Google Algo Leaked: SEO World Unphased
Google Algo Leaked: SEO World Unphased
Google Algo Leaked: SEO World Unphased
A whistleblower, who alleges Google is lying, released some documentation on algorithm variables. Lying could be an overstatement. Multi-billion dollar corporations do not speak with one voice, sometimes PR managers have no idea what engineers are building. Yes, Google uses your data to better predict what you and others like you prefer. Yes, they get gobs of data from Google Chrome. Spying, Analyzing? Tomayto, tomahto. The precise weighting and code can’t be known for sure, but some long-held suspicions are more confirmed today than last time you got a report.
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Clicks are an awesome signal. We need to match search intent before they get to the page. Clicks, no clicks, short clicks, longest clicks. All inform.
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Content is evaluated at the page, subdirectory, and domain level. All are important. On-page remains the fastest path to signaling relevance, and now we have a more specific name for that variable: pageQuality (PQ). The neighborhood your content lives in is evaluated mathematically, and the stuff closest to your page IS a factor. Therefore…
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Site architecture matters. Google seems to analyze not just file paths but navigation and interlinking to evaluate topic modeling of 1) your whole website and 2) the neighborhood of pages most relevant to the page being scored.
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Last 20 page versions are stored. New headlines and meta titles to better match searcher intent are a tried and true SEO tactic, but there are mechanisms in place to evaluate what is a performative content revision. Fixing typos and updating figures is generally a net positive, as is organizing content for clarity and conciseness. Distancing yourself from underperforming content could be a matter of perseverance (commit to 21 updates?) or beginning anew.
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Authorship matters. For the most competitive content, tying it to a human being is a strong signal to Google that this information is credible.
Our formula remains: identify the keywords a high-intent searcher is likely to use on their way to doing business with you and build a content strategy with those topics in the center.
