from-datos-sparktoro\/\">organic traffic distribution<\/a> and his hypothesis that for most SMBs and small website publishers, SEO yields poor returns. \u201cSEO is a big brand, popular domain\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The data doesn\u2019t lie, but the broader context is in line with what former in-house enterprise SEO turned consultant Eli Schwartz says: SEO needs to have a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.productledseo.com\/p\/dont-do-seo-without-product-market\">product-market fit<\/a> because, in my experience, it\u2019s an awareness and acquisition channel, not one for demand creation.<\/p>\n<p>Read Fishkin\u2019s article if you\u2019re a marketer looking to get a basic understanding of the shared documentation.\u00a0King\u2019s article is a lot lengthier and more nuanced for the more seasoned SEOs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mike-king-s-insights\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mike_Kings_insights\"><\/span>Mike King\u2019s insights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ipullrank.com\/google-algo-leak\">Secrets from the Algorithm: Google Search\u2019s Internal Engineering Documentation Has Leaked<\/a>\u201d\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For starters, I completely agree with King here:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\n\u201cMy advice to future Googlers speaking on these topics: Sometimes it\u2019s better to simply say \u2018we can\u2019t talk about that.\u2019 Your credibility matters and when leaks like this and testimony like the DOJ trial come out, it becomes impossible to trust your future statements.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I realize Googlers don\u2019t want to tip their hand by <em>not<\/em> saying something, but when <s>leaks<\/s> strategic sharing of information like this surface, people still draw their own conclusions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that Google uses multiple ranking factors. This documentation pointed to 14,000 ranking features and more, to be exact. King notes this in his article:\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1436\" height=\"344\" alt=\"14K ranking features\" class=\"wp-image-446271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features.png.webp 1436w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-600x144.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-800x192.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-200x48.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-768x184.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1436px) 100vw, 1436px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1436\" height=\"344\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features.png.webp\" alt=\"14K ranking features\" class=\"wp-image-446271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features.png.webp 1436w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-600x144.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-800x192.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-200x48.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/14K-ranking-features-768x184.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1436px) 100vw, 1436px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>King also cites a shared environment where \u201call the code is stored in one place, and any machine on the network can be a part of any of Google\u2019s systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Talk Matrix to me, Neo.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Truthfully, though, King\u2019s thorough post is probably one of those forever-open Chrome tabs I\u2019ll always have.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I did appreciate this high-level section titled \u201cKey revelations that may impact how you do SEO.\u201d\u00a0 This is what those of us skim readers came for.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>King helps SEOs boil the ocean in this section by giving his main takeaways. My personal top takeaways from this section were this:\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\n\u201cThe bottom line here is that you need to drive more <em>successful <\/em>clicks using a broader set of queries and earn more link diversity if you want to continue to rank. Conceptually, it makes sense because a very strong piece of content will do that. A focus on driving more <strong>qualified traffic to a better user experience<\/strong> will send signals to Google that your page deserves to rank.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Then this:\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\n\u201cGoogle does explicitly store the author associated with a document as text.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>So, while E-E-A-T may be nebulous aspects of expertise and authority to score, <em>they are still accounted for<\/em>. That\u2019s enough proof for me to continue advising for it and investing in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, this: (within the <em>Demotions<\/em> section)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\n<strong>\u201cAnchor Mismatch \u2013 <\/strong>When the link does not match the target site it\u2019s linking to, the link is demoted on the calculations. As I\u2019ve said before, Google is looking for relevance on both sides of a link.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Lightbulb moment. In the back of my head, I know the importance of anchor text. But it was good to be reminded of the specific way in which relevance is communicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Internal and external linking can seem like an innocuous technical SEO aspect, but they serve as a reminder of the care required when using links.<\/p>\n<p>See, it is valuable to read other SEO veterans\u2019 evaluations because you just might learn something new.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-my-top-5-takeaways-for-seos-from-the-sharing-of-internal-google-documents\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_top_5_takeaways_for_SEOs_from_the_sharing_of_internal_Google_documents\"><\/span>My top 5 takeaways for SEOs from the sharing of internal Google documents<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019ve heard from the best, now here are my recommendations to websites that want to benefit from sustainable, organic growth and revenue opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Always remember, online, your two primary \u201ccustomers\u201d of your website are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Search engine bots (i.e., Googlebot).<\/li>\n<li>Humans searching for solutions to their problems, challenges and needs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your website needs to be cognizant of both and focus on maintaining and improving these factors:<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-discovery\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Discovery\"><\/span>1. Discovery<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Ensuring your site is crawlable by search engine bots so that it is in the online index.