Google and the search algorithm: truths hidden in leaked documents

Google’s search algorithm is perhaps the most influential system on the Internet, determining the fate of websites and the type of content visible on the web. However, the exact way in which Google classifies sites has always remained shrouded in a shadow of mystery, reconstructed fragment by fragment by journalists, researchers and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) professionals. In recent days, a leak revealed thousands of pages of internal documents. The leak appears to offer an unprecedented glimpse into how Google Search works, suggesting that Google hasn’t been entirely transparent.

According to Rand Fishkin, an SEO veteran, a source shared 2,500 pages of documents with him in the hope that their disclosure would counteract “lies” told by Google about how the search algorithm works. The documents explain Google’s search API and break down the information available to employees, according to Fishkin. The details shared by Fishkin are complex and technical, more understandable for developers and SEO experts than for the general public: in short, the leak describes what data Google collects from web pages, sites and users, offering indirect clues to SEO experts about what Google seems to consider important.

The leaked documents touch on topics like what type of data Google collects and uses, which sites Google favors for sensitive topics like elections, how Google handles small websites, and more. Some information in the documents appears to conflict with public statements from Google representatives. One example cited concerns the use of Google Chrome data in site ranking. Google representatives have repeatedly indicated that they don’t use Chrome data to rank pages by importance, but Chrome is specifically mentioned in sections about how websites appear in searches. Another question mark is the role of the EEAT factor (experience, competence, authority and reliability) in the ranking. Google has said that EEAT is not a ranking factor, but documents show that Google tracks these attributes.

The SEO industry was born because of Google’s algorithm, with experts closely following the company’s public guidelines and implementing them for millions of companies around the world. The pervasive, often annoying tactics have led to a general narrative that Google Search results are getting worse, crowded with questionable content that site operators feel forced to produce to get their sites seen.

The leak offers a deep, if still opaque, look at one of the most influential systems shaping the web. “We urge you not to make inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information,” Google spokesperson Davis Thompson said in an email to The Verge. “We shared insights into how Search works and the types of factors our systems consider, while also working to protect the integrity of our results from manipulation.”