Throughout the history of Google as a search engine, the algorithm determining how pages are ranked in the search results has been a source of endless mystery and frustration. After all, this algorithm holds the key to immeasurable wealth – those who can find their way to the top of the rankings for valuable search terms stand to make untold amounts of money. 

So, it should be no surprise that the recent leak of a massive volume of API documentation has made for huge news in the SEO world. Will this insider information change the game in any meaningful way? Do people who take the time to review the leak carefully have an advantage in the SEO game over those who don’t bother with it? Let’s take a look at those questions and more below. 

Some Contradictions Revealed

Perhaps the most “controversial” point revealed in this leak is the appearance that some of the things Google previously stated do not have an impact on the rankings seem to actually be used. Of course, without knowledge of how they are used, or what importance they bear in the final rankings, it’s difficult to say with any confidence whether or not the advice Google has provided was actually misleading.

For example, it has been suggested in the past that Google doesn’t use any kind of domain authority system, but it does seem to appear in the data. Also, many people have believed throughout the years that longer content was inherently better than shorter pages, but that might not quite be the case. There seems to be a scoring system within the algorithm specifically for shorter content, and it can still rank quite well if it serves the needs of the user. 

Reinforcing Common Beliefs

While it might not make for such splashy headlines, much of what was uncovered through this link simply supported what many SEO professionals already believe to be true. Some of those points include the following –

Good user experience matters. Sites should be focused on delivering an excellent experience to their visitors, which will be represented by things like solid click-through rates and longer visits. Trying to optimize for those measures is nothing new but it does seem to matter.

Bad links are a problem. Site owners should be concerned if they are picking up too many questionable links from shady sites. It’s likely a good practice to disavow those links formally with Google to add a layer of separation between a legitimate site that aims to rank for competitive searches and the spammy sites that are linking to it. 

It’s important to stay current. It does appear, as many have believed, that it’s important to have fresh content on a website. There are many ways to achieve this, including through reporting on current events, adding to a blog regularly, and updating content pages with new information or links. 

Tremendous Complexity

Stepping back from the practical application of what can be learned and how it can be used to rank higher, there is something else that can be seen in this leak – ranking the entire internet is an unbelievably complicated challenge. This leak surely represents just a tiny sliver of what Google has in place to rank websites and their pages, and it is still quite complex and difficult to digest. It’s a massive task to figure out which pages are going to best satisfy the needs of the searcher, and this is one of the best glimpses to date of just how Google goes about tackling that challenge. 

Change is Ongoing in SEO

In the end, it’s hard to say whether or not this information leak will have any meaningful impact on the world of search. After all, while there are interesting bits of data to be pulled from these pages, there is still much that is not known about how these APIs are used, which ones are the most important in search rankings, and much more. And, since it’s all out in the public, it would be hard to find a competitive advantage, as anyone can use the information as they see fit. For publishers, continuing to deliver content that serves a specific audience as effectively as possible is likely to remain the recommended plan moving forward.