Google Algorithm (API) Leak

The Scoop

By now, I'm sure some of you may have heard on March 13 documents from Google’s internal Content API, were released on Github by an automated bot called yoshi-code-bot. The source would later oust himself as Erfan Azimi, of EA Eagle Digital. He shared the documents with Rand Fishkin, SparkToro co-founder, and Michael King of iPullRank, and the news spread like wildfire!

Since the noise has died down a bit, I wanted to share my thoughts, and also share how the industry is responding. My name is Gabriel Baca and I’ve worked in SEO and Digital Marketing for a little over 7 years. Currently, Sr. SEO Specialist at V Digital Services in Phoenix Arizona, and Owner at Digital Valley 360.

What Do We Know:

• Google Has Confirmed the Leak: The documents are 100% real.
• Current: The information is accurate as of March 2024.
• Ranking Features: 2,596 modules are represented in the API documentation with over 14k attributes. Most of them are ranking factors but NOT all.
• Weighting: The documents do not specify how the ranking features are weighted – just that they exist.

Some Key Takeaways for SEO:

Without getting lost in the noise, the main point here is that the leak didn't provide any new information for ranking factors. Indeed there was much to learn, and a lot of insight into the Confirmed Google Ranking Features. But for those of us deep into SEO - if anything, it just confirms that Google Search Liaisons aren’t transparent about what factors affect rankings.

Protecting Their IP:

A quote by Google insider Gary Illyes suggests Backlinks are “less important” to SEO in 2024, but their own documentation contradicts this. Of course, he would soon retract this statement with “I shouldn’t have said that… I definitely shouldn’t have said that.” But, I believe he may have just been speaking about what's to come for SEO in the future and perhaps not what’s currently in motion. (probably way off here lol)

It’s not just Backlinks, however. Domain Authority, Click-Though-Rate (CTR), Seed Sites, Chrome Data for Ranking Signals, and more. It seems harsh perhaps to call it outright lies, and of course, we know that Google has to protect its proprietary information. There must be, however, a better way to communicate to those of us who work on this based on data. It's all math after all! If we see, for instance, that 2+2 = 4 but Google responds and says “Sorry, it’s actually 2+2 = 5" we start scratching our heads a bit.

SEO Is Evolving Away From Google Search To Cross-Channel Optimization (CCO):

I’m probably going to get some feedback for this one, but I do believe that SEO is changing into more of a broad approach - optimizing all marketing channels not just Google Search. What do I mean? Rand Fishkin listed “Branding” as his #1 takeaway for SEO coming out of this news. And I agree 100%. His comment was to “build a notable, popular, well-recognized brand in your space, outside of Google search”. But why? With recent Google Algorithm leaks, updates, etc. chasing these or trying to gain insight into what Google’s thinking can prove volatile and fruitless for SEOs and business owners.

Branding Is King, Not Content:

Of course, these two are related but it is a catchy header! Since the rules are laid bare for everyone to see, how then do businesses stay competitive? By actually connecting with their target audience to continue driving organic traffic! Step one here then becomes, Identifying Your Target Audience - and that’s Branding 101. SEOs are uniquely positioned to understand this at scale due to the large amounts of keyword research and competitor analysis we do daily. We have a deep-level understanding of keyword intention across multiple vertices or businesses, and we use this heavily when considering brand voice and tone for clients.

Helpful Content & Off-Page SEO Take Center Stage:

Creating authentic, engaging, and helpful content drives a good brand forward! Connecting with your audience across multiple channels to promote a seamless customer journey is at the heart of Helpful Content. It begins by breaking the traditional siloed approach to agency marketing and bringing all marketing efforts together under the banner of SEO now more closely aligned with Cross-Channel Optimization (CCO). Therefore, I believe that Brand Mentions, Social Media Campaign Management, PR, and Backlinks (Off-Page SEO) will take priority in SEO campaigns in 2024 and beyond!

More News Coming Soon:

We’ve not heard the last of this news and I expect this to continue to have a significant impact throughout the year. So, buckle up! It’s a great time for Digital Marketing and SEO! Follow Digital Valley 360 for more updates. Thanks for reading!