Google suffers ‘mother of all leaks’ that exposes how its secret algorithm decides what YOU see

Google has suffered the ‘mother of all leaks’ after 2,500 documents surfaced online that exposed how its algorithm decides what users see. 

The internal documents have suggested the system, which determines how pages rank in search results, has focused on the number of clicks a site receives rather than how reputable the source is.

This could push fake news sites or misleading stories to the top of a Google search, causing people to fall into the trap of receiving more poorly sourced information, according to SEO expert Rand Fishkin.

Google has previously denied using click-through rates (CTRs) to boost algorithm results and an analyst on the Google Search team said in a Reddit post that it’s ‘generally made up crap.’

Fishkin, who worked in SEO for more than a decade, released his initial review of the documents on Monday sent to him from an anonymous source. 

”Lied’ is harsh, but it’s the only accurate word to use here,’ SEO expert and founder of iPullRank, Mike King, wrote in his own breakdown of the documents.

‘While I don’t necessarily fault Google’s public representatives for protecting their proprietary information, I do take issue with their efforts to actively discredit people in the marketing, tech, and journalism worlds who have presented reproducible discoveries,’ he said.

Google’s algorithms consider several factors when displaying search results including the words used in the query, how relevant the pages are, the source’s expertise and the user’s location, according to its website.

However, Fishkin reported that the algorithm reportedly generates results by focusing on the number of clicks a site receives to measure its success, Chrome data, the domain authority and the author’s byline.

DailyMail.com has yet to be able to verify the documents independently, but the company appeared to confirm the documents are legitimate in a statement, but claimed they’re no longer relevant.

‘We would caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information,’ a Google spokesperson said.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 our systems weigh, while also working to protect the integrity of our results from manipulation.’

Google allegedly uses NavBoost – a system that heavily focuses on click data to improve and enhance results – and includes information about short clicks on 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, telling 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 made accessible via search.’

The company also maintained that it provides results ‘from the most reliable sources available,’ but the leaked documents allege Google relies on user clicks for its search rankings more than previously believed.

NavBoost is a system that heavily focuses on click data to improve and enhance results and includes information about short clicks on a site versus users who stay on a page longer.

Google noted that the document’s contents are only speculated at this time and what the information means, adding that it can’t provide details about its algorithms because they consistently change.

Google also denied the assertions that it uses CTR (click-through rates) for its algorithm in a 2019 Reddit post.

Gary Illyes, an analyst on the Google Search team wrote at the time: ‘Dwell time, CTR, whatever Fishkin’s new theory is, those are generally made up crap. Search is much more simple than people think.’ 

The thousands of documents reportedly outline that Search Optimization (SEO) efforts that use embedded links to boost a website’s ranking in Google Search are only a tiny piece of the puzzle.

Google said it doesn’t directly tell individuals how to land in the top search results and appears to frequently change the algorithm to combat spammers and bad actors who attempt to beat the system.

However, the company has claimed it focuses on trending content that readers and users are interested in.

If the documents are accurate and the search algorithm does rely on CTRs, this could prove detrimental in the upcoming presidential election as people turn to Google for additional information about the candidates.

As with the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump that led to thousands of people storming the Capitol on January 6, if Google’s results turned up propaganda sites based on link clicks, it could lead to similar contention and violence, Fishkin warned.