Google has suffered the “mother of all leaks” after 2,500 documents emerged online exposing how its algorithm decides what users see.
Internal documents have suggested that the system, which determines how pages are ranked in search results, has focused on the number of clicks a site receives rather than the reputation of the source.
This could push fake news sites or misleading stories to the top of Google searches, causing people to fall into the trap of receiving information from poorer sources, according to SEO expert Rand Fishkin.
Google has previously denied using click-through rates (CTR) to improve algorithm results, with an analyst on Google Search’s team saying in a Reddit post that it’s “generally nonsense.”
An SEO expert claimed that 2,500 leaked documents show that Google uses the number of clicks a website receives to improve its ranking.
Fishkin, who worked in SEO for more than a decade, posted his initial review from documents sent to him on Monday by an anonymous source.
“Lying” is harsh, but it’s the only accurate word to use here,” SEO expert and iPullRank founder Mike King wrote in his own article. break down of the documents.
“While I don’t necessarily blame Google’s public representatives for protecting their private information, I do take issue with their efforts to actively discredit people in the worlds of marketing, technology and journalism who have come forward with reproducible findings,” he said.
Google algorithms consider several factors when displaying search results, including the words used in the query, the relevance of the pages, the experience of the source, and the location of the user, depending on their website.
However, Fishkin reported that the algorithm generates results by focusing on the number of clicks a site receives to measure its success, Chrome data, domain authority, and author signature.
DailyMail.com has not yet been able to independently verify the documents, but the company appeared to confirm that the documents are legitimate in a statement. but stated that they are no longer relevant.
“We caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information,” a Google spokesperson said.
“We’ve shared extensive information about how Search works and the types of factors that weigh our systems, while working to protect the integrity of our results from manipulation.”
Google reportedly uses NavBoost, a system that focuses heavily on click data to improve and improve results, and includes information about short clicks to a site versus users who stay on a page longer. This could prove detrimental in the upcoming presidential election by allowing fake news to flourish.
Google has also denied using these methods in the past, saying The Wall Street Journal in 2019: “Our systems aim to provide relevant results from authoritative sources,” adding that organic search results alone “are not representative of the information accessible through search.”
The company also maintained that it provides results “from the most reliable sources available,” but the leaked documents allege that Google relies on user clicks for its search rankings more than previously believed.
NavBoost is a system that focuses heavily on click data to improve and improve results and includes information about short clicks to a site versus users staying on a page longer.
Google noted that the content of the document is only speculation at this point and what the information means, adding that it cannot provide details about its algorithms because they constantly change.
Google also denied claims that it uses CTR (click-through rates) for its algorithm in a 2019 report. post on reddit.
Gary Illyes, an analyst on Google’s Search team, wrote at the time: “Dwell time, CTR, whatever Fishkin’s new theory is, it’s generally made-up nonsense.” The search is much simpler than people think.’
The thousands of documents reportedly outline that search optimization (SEO) efforts that use embedded links to improve a website’s ranking in Google Search are just a small piece of the puzzle.
Google said it doesn’t directly tell people how to get to the top search results and appears to frequently change the algorithm to combat spammers and bad actors trying to beat the system.
However, the company has stated that it focuses on trending content that interests readers and users.
If the documents are accurate and the search algorithm is based on CTRs, this could prove detrimental in the upcoming presidential election as people will turn to Google for additional information about the candidates.
As with false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump and that led to thousands of people storming the Capitol on January 6, if Google results showed propaganda sites based on clicking on links, could lead to similar feuds and violence. Fishkin warned.