Google's secret algorithm exposed via leak to GitHub…
Summary
TLDRThis video reveals a massive leak of Google's search ranking algorithm documents on GitHub, exposing several contradictions to Google's public statements. It highlights how Google may have misled the public about factors like domain authority, user clicks, and Chrome browser data influencing search rankings. The video also emphasizes the continued importance of high-quality backlinks and human ratings in the algorithm. Ultimately, it reflects on how the web has evolved, with top search results now dominated by authoritative sites and paid advertisers, reducing the visibility of independent websites.
Takeaways
- 🤫 The Google search ranking algorithm is one of the most closely guarded secrets in technology.
- 😱 Google accidentally leaked thousands of documents to GitHub, revealing details about its search algorithm.
- 🧐 The documents suggest that Google may not have been completely honest about how its algorithm works, which contradicts its 'Don't be evil' motto.
- 📚 The original PageRank algorithm was based on the number of high-quality incoming backlinks, but it has since become more complex.
- 🕵️♂️ SEO experts discovered that spamming backlinks with keyword anchor texts could manipulate search results, leading to changes in the algorithm.
- 📄 The leaked documents contain a 'site authority' metric, which Google has previously denied using for ranking purposes.
- 👀 It was previously believed that clicks were not a direct ranking factor, but the documents suggest that 'nav boost' considers user interactions like clicks.
- 🔍 Data collected from Chrome users appears to influence search rankings, as suggested by the leaked documents.
- 🔗 Backlinks continue to be a significant factor in search rankings, though the process is not as straightforward as the original PageRank algorithm.
- 👥 The documents reveal that human raters are used to evaluate and whitelist certain content, indicating a mix of automated and manual processes in content ranking.
- 🌐 The leak has raised concerns about the dominance of authoritative sites and paid advertisers in search results, potentially stifling the diversity of the web.
Q & A
What is the significance of the Google search ranking algorithm?
-The Google search ranking algorithm is significant because it determines the order in which search results appear, influencing the visibility and traffic of websites. It's a closely guarded secret, as its disclosure could lead to manipulation by SEO experts for commercial gain, such as promoting fake products.
How did Google accidentally leak documents related to its search algorithm?
-Google accidentally pushed thousands of documents to GitHub, a website owned by their rival, Microsoft. These documents provided an unprecedented look into the workings of Google's search algorithm.
What was Google's founding principle regarding its search engine?
-Google was founded on the principle that a search engine could be managed entirely by an algorithm, which was a radical idea at the time, differing from other search engines like Ask Jeeves and Yahoo that relied on human curation.
What is the PageRank algorithm and how did it initially work?
-The PageRank algorithm is a system that assigns an initial rank to every web page, which grows and improves based on the number of high-quality incoming backlinks. It was effective initially but was later exploited by SEO gurus who spammed backlinks to dominate search results.
How has the Google search algorithm evolved over the years?
-Over the years, the Google search algorithm has become more complex. It now requires the creation of high-quality content to achieve top rankings, making it harder for SEO gurus to manipulate results through spamming backlinks.
What is the controversy surrounding the leaked Google documents?
-The controversy lies in the fact that the leaked documents seem to contradict Google's public statements about their algorithm. Google has implied that these documents are out of context, outdated, and incomplete, but their authenticity and impact remain a topic of debate.
What programming language was used in the leaked code, and why is it unusual for Google?
-The leaked code uses the Elixir programming language, which is unusual for Google as it's not a language they would normally use internally. This raises questions about the nature and origin of the documents.
What does the leaked document say about Google's use of domain authority for ranking?
-The leaked documents reveal a 'site authority' metric, which seems to contradict Google's past denial of using domain authority for ranking, suggesting that they may have been misleading about this aspect of their algorithm.
How do clicks factor into Google's search ranking according to the leaked documents?
-The leaked documents confirm the existence of a system called 'nav boost', which aggregates different user interactions like clicks, hovers, scrolls, and swipes. This suggests that clicks are indeed a direct ranking factor, contrary to Google's previous statements.
What role do backlinks play in the current Google search algorithm?
-While the simple PageRank algorithm of the past is no longer in use, the leaked documents indicate that obtaining high-quality backlinks is still important for search rankings, although the process is now more complex.
What does the script suggest about the involvement of humans in Google's search algorithm?
-The script suggests that actual humans are used for rating and whitelisting critical content. Metrics such as 'is co Authority' or 'is election Authority' are mentioned for this purpose, indicating a level of human involvement in the algorithm.
What impact has the evolution of Google's search algorithm had on the diversity of search results?
-The script implies that the top search rankings are now dominated by authoritative sites like Wikipedia and Reddit, along with paid advertisers. This has led to a reduction in the diversity of search results, with fewer opportunities for smaller, unique websites to be discovered.
What is the 'Web ref compact flat property value' mentioned in the script, and what does it suggest?
-The 'Web ref compact flat property value' appears to be a hidden aspect of the algorithm mentioned in the script. It suggests that there may be undisclosed factors influencing search rankings, adding to the complexity and mystery of Google's search algorithm.
