Google leaked documents about their algorithm. What to know.

An anonymous source leaked thousands of documents in an unprecedented internal leak back in May 2024. These documents included details about in-depth factors that influence rankings in the SERP (search engine results page). While Google has said not to overreact to outdated or incomplete documentation, they’ve confirmed some of the information to be accurate. Here’s 5 takeaways:

•  Chrome user data affects rankings. Although Google has previously stated they don’t use chrome user data as a factor, this just reenforces that your brand should be prioritizing user experience.

• Fresh content is still priority. You’ll still be rewarded for pushing out high-quality content regularly. It shows both your audience and Google that you are a thought-leader in your field.

• Authors are a thing. Authors can be treated as a factor in ranking. They can look to see if the entity of a page is also an author of a page. Using popular content creators for your niche can help build credibility for your brand and in turn, your rankings.

• Click data is important. Google takes into account various click types in rankings: badClicks, googleClicks, lastlongestClicks and unsquashedClicks. All these click types simply mean that improving click-through-rate and time-on-site metrics are essential.

• YMYL (“Your Money or Your Life”) sites receive special treatment. If your business is critical to saving someones happiness, financial stability or safety, then the focus of your content should be on user trust, credibility and accuracy. Examples include financial services, law firms & medical.

There’s no sure split of which factors are more influential than others. Abiding by up-to-date, best practices is key to remaining an authority in your niche. And remember, SEO is only one element to digital marketing.