Google API Leak: Top 11 Insights

A recent leak of Google’s internal API documentation revealed the closely guarded mechanisms behind its search algorithms. The leak exposed more than 14,000 ranking signals, offering valuable insights into how Google evaluates websites and ranks search results.

For digital marketers and SEO specialists, this provides a rare opportunity to understand the intricate details of Google’s ranking systems and rethink strategies accordingly.

The leak’s information challenged some long-held beliefs and confirmed others, shedding light on concepts like topical authority, user interaction metrics and the role of machine learning in search rankings.

We’ll explore the top 11 insights from the Google API documentation leak that every marketer needs to know.

What is the Google API Leak?

The Google API leak is the accidental release of thousands of pages of internal documentation related to Google’s search algorithms. Between March and May 2024, a vast amount of sensitive information was made public on GitHub, providing a rare glimpse into how Google evaluates websites and determines search rankings.

These documents, which contained more than 14,000 ranking factors and features, primarily originated from the Google “Content API Warehouse.”

While the leak did provide insight into individual ranking factors, it doesn’t reveal how much weight Google assigns to each one, keeping the overall algorithm somewhat of a mystery.

The leak is a landmark event in the SEO industry. It clarifies previous unknown processes and even contradicts some of Google’s public statements. 

Google API Leak Top 11 Insights

In this article, we’ll discuss the top 11 insights from the leak that could reshape your SEO strategy in the future.

1. Clicks Are a Signal To Google

Contrary to Google’s previous public statements about search engine optimization, the leaked documents confirm that click data significantly determines rankings. Metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and good and bad clicks are tracked to assess users’ engagement with search results.

User behaviour, including how often people click on a result and how long they stay on the page, directly influences how Google ranks that content.

The revelation confirms that user interaction data, previously downplayed by Google, can impact rankings.

Pages with higher CTRs and positive engagement metrics are more likely to increase search rankings, reinforcing the importance of optimising titles and meta descriptions to encourage clicks. Additionally, ensuring that users find the content valuable and engaging enough to stay on the page can further boost rankings.

Actionable Tip: To improve your click-related signals, write compelling meta descriptions and page titles that align with user intent while creating high-quality, engaging content that keeps visitors on the page longer.

2. What Makes a Backlink Good?

The leak sheds light on what Google considers a good backlink, revealing that it’s not just about quantity but rather the quality and relevance of the links.

While backlinks have long been known to influence rankings, this leak confirms that trusted and authoritative sources carry much more weight.

Google evaluates backlinks through metrics including the trustworthiness of the referring domain, its topical relevance to your content and the link’s freshness.

A backlink from a high-authority site covering similar topics to yours will likely give you a more significant rankings boost than one from an unrelated or lower-quality site.

The documents also mention that newer backlinks from relevant sources may have a freshness multiplier, meaning they can provide more value than older links that are no longer actively visited or relevant.

Actionable Tip: Focus your link-building efforts on earning backlinks from high-authority, reputable sites covering topics closely related to your own. Digital PR campaigns are the best way to earn links from reputable sources. Ensure the links stay current and fresh for the search ranking algorithm.

3. Expertise Does Matter

The leak confirms that Google emphasises expertise when ranking sites, particularly for YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) queries involving health, finance and safety.

The internal system evaluates content based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust), with expertise critical in ranking pages and even personal blogs on sensitive topics.

Websites demonstrating real-world expertise through authorship by recognised experts or by showcasing credible sources are more likely to rank higher in search results.

In addition to content expertise, the entity graph plays a role in determining whether the author of a page is considered a subject-matter expert. If the author or website has established a strong reputation in a particular field, Google is likelier to rank its content favourably.

Actionable Tip: If you’re in the YMYL industry, ensure that a recognised expert in the field writes your content. Highlight their credentials, link to relevant research and consistently produce high-quality, authoritative content to enhance your site’s perceived expertise.

4. Evidence of Topical Authority

Topical authority refers to how Google assesses websites based on how consistently they produce content within a specific topic area and how well their individual pages align with the site’s overall theme.

This is measured using siteFocusScor and siteRadius, which determine how much a website’s content adheres to a central topic and how far each page deviates from that focus.

Websites that establish themselves as authoritative in a specific subject area are more likely to rank well, especially when they create in-depth, interconnected content around a particular theme.

By covering multiple aspects of a topic and linking those pages together, a website strengthens its topical authority, signalling to Google it’s a reliable source of information on the subject.

Actionable Tip: Focus on creating a cluster of content around your primary topics using internal links to connect related pieces. Consistently produce high-quality, in-depth articles demonstrating your topical expertise.

5. Google Uses a PageQuality Metric

One of the more intriguing revelations from the leak is using a Page Quality (PQ) metric to evaluate a web page’s overall effort and quality.

Google uses a Large Language Model (LLM) to estimate the effort put into an article, which helps determine whether the content is easily replicable or truly valuable. The more unique and effortful a page is, the higher it scores in Google’s internal system.

