Key Takeaways From Google’s API Document Leak
In late May 2024, the biggest leak to ever come from Google HQ rocked the organic search world. The leak exposed over 14,000 potential ranking factors, providing an unprecedented look into the workings of Google’s complex algorithms.
Our SEO team has spent the time since digesting the API leak document and we are now pleased to present this comprehensive guide summing up our key takeaways.
On-Page
Google uses click data as a ranking factor using an algorithm called Navboost
We have known that Google uses click data as a ranking factor since they admitted this back in September 2023. Eric Lehman, who worked for Google for 17 years on search quality and ranking, testified in the Google antitrust trial that this was the case.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Optimised sitewide meta titles and meta descriptions
- All structured data implemented and validated
- Refresh navigation – we mean mega navs with a clear hierarchy and links out to pages
Meta titles relevant to user queries are important
The leak shows us that Google is likely to rank sites better that match their meta titles to queries that users are searching for.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Optimise specific products for exact match keywords (via product title, description, and in a product feed) – this will help you secure placements in Organic Product Grids
- Remove brand names from meta titles if they are long and take up too much space (use your meta title for keywords!)
Content
Freshness of content and high-quality and engaging content
The leak showcased that Google is more likely to rank websites that frequently update their site with fresh content, especially when that content is high-quality and engaging. Google’s recent Helpful Content Updates (which are now part of the core algorithm) have shown us time and time again that fluffy or AI-generated content will be penalised – something we’ve seen firsthand when auditing competitors’ websites.
Furthermore, the leak showcases the importance of content relevancy. It is important to have defined content pillars and to stick to these topic clusters. Any deviation from this could result in the website being deprioritised in the SERPs.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Quarterly content strategies with new content pillars identified
- Truly helpful content in the form of rich long-form guides, internally linked to throughout
- User-generated FAQs and answers on key category and product pages
Strong authorship
It will come as no surprise that Google has begun favouring content that has a strong authorship. This is particularly relevant for sites in the Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) niche, incorporating mainly health- and finance-related sites. Authorship is a great way to showcase E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust) – something that is now more important than ever in the new world of AI-generated content. Being able to show that your content is written by a real person who is an expert in their field will set you apart from the crowd.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Detailed author profiles (not just a bio…)
- Niche link-building strategies to drive external links to author profiles
- Ensure any YMYL content is endorsed by an expert within the field
Video and images influence search results positively
Society is becoming more and more visual and we are now consuming more video content than ever before. It will therefore not be a surprise that Google will favour content that includes rich imagery and video content.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Videos (embedded from YouTube on all key ranking pages and as a matter of course for ecomm products)
- Lots of ecomm-style imagery that can be easily displayed on the Google SERP
- User-generated content showcasing the product or service in the wild
Link Building
Focus on high-traffic mentions
The main link-building takeaway from the API leak is that Google will ignore links that come from sites that do not receive organic traffic. Instead, it values links that come from sites with high levels of organic traffic.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Focus on building links back from sites with a high level of organic traffic
- Securing links from media sites with extremely high traffic levels
Unlinked brand mentions can influence rankings
We have always known the importance of linked brand mentions, but the Google leak seems to confirm something we’ve suspected for a while, that even unlinked brand mentions can hold some weight.
Key implementations for your SEO strategy
- Ensure link targets are well-prospected and meet Google’s requirements
- Invest in Digital PR and accept that less is more here (quality over quantity)
- Target forum placements which have seen a huge increase in organic traffic over the last six months
Final Thoughts on Google’s May 2024 Leak
Although there has been a lot of buzz and chatter in the SEO world and beyond about the Google leak, for us as a digital marketing agency, there are no major surprises.
Good quality content, on-page optimisation, strong link building, and showcasing E-E-A-T signals are at the heart of all of our SEO strategies and this is what we will continue to do in order to drive exceptional results for our clients, especially in the new world of AI Overviews.
If you have any questions about your organic strategy or the key takeaways discussed, please do not hesitate to reach out to your account team.