17 Leaked Google Ranking Algorithm Insights: Practical Summary (May 2024)

The top priority for all WordPress bloggers is to secure the top spot on Google. The traffic difference between ranking at the very top and not is massive! To claim that top position, understanding Google’s ranking algorithm is essential. In May 2024, a document detailing how Google determines rankings was leaked on GitHub. Here’s a concise summary of the key points. Must-read!

Summary of 11 Key Points from the Leaked Google Ranking Algorithm

With the leak of Google’s internal documents, several interesting facts about Google’s search algorithm have come to light. These documents contain important information related to Google’s ranking system, and here is a summary of 11 major points that contradict some of what Google has previously stated.

• This summary and interpretation are based on a post from the iPULLRANK blog about the Google algorithm leak. Please refer to the original for detailed information!

1. There is no such thing as domain authority

Google has repeatedly claimed that it does not use “domain authority,” but in reality, it uses a metric called “siteAuthority.” This is used to evaluate the overall authority of a website and can influence Google’s search results.

→ As expected, backlinks matter, and branding is king!

2. Clicks are not used for ranking

Google says it does not use click data for ranking, but there is a click-based ranking system called NavBoost. NavBoost uses click signals to boost or lower web search results by analyzing click logs to reflect user behavior.

→ Sites with even one more click rank better. Popups! Buttons!

3. There is no sandbox

Google claims that new websites are not isolated in a so-called ‘sandbox,’ but there is a system using a “hostAge” attribute that sandboxes fresh spam. This means new websites or content can be restricted in rankings for a certain period.

→ It really existed? OMG..

Chrome data is not used for ranking

Google says it doesn’t use Chrome data, but metrics related to Chrome views are included in the page quality score. This suggests that user activity in the Chrome browser can affect search rankings.

→ They use Chrome cookies to reflect rankings. We’ve all been monitored. Haha.

5. Google’s ranking system architecture

Google’s algorithm consists of multiple microservices, each responsible for specific functions. For example, Trawler handles web crawling, Alexandria manages core indexing, and Mustang deals with main scoring and ranking. These systems work together to generate search result pages.

→ Various elements combine to calculate rankings.

6. Twiddler ranking system

Twiddler is a re-ranking feature that runs after Google’s main search algorithm, Ascorer. It works like filters and actions, adjusting information retrieval scores or changing ranks. For example, it can restrict results to only certain types.

→ I don’t really get what this means.

7. How the Panda algorithm works

The Panda algorithm is Google’s content quality evaluation system that identifies low-quality content and downgrades it in search results. Panda scores sites or pages based on user behavior and external link signals, then adjusts rankings accordingly.

→ Not sure exactly what Panda is, but basically it scores based on user behavior + backlinks.

8. Indexing layers affect link value

Google’s index is divided into multiple layers based on importance. The top layers contain important and frequently updated content, while lower layers have less important content. Links from pages in the top layers are valued higher because they’re considered more trustworthy and significant.

→ Good to have many frequently updated and well-managed pages!

9. Page titles are still measured against queries

Google measures how well a page’s title matches the user’s query. The titleMatchScore is a score showing how well the page title fits the query. This is an important factor in how search engines determine page relevance.

→ That’s why Mingi’s snippet strategy works so well.

10. Site embedding is used to measure topic alignment of pages

Google uses a technique called vector embedding to measure how well a page’s topic aligns with the site’s overall theme. It evaluates how focused a site is on a specific topic and how much a page deviates from that topic.

→ Oh yeah! What WPlaybook said was right. There is a score that measures how specialized a blog is on a certain topic.

11. Special flag for small personal sites

Google uses a flag to identify “small personal sites.” This helps determine how these sites are treated in search results. For example, if a small personal site meets certain criteria, it can be either boosted or downgraded in rankings. This helps Google assess the quality and trustworthiness of small sites.

→ There is a system in the ranking algorithm that specifically takes care of small personal sites.

12. Author information is a ranking factor!

Google stores author information related to a document as text. It determines whether an entity on the page is the author. This is used as an important factor to evaluate the page’s credibility. For example, the reliability of authors is assessed for news articles or scientific papers, which can affect the page’s ranking.

→ See that!? WPlaybook’s author info template! The more accurate the author info, the better. Use real names and add your photo if possible.

13. Algorithmic downgrades (Anchor mismatch, SERP downgrade, Nav downgrade, Exact match domain downgrade, etc.)

Google adjusts page rankings using various algorithmic downgrade factors, such as:

• Anchor mismatch: When the anchor text of a link doesn’t match the target page, the page is downgraded.
• SERP downgrade: Downgrades based on factors observed in search results pages.
• Nav downgrade: Downgrades applied to pages with navigation issues.
• Exact match domain downgrade: Exact match domains are valued less than before.

→ Don’t ignore these in SEO tools. Fix the issues when they come up as feedback.

14. Short content is scored for originality

Google evaluates the originality of short content and assigns a score. The OriginalContentScore reflects the uniqueness of short content and is used to assess content quality.

-> Oh, if it’s short, they check whether it overlaps with other documents!

15. Importance of dates

Google evaluates various date-related information on a page, such as:

bylineDate: The date stated on the page

• bylineDate: The date stated on the page
• syntacticDate: Date extracted from the URL or title
• semanticDate: Date derived from the content of the page

This information is used to assess the freshness of the page and provide up-to-date results in search.

-> Dates matter! That’s why the WPlaybook theme automatically updates the modified date when changes are made.

16. YMYL (Your Money Your Life) pages receive specific scores

Google assigns specific scores to YMYL pages. YMYL pages provide important information related to health, finance, etc., and Google places special emphasis on the quality and trustworthiness of such pages. There are classifier scores for YMYL Health and YMYL News.

-> When writing about finance or health, author information is especially scrutinized. Be careful. To write about these topics, you must send clear signals that you are qualified—such as personal stories or success cases.

17. Existence of Gold Standard documents

Google uses a flag to identify “Gold Standard” documents. These are human-labeled documents, contrasted with automatically annotated ones. Such documents have higher credibility and can receive greater weighting in search results.

-> When a real person judges, “This site is good,” that score sticks forever. What does this mean? Branding! You have to be big and handsome!

That concludes the explanation of the key points revealed in Google’s internal documents. This information can be very important when formulating SEO strategies and helps you gain a deeper understanding of how Google’s search algorithm works. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to ask anytime.