In early May 2024, the SEO world was rocked by a leak of internal Google API documents, revealing the inner workings of its (once highly secretive) search algorithm.
Today’s edition discusses the recent Google SEO Leak, which revealed contradictions in their algorithm claims.
Our guests include Michael King, who did the initial analysis of the leak, and industry veterans AJ Khon, Daniel Foley Carter, and DesignRush’s own SEO Director, Robin Fishley.
Tune in to the show to learn:
- A first-hand account of how the Google SEO leak was discovered by Mike King
- The details and implications the leak will have on SEO practices
- The short-term and long-term effects on businesses and Google's possible response
Who Are the Panelists?
Michael King is a top technical SEO and marketing expert. His company, iPullRank, excels in SEO and creative content.
AJ Kohn is a leading SEO and digital marketing strategist. His blog, Blind Five Year Old, is a must-read for SEO professionals.
Daniel Foley Carter is an SEO consultant with over a decade of experience, known for his practical and technical expertise.
Robin Fishley, an SEO veteran, leads DesignRush with a strategic vision and deep expertise in SEO.
A Timeline Of the Google Search Algorithm Leak
The saga kicked off on March 10, 2024, when Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable teased major revelations.
Soon after, an anonymous Reddit post dropped a goldmine of Google’s internal docs, exposing how the search giant's algorithms work.
Michael ‘Mike’ King, CEO and founder of iPullRank and the man behind the initial analysis of the leak, revealed that Dan Petrovich first found the documents on May 7th and reported them to Google.
But before Google could act, Irfan Azimi shared the documents with Rand Fishkin, who then brought them to Mike. By March 12, Mike and Rand had published detailed breakdowns, setting the SEO world on fire.
Mike explained in the DesignRush Roundtable:
"What then happened was this guy named Irfan Azimi, he reached out to RandFishkin, because he had separately become aware of the leak and sent it to Rand."
"And then Rand reached out to me. He was like, Mike, this is crazy. I'm not technical enough to figure this out. Look at this with me. And I look at it, and I'm like, this is amazing."
"This is a lot of the things that we've always wanted to know."
Google search is one of the most secretive, closely-guarded black boxes in the world. Well, maybe not anymore.
— Rand Fishkin (follow @randderuiter on Threads) (@randfish) May 28, 2024
In the last quarter century, no leak of this magnitude or detail has ever been reported from Google’s search division. If you're in #SEO, you should probably see this. pic.twitter.com/JxEs55IV21
What We Learned About the Google Algorithm Leak
The leak confirmed that Google’s algorithms heavily favor sites with high Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T).
Mike noted that:
- Sites with higher E-A-T scores saw a 20-30% boost in rankings
- High E-A-T sites had a 25% higher likelihood of ranking in the top 10 search results
Moreover, documents showed that user behavior metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and dwell time are major ranking factors.
AJ explained that if a site’s actual CTR outperforms the expected rate, it’s likely to climb higher in the rankings.
For instance, pages with CTRs above 10% were 50% more likely to rank in top positions.
"We were playing a game of poker with Google, essentially, as SEOs. You know, when there are three suited cards when you hit the turn and I stare down Google and say, do you have a flush? I do not expect them to tell me the truth, right?"
"Like they're not going to tell me what's in their hand because that's, they're trying to win. They're trying to, you know, maintain their pot," AJ stated.
![Mike King's Analysis of the Google Search Algorithm Leak | Source: iPullRank Screenshot from Mike King's analysis on the Google search algorithm leak | source: ipullrank](https://media.designrush.com/tinymce_images/629383/conversions/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-17.26.25-content.jpg)
Click Manipulation Is a Double-Edged Sword
Later in the discussion, Daniel admitted to experimenting with click manipulation to see its effects after Rand Fishkin put out a call a few years back. He confirmed that while it can work, it’s a risky and resource-heavy strategy.
Mike added that Google is always fighting click fraud, using advanced methods to spot and block fake clicks, while Robin pointed out that click manipulation is still prevalent today.
"I mean, there's plenty of evidence that click manipulation is still happening and it's happening at a robot level and a human level. So people are buying clicks and then they're getting people, they're paying people to click their results and they're expecting their results to get better," Robin explains.
What’s the Impact Of the Google Search Algorithm Leak?
This may come as no surprise, but the leak has major implications for businesses of all sizes.
Mike highlighted that larger brands benefit from natural advantages in user engagement and link acquisition, often leaving smaller sites in the dust.
Robin agreed with this, noting that Google’s algorithms tend to favor established brands, making it harder for smaller players to compete. Again, not much of a surprise there.
For small businesses, the road ahead is looking pretty rough.
And, the consensus seems to be that they might need to shift their focus to other channels like social media and email marketing, where they can have more control and visibility.
![Gary Ilyes on Using Click Rankings at Google | source: iPullRank Gary Ilyes famously quoted saying “using clicks directly in rankings would be a mistake” | source: iPullRank](https://media.designrush.com/tinymce_images/629627/conversions/Gary-Illys-on-Using-Click-Rankings-content.jpg)
The Short and Long-Term Effects
In the short term, the leak serves as a wake-up call for the SEO community.
AJ mentioned that he hopes it will push SEOs to take a more comprehensive approach, focusing on user experience (UX) and behavior metrics.
Daniel emphasized the importance of constant testing and adapting strategies to stay in line with Google’s evolving algorithms, while Mike predicted that Google would keep an eye on SEO tactics and tweak its algorithms to counteract any manipulative behaviors.
Meanwhile, we all expect Google will likely stay mum on the leak, focusing on refining its search engine, and, likely hoping this all blows over.
Big picture takeaway from the recent Google ranking signal leak -
— The Boring Marketer (@boringmarketer) June 4, 2024
Google identifies and favors entities aka “brands” that dominate the web
AND have built a brand OUTSIDE of Google search.
You need to start doing this now: pic.twitter.com/eIwc10K7AM
SEO Advice for Business Owners
For business leaders, the takeaway is clear.
Focus on:
- Quality
- User experience
- Building a strong and authoritative online presence
Invest in content that genuinely adds value to users and maintain a diversified digital marketing strategy. Remember, in the sage words of AJ Kohn, “SEO is a user-facing discipline.” Focus on your users, and the rankings will follow.
Be sure to check out the full DesignRush Roundtable on Spotify.