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-decipher\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Decipher\"><\/span>2. Decipher<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Make sure search engines and humans easily understand what each page on your site is about. Use appropriate headings and structure, relevant internal links etc.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yes, I said <strong>each<\/strong> page because people can land on <strong>any<\/strong> page of your website from an online search. They don\u2019t automatically start at the homepage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-user-experience\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_User_experience\"><\/span>3. User experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>UX matters, again, for bots and people.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is a double-edged sword, meaning that the page needs to load quickly (think CWV) to be browsed and the overall user interface is designed to serve the human user\u2019s needs, \u201cWhat is their intent on that page?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A good UX for a bot typically means the site is technically sound and receives clear signals.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-content-nbsp\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Content\"><\/span>4. Content\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What are you known for? These are your keywords, the information you provide, the videos and the demonstrated experience and expertise (E-E-A-T) in your vertical.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-mobile-friendly\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Mobile-friendly\"><\/span>5. Mobile-friendly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s face it, Googlebot looks for the mobile version of your site first to crawl. \u201cMobilegeddon\u201d has been a thing since 2015.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-you-should-always-test-and-learn-nbsp\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_you_should_always_test_and_learn\"><\/span>Why you should always test and learn\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For example, the rankings of exact match domains continue to fluctuate constantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As someone with a background in local SEO search directories, I continue to evaluate whether exact-match domains improve or lose rankings because Google\u2019s advancements in this area interest me.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"335\" alt=\"EMD demotions\" class=\"wp-image-446273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-600x126.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-800x168.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-200x42.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-768x161.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-1536x322.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"335\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions.png.webp\" alt=\"EMD demotions\" class=\"wp-image-446273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-600x126.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-800x168.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-200x42.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-768x161.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/EMD-demotions-1536x322.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\n<strong>\u201cExact Match Domains Demotion \u2013 <\/strong>In late 2012, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sistrix.com\/ask-sistrix\/google-updates-and-algorithm-changes\/google-exact-match-domain-emd-update\/\">Matt Cutts announced<\/a> that exact match domains would not get as much value as they did historically. There is a specific feature for their demotion.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Personally, in my research and observation working with small businesses for keywords with very, very specific and low (10 or less) search volume, I haven\u2019t found this to be an absolute. I may have found an outlier. Ha, or an actual leak.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what I mean: every Saturday in May, a lot of people will want to be in Kentucky at Churchill Downs for the fastest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby.<\/p>\n<p>The rental homes and properties SERP is dominated by marketplace sites, from Airbnb to Kayak to VRBO and Realtor.com. But there\u2019s one hanging on in this pack. In opposition 8, it\u2019s an exact match domain.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"181\" alt=\"Source Ahrefs, Organic Keywords report - 1\" class=\"wp-image-446274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-600x68.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-800x91.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-200x23.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-768x87.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-1536x174.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"181\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1.png.webp\" alt=\"Source Ahrefs, Organic Keywords report - 1\" class=\"wp-image-446274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-600x68.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-800x91.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-200x23.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-768x87.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-1-1536x174.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"126\" alt=\"Source Ahrefs, Organic Keywords report - 2\" class=\"wp-image-446275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-600x47.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-800x63.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-200x16.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-768x60.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-1536x121.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"126\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2.png.webp\" alt=\"Source Ahrefs, Organic Keywords report - 2\" class=\"wp-image-446275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-600x47.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-800x63.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-200x16.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-768x60.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Source-Ahrefs-Organic-Keywords-report-2-1536x121.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Source: Ahrefs organic keywords report<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Has it been demoted? Maybe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also, in its own way, an aggregator site, listing a handful of local rental properties.