Leaked Google Data Reveals the Truth Behind 5 SEO Myths

In May, data, supposedly leaked from Google, provided a peek into how Google ranks websites. This data contradicts some of Google’s public statements and reveals important truths about how the Google algorithm operates.

The leaked data suggests that there is a metric called “siteAuthority,” which measures a website’s relevance to a specific industry.

This contradicts Google’s public claims that there is no such metric, and it suggests that Google does consider website authority in its ranking algorithms.

AI Content is NOT Treated the Same as Human Content

Google has publicly stated that AI-generated content is treated the same as human-generated content, as long as it meets the EEAT guidelines. However, the leaked data reveals that this is not entirely true.

The leaked data shows that Google identifies AI-generated content using a flag labeled “golden,” which indicates that human-generated content is preferred.

This suggests that Google may be penalizing websites that rely heavily on AI-generated content, despite their claims otherwise.

Linking to High Authority Sites DOES Impact Your Website’s Ranking

Google has denied that linking to high-authority websites improves your website's ranking. However, the leaked data reveals that Google does have a scoring system for references and citations.

The leaked data mentions metrics like “outlinkDomainRelationship” and “outlinkScore,” which evaluate the value of the external websites your website links to.

This suggests that Google does consider the authority of linked websites when ranking websites, contrary to their public statements.

Google DOES Prefer Fresh Content

Google has publicly denied that there is a preference for fresh content. However, the leaked data reveals that Google does have over 100 attributes related to content freshness.

Attributes like “adjustmentinfo, date,” “timeAnnotations,” and “timeSensitivity” are used to track how fresh the content of a webpage is.

This suggests that Google does consider content freshness when ranking websites, and that keeping your content updated is crucial for SEO success.

Backlinks ARE Important

Google has downplayed the importance of backlinks in recent years, suggesting that they will become less of a factor in the future. However, the leaked data reveals that Google has over 120 attributes focused on inbound links.

Attributes like “linkWeight,” “NumBackwardLinksInWoS,” and “linkData” indicate that Google still considers backlinks to be an important ranking factor.

This is a significant finding for SEO, and it suggests that building high-quality backlinks remains crucial for website ranking.

How This Leak Impacts Your SEO Strategy

The leaked data provides valuable insights into how Google’s ranking algorithm operates. It reveals that Google may be more sophisticated and nuanced in its ranking methods than they publicly acknowledge. This data suggests that many SEO practices that have worked for years, such as building backlinks and keeping content fresh, remain important for website ranking.

While it is difficult to know the exact weight of these factors in Google's algorithm, this leak should encourage SEOs to continue focusing on strategies that have been proven effective over time.