Things could be shaking up on the Internet. News of leaked internal documents from Google has Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts in a tizzy over the potential impact on small businesses and lesser-known blogs.
More than 14,000 ranking factors were revealed earlier this month, based on more than 2,500 source documents posted to GitHub, a popular social networking and project management site for programmers and software developers. It’s unclear if they were posted accidentally. These ranking factor revelations could upset how both web professionals and DIY entrepreneurs approach SEO and paid advertising for years to come, leading to massive changes in an already competitive landscape.
“It’s an unprecedented look into Google’s inner workings that are typically closely guarded,” Mia Sato reported about the leak for The Verge.
Although the documents first hit the public web in March, it wasn’t until two industry influencers dove into the trove that they discovered that many of the ranking factors seemed contradictory to previous statements that Google published about how to gain visibility from its search engine. Some experts have alleged that the company outright “lied,” diminishing its own efforts in recent years to be more transparent about its algorithm.
How Does the SEO Leak Actually Affect Small Businesses?
Amid the controversy, Google confirmed that the documents are real—not an AI-generated gag—but stopped short of confirming that the information contained in them is actually in use.
“With over 90% of the global search engine market, Google's search algorithm acts as a gatekeeper for the majority of people who want to find answers on the web,” wrote Sherin Shibu for Entrepreneur.
That means that 90% of all internet users are using Google to search for products, services, or general life hacks. On top of that, even if a million websites show up in a search, 90% of Googlers only click on the first page of results for their answers. Smaller businesses and blogs, more likely to show up on pages 2, 3, or even 10, may never be seen by customers.
Previously, Google assured the public that its goal was to level the playing field for sites with less traffic but stellar expertise, but the leaked policies seem to be more of a popularity contest, leaning in favor of those sites already crowned King and Queen of their industries. Some smaller sites have complained that their web traffic has been declining for years, and this leak only confirms their suspicions of why.
What Was Revealed in the Leak?
While there isn’t any data on exactly how each of the 14,000+ factors are weighed in ranking results, if at all, the rules revealed go against previously held ideas of how the search engine works. For example, Google employees have denied using a click-based website “authority” score and users’ click history data from the Chrome web browser to promote or demote a website in results.
The documents suggest otherwise. In fact, it seems that a variety of metrics measuring the length of time a reader spends on a page are being strongly considered to categorize the website’s user experience as “badClicks,” “goodClicks,” “lastLongestClicks” and “unsquashedClicks.” With those standards, websites with more bells and whistles like videos, celebrity partnerships, and extensive blogs and article archives are more likely to be promoted above a startup with a great product but minimal online marketing.
If true, policies like those put most small businesses in an insurmountable trench of the web. Whatever the recovery from the leak may be, from Google’s side and among web professionals, when it all settles, “It will likely be one of the biggest stories in the history of SEO and Google Search,” wrote Danny Goodwin for Search Engine Land.
What Does a Small Business Need to Survive the Leak?
Things are definitely in constant flow at Google; it’s expected, given that the company processes some 8.5 billion searches per day. Still, they’ve maintained that, ultimately, it’s not their policy to reveal too much about the algorithm because nefarious “professionals” may use gimmick tactics like keyword stuffing and fake reviews to beat out the small businesses most in need. The click-based theory, for example, could also help small businesses that have a strong following in other parts of the web, like social media.
“We would caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated or incomplete information,” Google spokesperson Davis Thompson told The Verge in an emailed statement responding to the leak.
“We’ve shared extensive information about how Search works and the types of factors that our systems weigh while also working to protect the integrity of our results from manipulation.” However, “Small businesses may find it increasingly difficult to compete in SEO due to the complexity and evolving nature of Google’s algorithms,” wrote David Sobel for Business of Tech.
Google’s recent antitrust trial and AI-based search roll-out that yielded some prank results, such as recommending glue for a pizza recipe, have already prompted calls for greater adjustments to their practices. This is in addition to the tech giant’s Core Update that inspired panic among SEO professionals in 2023 and their somewhat new requirement that websites with a mobile version be properly rendered by July 2024 in order to be indexed for search.
“With the ‘algorithm leaks’ a lot of folks are going to be tempted to lean into a few tactics that they think will disproportionately influence rank,” Head of SEO Brand at Wix, Mordy Oberstein posted on LinkedIn. “But the truth is, it ‘all’ has to work together for the right reasons. There are competing elements [like focusing on relevant links versus user satisfaction] in the algorithm and if you don’t want them to battle for supremacy you need to create some sort of harmony.”
Zoek Marketing CEO, Sam Riemer, agrees. “In the constantly evolving realm of online visibility, small businesses need to simply focus on what makes them unique. Content that is creative, drives engagement, and is just simply interesting will provide more value to consumers and search engines.”
To qualify as a Premier Google Partner, Zoek is evaluated annually to determine its eligibility to be named among the top 3% performers in the country. Performance is based on the growth gained for the company’s clients, the ability to attract new clients, and product diversification, among other factors.
Since our start in 2012, Riemer and co-founder Doug Powell have grown their own small business into an 8-figure agency. With that history in mind, Zoek’s budget-friendly services, like Listing Sync, helps brands similarly achieve relevance, purposefully giving small businesses a big business competitive edge.
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