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So while it\u2019s not a name brand aggregator site, it has hyper-local content and, therefore, may continue to weather the storm.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It could also be a core update away from being bounced onto page 2. Nothing to do but ride it until it bucks you.<\/p>\n<p>Heck, the organic listing above it is ranking for the incorrect location \u201cDerby, NY.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, is Google search perfectly ranking all query types? <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/qHuLE1A8QXQ?si=OCCI1X-nDzLd6FvB\">Neigh<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-navboost-highlights\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NavBoost_highlights\"><\/span>NavBoost highlights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For those who haven\u2019t been paying close enough attention. Meet NavBoost.<\/p>\n<p>The documentation mentioned NavBoost is a <strong>system<\/strong> that employs click-driven measures to boost, demote, or otherwise reinforce a ranking in Web Search.<\/p>\n<p>Various <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blindfiveyearold.com\/what-pandu-nayak-taught-me-about-seo\">sources<\/a> have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thecapitolforum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/101823-USA-v-Google-PM.pdf\">indicated<\/a> that NavBoost is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.buildersociety.com\/threads\/what-can-we-learn-about-seo-from-googles-leaked-documents.4435\/\">\u201calready one of Google\u2019s strongest ranking signals.\u201d<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>The <s>leaked<\/s> shared documentation specifies \u201cNavboost\u201d by name 84 times, with five modules featuring Navboost in the title. That\u2019s promising.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There is also evidence that they contemplate its scoring on the subdomain, root domain and URL level, which inherently indicates they treat different levels of a site differently.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s worth continuing to research and process Google\u2019s patent and use of NavBoost.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s a gift to continue to have great minds in the SEO space like Fishkin and King, who can distill large amounts of documentation into actionable nuggets for us mortals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>None of us know how the data is used or weighted. But we now know a bit more about what\u2019s collected and that it exists as part of the data set used for evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>In my professional opinion, I\u2019ve always taken statements from Google with a grain of salt because, in a way, I\u2019m also intimately familiar with being a brand ambassador for a publicly traded company.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t think any corporate representative is actively trying to be misleading. Sure, their responses can be cryptic at times, but they fundamentally can\u2019t be explicit about any form of internal operating system because it\u2019s core to the business\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One reason why Google\u2019s DOJ testimony is so compelling. But it can be difficult to comprehend. At the very least, Google\u2019s own <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/updates\/core-updates\">Search Central<\/a> documentation is often more succinct.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The shared internal document is the best we\u2019re going in terms of learning what\u2019s actually included in Google\u2019s \u201csecret sauce.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Because we\u2019ll never fully know, my practical advice to practicing SEOs is to take this additional information we now have and to keep testing and learning from it. <\/p>\n<p>After all, Google and all of its algorithms are, in parallel, doing the same along the path of being better than they were the day before.\u00a0\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"about-author\">\n    About the author<\/p>\n<div class=\"information\">\n<div class=\"author-module\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 text-center\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" alt=\"Holly Miller Anderson\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/05\/Holly-Miller-Anderson-338x338.jpg.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/05\/Holly-Miller-Anderson-338x338.jpg.webp\" alt=\"Holly Miller Anderson\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\">\n                                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-9\">\n<div class=\"about\">\n<div class=\"name\">\n                            <strong>Holly Miller Anderson<\/strong>\n                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"row g-2 pt-2\">\n<div class=\"col-auto twitter\">\n                                    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/follow?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearchengineland.com%2F&amp;region=follow_link&amp;screen_name=millertime_baby&amp;tw_p=followbutton&amp;variant=2.0\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-x-twitter\"><\/i><\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n<div class=\"col-auto\">\n                                    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/hollymiller1\/\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hollymilleranderson.com\/\">Holly Miller Anderson<\/a> is an experienced SEO and marketing strategist. She has more than a decade of broad, digital marketing experience that includes marketing films, managing events, as well as experience growing SEO as an acquisition channel in various roles from consultant to agency and in-house Product Manager at enterprise-level brands. She has made a career advising marketers on their holistic SEO strategy by developing a strategic plan and tactical roadmap that delivers sustainable growth. Holly is currently a Lead SEO Product Manager at Under Armour.                   <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-document-leak-seo-theory-446262\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What if the Google document &#8220;leak&#8221; was intentional? Here\u2019s why it might have been purposefully shared with industry experts. Read it again: there was no leak. The information was shared with industry veterans. It certainly is a treasure map for SEOs. Solving this puzzle will require our collective insight, critical thinking and analysis \u2013 if&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":634464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Was-Googles-document-\u2018leak-a-strategic-move-An-SEO-theory.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[26293,78070],"class_list":["post-634463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-google","tag-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}