That means Google isn’t just looking at the content itself but also at the level of effort behind creating that content. Pages with tools, videos, images and unique, in-depth information tend to score higher on the PageQuality metric.

These elements also contribute to better user satisfaction as they provide a more engaging, informative experience.

Actionable Tip: To boost your PageQuality score, create content beyond the basics. Incorporate multimedia elements like videos and images and ensure your articles offer unique insights, tools or information that can’t be found elsewhere easily.

6. Poor Site Navigation Hurts Your Website

The leaked documents confirm that site navigation is key to how Google evaluates and ranks websites. A poor navigational structure—making it hard for users to find relevant content—can lead to demotions in search rankings.

Google tracks user behavior and how users move through your site, penalising sites with a frustrating or confusing experience. This often results in Google search users leaving the site quickly, signalling dissatisfaction.

A website with clear, intuitive navigation keeps users engaged, encourages them to explore more pages and sends positive signals to Google. Well-structured menus, internal linking and easy-to-find content are all factors that can improve your site’s performance in search rankings.

Actionable Tip: Review your site’s navigation to ensure it’s user-friendly. Make important pages easy to find, use clear internal linking and organise your content logically to enhance the user’s experience.

7. Anchor Text is Important

Google uses anchor text—the clickable text in a hyperlink—to assess the relevance of the linked page. If the anchor text accurately reflects the linked page’s content, it signals to Google that the link is useful and contextually appropriate. This helps boost the ranking of the page containing the link and the page it points to.

However, anchor text that’s overly generic or stuffed with keywords can result in penalties.

Google evaluates whether the anchor text is natural and relevant, and spammy practices like over-optimization or irrelevant linking can harm your site’s rankings. The key is to make anchor text descriptions pertinent to the linked content.

Actionable Tip: Use descriptive, natural anchor text that accurately reflects linked content. Avoid keyword stuffing and ensure your links are contextually relevant to provide value to users and rank higher in Google’s search results.

8. Location Identity is a Factor

Location identity can significantly affect how Google ranks sites for local searches.

Google uses signals to determine a website or page’s geographic relevance, and if your site’s location doesn’t align with the locations you’re targeting, it can hurt your rankings. 

So what does that mean? 

If you’re trying to rank for an area outside your established GoGraph footprint, your chances of ranking will decrease.

Factors like local backlinks, user engagement from that region and mentions of the location within your content can help build a strong location identity.

Actionable Tip: Ensure your website reflects a strong connection to the geographic locations you want to rank. This can be done through local content, obtaining backlinks from relevant local sites, and engaging with users in your target area to boost your local search presence.

9. Google Has a Site Authority Metric

Google has often downplayed the idea of domain authority in public, but the leak revealed that site authority is a real factor influencing how well a website’s pages rank. A higher site authority signals Google that the website is a reliable search engine, which can boost individual pages on the site.

Google calculates site authority based on various signals, such as backlinks from trusted sources, user engagement, and overall site quality.

Low-authority websites may struggle to appear in competitive search results, even if individual pages are optimised.

Actionable Tip: Build your site authority by earning backlinks from reputable, high-authority websites. Focus on producing high-quality, valuable content that encourages engagement and attracts links from trusted sources to strengthen your site’s credibility.

10. Site-Wide Scores Are Used More Than Previously Thought

One of the most surprising findings from the leak is the extent to which site-wide scores influence rankings.

While SEO professionals have traditionally focused on optimising individual pages, Google uses site-wide signals more heavily than previously understood.

Metrics like overall user engagement, click-through rates (CTR) and impressions are tracked across the entire site, not just on a page-by-page basis.

That means a poorly performing page can drag down your site’s overall rankings, while strong site-wide metrics can boost the performance of individual pages.

Google takes a holistic view of a website’s quality and authority.

Actionable Tip: Audit your entire site regularly to ensure underperforming pages are either improved or removed. Focus on creating consistent and high quality content across your site.

11. Quality Content, Freshness and Publishing Frequency

The Google leak reaffirms the importance of consistently producing high-quality, fresh content to maintain and improve your search rankings.

Google rewards websites that regularly update their content with new, valuable information via search engines.  

Your content’s freshness and publishing frequency significantly affect how well your pages perform in search results.

Pages frequently updated with relevant information tend to score higher on Google’s effort and quality metrics, while content that becomes outdated or stagnant is less likely to rank well.

Actionable Tip: Update older content regularly with fresh information and aim to publish new content consistently. Ensure your updates add value through new insights, data or multimedia elements to keep your site relevant and engaging.

Want to Work with an Experienced SEO Team?

Keeping up with the rapid changes in SEO, especially with major revelations like the Google API launch, can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in.

Our seasoned SEO agency stays ahead of the curve, continuously monitoring updates to ensure your business doesn’t just keep up but leads the pack.

Let us leverage our expertise to boost your rankings and grow your organic revenue. 

Contact us today for a comprehensive website audit so we can start optimising your path to success.