Google has confirmed the leak of 2,500 internal documents on Thursday, consisting of crucial data, including, closely gated information on the search ranking algorithm.
The leak was first noted by search engine optimisation (SEO) experts Rand Fishkin and Mike King of The Verge, who requested a response from Google via email. After multiple requests, Davis Thompson, a Google spokesperson confirmed the leak and replied, “We would caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information.”
What does the leaked data reveal?
The leaked data revealed that Google evaluates the number of clicks while allotting ranks for webpages. However, Google has always stated otherwise. According to The Verge report, it is not clear what piece of data detailed are actually used to rank search content, “the information could be out of date, used strictly for training purposes, or collected but not used for Search specifically.”
In response to the claims made by The Verge, Thompson said, “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.”
Google search algorithm has always been a secret to crack, but recent documents and testimony in the US Department of Justice antitrust case have shed light on the signals Google considers when ranking websites.
The decisions Google makes regarding search have a significant impact on everyone who relies on the web for business, from small independent publishers to restaurants and online stores.
