A recent leak of Google documents reveals new systems that are once again changing the rules of the game and impacting website rankings in ways most of us were previously unaware of.
A few months ago, Rand Fishkin reported on a Google document leak that caused a stir across the internet. The leak exposed some of the internal methods used by the world’s leading search engine. Now, with the release of additional findings from those documents, it’s clear there’s still much to learn—and this new information could completely change how you approach SEO.
The latest documents reveal the existence of a system called Twiddlers—a collection of hundreds of algorithms that make small but significant adjustments to site rankings in search results. Each Twiddler is responsible for a different parameter, such as content freshness, diversity in search results, or even the detection of commercial intent. New content can receive a significant boost thanks to a Twiddler that favors up-to-date content, while another Twiddler might lower the ranking of similar content to maintain diversity in the results.
Additionally, the leak uncovered a system called NavBoost, which relies on analyzing user behavior to determine final rankings. This system collects click data, time spent on a page, and other user actions to update search results. In other words, if users spend more time on your site or perform meaningful actions, your ranking could rise; however, if the page does not meet user expectations, it could be pushed down in the rankings.
The leaked documents also provide information on:
- Alexandria – A massive digital library that aggregates all content indexed by Google and assigns weight based on its importance.
- Superroot – A system responsible for narrowing down the initial results from 1,000 to the final 10 results displayed on the first page.
- Tangram – A system that optimizes search result pages to make the best use of screen space.
In a blog post on Search Engine Land, these new revelations were analyzed and packaged into a comprehensive picture created by Mario Fischer (see at the beginning of this post), providing a clear summary of what it all means.
- Faking Page Freshness Won’t Work: One common SEO tactic has been to make minor changes to content and update the article’s date to signal “freshness” to Google. However, changing the date without making significant updates could actually harm your ranking. The “lastSignificantUpdate” feature tracks when the last major change was made to a document. Minor edits or typo corrections do not affect this metric.
- Diversify Traffic Sources: Ensure you’re receiving traffic from various sources, not just search engines. Traffic from social media platforms is also valuable. Even if Google’s crawler can’t access certain pages, Google can still track visitor numbers via the Chrome browser.
- Build Brand and Domain Awareness: Continuously work on strengthening your brand or domain name recognition. The more familiar people are with your name, the more likely they are to click on your site in search results. Ranking for specific keywords can also boost your domain’s visibility. Internal information suggests that “site authority” is a ranking signal, so building your brand’s reputation can help improve your search rankings.
- Understand Search Intent: To better meet your visitors’ needs, try to understand their search intent and journey. Use tools like Semrush or SimilarWeb to see where your visitors come from and where they go after visiting your site. Analyze these domains—do they offer information that your landing pages lack? Gradually add this missing content to become the “final destination” in your visitors’ search journey. Remember, Google tracks related search sessions and knows precisely what searchers are looking for and where they’ve been searching.
- Optimize for Clicks: A clear page structure with easy navigation is essential for achieving top rankings, often thanks to NavBoost (the system that samples user clicks). Additionally, improving titles and descriptions can increase CTR in search results. Start by reviewing your current CTR and making adjustments to attract more clicks. The title plays a critical role in determining whether your page ranks well for a search phrase, so optimizing it should be a top priority.
- Evaluate Hidden Content: If you use accordions to “hide” important content that requires a click to reveal, check if these pages have a higher-than-average bounce rate. When searchers can’t immediately see they’re in the right place and need to click multiple times, the likelihood of negative click signals increases.
- Remove Underperforming Pages: Pages that nobody visits or that do not achieve a good ranking over time should be removed if necessary. Bad signals are also passed on to neighboring pages. If you publish a new page in a “bad” cluster, the new page has few chances. It seems that “deltaPageQuality” actually measures the qualitative difference between individual pages in a domain or cluster.
- Maximize Engagement: The longer visitors stay on your site, the better the signals your domain sends, benefiting all your subpages. Aim to be the “final destination” by providing all the information visitors need so they won’t have to search elsewhere.
- Expand Existing Content Rather Than Constantly Creating New Content: Updating and enhancing your current content can be more effective. The ContentEffortScore measures the effort put into creating a document, with factors like high-quality images, videos, tools, and unique content all contributing to this important signal.
- Align Headings with the Content They Introduce: Ensure that subheadings (H2, H3…) accurately reflect the text blocks that follow. Thematic analysis, using techniques like embeddings (text vectorization), is more effective at identifying whether headings and content match correctly compared to purely lexical methods.
- Utilize Web Analytics: Tools like Google Analytics allow you to track visitor engagement effectively and identify and address any gaps. Pay particular attention to the bounce rate of your landing pages. If it’s too high, investigate potential causes and take corrective actions. Remember, Google can access this data through the Chrome browser.
- Target Less Competitive Keywords: You can also focus on ranking well for less competitive keywords with lower search volumes (long-tail keywords) and thus more easily build up positive user signals.
- Obtain Backlinks from the Same Country: Backlinks from recent or high-traffic pages stored in HiveMind (a database of “important” pages according to Google) provide more valuable signals. Backlinks from pages with little traffic or engagement are less effective. Additionally, backlinks from pages within the same country and those with thematic relevance to your content are more beneficial. Be aware that “toxic” backlinks, which negatively impact your score, do exist and should be avoided.
- Pay Attention to the Context Surrounding Links: The text before and after a link, not just the anchor text itself, is considered for ranking. Make sure the text naturally flows around the link. Avoid using generic phrases like “click here,” which has been ineffective for over twenty years.
- Consider the Disavow Tool’s Limitations: The Disavow tool, used to invalidate bad links, is not mentioned in the leak at all. It seems that algorithms do not consider it, and it serves mainly a documentary purpose for spam fighters.
- Consider Author Expertise: If you use author references, ensure they are also recognized on other websites and demonstrate relevant expertise. Having fewer but highly qualified authors is better than having many less credible ones. According to a patent, Google can assess content based on the author’s expertise, distinguishing between experts and laypeople.
The new data emphasizes the need for a deep understanding of Google’s search engine. It’s no longer enough to focus only on titles and keywords. Now, more than ever, we must understand advanced systems like Twiddlers and NavBoost and adapt our SEO strategies accordingly. This latest leak only deepens our understanding of how Google truly works. As SEO practitioners, we need to stay vigilant, monitor changes, and adapt to an ever-changing landscape.
