Exposing Google’s Algorithm: The Truth About SEO
On March 13, 2024, thousands of internal documents from Google were unexpectedly leaked via GitHub, offering an unprecedented look into the tech giant’s algorithm. By May 5, former Google employee Erfan Azimi stepped forward, reaching out to SEO industry leader Rand Fishkin—founder of Moz.com and SparkToro—to discuss the motivation behind the leak. This event has sparked intense debate and provided shocking insights into Google’s inner workings, especially around SEO practices.
These documents reveal far more complexity than previously believed, suggesting Google’s algorithm uses over 14,000 factors—a staggering leap from the long-assumed 200. Several notable SEOs, including Rand Fishkin, Mike King, and Search Engine Land, have analyzed the findings, shedding light on revelations that both affirm and contradict years of SEO advice from Google representatives like John Mueller and Gary Illyes.
The leaking of these documents was a highly unexpected betrayal of the search giant, given how meticulous they are with safe guarding the true components of their algorithm. Many of the revelations directly contradict many of the statements that Google mouthpiece’s like John Muehler and Gary Illyes have made over the years.
The Truth About Link Building: Google’s Mixed Signals
For years, Google representatives downplayed the significance of link building, often saying it was a lesser priority in their algorithm. Gary Illyes even stated publicly that links matter less than ever. Roger Montii of Search Engine Journal reported on Illyes’ stance, capturing Google’s message to the SEO community: “Links aren’t as important as you think.”
However, seasoned SEO professionals and digital marketers saw different results in practice. High-quality, relevant links consistently proved beneficial in improving search performance. Many businesses invested heavily in link-building strategies, some dedicating million-dollar budgets solely to generating authoritative backlinks. The leaked documents confirmed these observations, showing that Google does prioritize authoritative links from high-quality sources, especially fresh links from recent content. This reality directly contradicts Google’s public claims, reinforcing the importance of ongoing link acquisition for SEO success.
Moreover, the documents revealed that Google uses an internal “siteAuthority” score—a ranking factor that Google has repeatedly denied exists. John Mueller explicitly stated in 2020, “Google doesn’t use Domain Authority in our ranking.” Yet the leaked data suggests otherwise, revealing Google uses a domain-wide authority metric, likely informed by backlinks and possibly elements of EEAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
Clicks and User Behavior: The Hidden Ranking Factors
Google has long refuted the notion that user-centric metrics, such as click-through rates (CTR) and bounce rates, impact its rankings. SEOs often face skepticism when recommending strategies to improve CTR, despite clear evidence that engagement influences visibility. For example, our Click-Through Rate Analysis identifies underperforming pages with high impressions but low clicks, helping clients target optimization efforts more effectively.
The leaked documents reveal a trove of Google’s own internal user metrics, including badClicks, goodClicks, lastLongestClicks, and unsquashedClicks—metrics that appear to measure user satisfaction with search results. Furthermore, the documents suggest that Google monitors and evaluates these clicks, contrary to public claims. During the recent U.S. vs. Google antitrust trial, former Google software engineer Eric Lehman testified that user clicks play a significant role in rankings. Evidence presented at trial also exposed “NavBoost,” a system that tracks downstream clicks—originally captured by the PageRank Toolbar—to understand user behavior.
These revelations support what many SEOs have suspected: user actions do impact rankings, and Google’s claims to the contrary are misleading.
A Shift in Perspective: Trust but Verify
Google’s historical messaging often seems to obscure or minimize effective SEO strategies, from link building to user behavior metrics. While it may be convenient for Google to downplay tactics that drive organic traffic, this leak is a reminder that SEOs and marketers should test and verify all Google guidance. Google’s interests, after all, align primarily with their shareholders and advertisers—not necessarily with the businesses and websites vying for organic visibility.
For SEOs, this is a call to action to continue leveraging strategies that work, even if they counter Google’s public statements. At the end of the day, our commitment lies with our clients’ success, not in adhering to Google’s narrative. The leaked documents underscore the importance of using a data-driven approach, continually validating and refining strategies to drive traffic and revenue, regardless of what Google’s spokespeople might say.
Conclusion: SEO Moving Forward
The Google leak represents a pivotal moment for SEO, peeling back layers of the world’s most influential algorithm and challenging established beliefs. This newfound transparency offers SEOs an opportunity to refine their approach, basing decisions on real insights rather than public statements alone. While Google will continue to be a key player in digital marketing, the path forward is clear: test, verify, and adapt. Embracing a rigorous, evidence-based strategy will help SEOs navigate an increasingly complex search landscape and deliver measurable results for their clients and companies.
Additional References:
SparkToro
IPullRank
SearchEngineLand