Outlines
🔍 Unveiling Google's Secret Algorithm
The introduction reveals that Google's search ranking algorithm is a closely guarded secret. If leaked, it could lead to manipulation by SEO experts. Shockingly, Google accidentally exposed thousands of documents on GitHub, owned by rival Microsoft, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the algorithm. The narrator, an SEO expert, expresses his disbelief and devastation at Google's honesty about the algorithm. The video promises to explore these documents and assess Google's adherence to its 'don't be evil' credo.
📜 The Birth of Google's PageRank Algorithm
Google's foundation in the late 1990s by Larry Page and Sergey Brin introduced the revolutionary idea of a fully algorithm-driven search engine. This concept differed significantly from other search engines like Ask Jeeves and Yahoo, which relied on human curation. They documented this innovation in a seminal paper, describing the PageRank algorithm, where a webpage's rank improves with high-quality backlinks. Initially effective, SEO experts eventually exploited it by spamming backlinks. Over time, the algorithm evolved, making genuine content essential for top rankings, but manipulation attempts persisted.
🤥 Google's Alleged Deceptions
The narrator questions Google's honesty about its algorithm, noting Google's acknowledgment of the documents' authenticity but ambiguity about their context. Speculations include the documents being training materials, outdated information, or a strategic deception. Interestingly, the leaked code is in Elixir, not a typical Google language. The video delves into contradictions between Google's public statements and the documents, such as the denial of domain authority as a ranking factor and the confirmed importance of clicks, which Google had previously downplayed.
📊 Hidden Factors in Google's Algorithm
The leaked documents reveal several discrepancies with Google's public statements. Contrary to Google's denials, the documents suggest that domain authority and user interactions like clicks and hovers influence rankings. Additionally, data from Chrome browser users appears to affect search results. Despite changes, backlinks remain crucial, though the process is now more sophisticated. Human reviewers still play a role in rating and whitelisting critical content. The narrator's investigation also uncovers an obscure metric potentially related to hidden information, highlighting the leak's impact on trust in Google.
🌐 The Changing Face of the Web
The narrator laments the transformation of the web, where Google's initial promise of finding interesting, user-created content has faded. Today, top search results are dominated by authoritative sites like Wikipedia and Reddit, alongside paid advertisers. The rise of AI summarization further diminishes the value of individual websites, making SEO efforts seem futile. The video concludes with a grim outlook on the future of search and the web, emphasizing that SEO's relevance is waning in light of these revelations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Google search ranking algorithm
💡SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
💡GitHub
💡PageRank
💡Backlinks
💡Domain Authority
💡Clicks as a ranking factor
💡Chrome browser
💡Nav boost
💡Human raters
💡Web ref compact flat property value
Highlights
Google's search ranking algorithm is one of the most tightly held secrets in technology.
If the secret ranking algorithm got out, it could potentially harm Google's business model.
Google accidentally pushed thousands of documents to GitHub, Microsoft's website.
The documents provide an unprecedented look into Google's search algorithm.
The speaker, an SEO Guru, was shocked and devastated by the discovery of these documents.
Google's founding was based on an algorithmic approach to search engines, differing from human-curated models.
The PageRank algorithm was initially effective but later exploited by SEO gurus.
Over time, Google's algorithm has become more complex, requiring high-quality content for top rankings.
Google's statements about the algorithm's workings appear to be misleading or false.
Google has confirmed the documents' authenticity but their exact purpose remains unclear.
The leaked code uses the Elixir programming language, unusual for Google's internal use.
Google has previously denied using domain authority for ranking, contradicted by the leaked documents.
The documents reveal that clicks are a direct ranking factor, despite Google's past denial.
Data collected from Chrome browser users affects search rankings, as shown in the documents.
Backlinks continue to be important for search rankings, though not as simple as the original PageRank.
Humans are used for rating and whitelisting critical content, as indicated by the leaked documents.
The web is now dominated by authoritative sites and paid advertisers, reducing the diversity of search results.
The leak signifies the death of SEO and the homogenization of the web's top content.
Transcripts
one of the most tightly held secrets in
all technology is how the Google search
ranking algorithm actually works if the
secret ever got out Google would implode
because SEO experts would get every
keyword to link to a landing page for
fake viagra pills unfortunately Google
accidentally pushed thousands of
documents to GitHub of all places a
website owned by their Bing rival
Microsoft that provide an unprecedented
look behind the curtain of Google search
as a bit of an SEO Guru myself I was
left shocked and utterly devastated when
I found out that Google has not been
totally honest about the algorithm in
today's video we'll take a look at
what's inside these documents and find
out if Google has been living up to its
Credo of don't be evil it is May 31st
2024 and you were watching the code
report when Google was founded in the
late '90s by Larry and Sergey at
Stanford it was all based on the idea
that a search engine could be handled
entirely with an algorithm which at the
time was a radical idea that differed
from search engines like as geves and
Yahoo which relied on unscalable human
curation they wrote a legendary paper
called the anatomy of a large scale
hyper textural web search engine that
detailed something called the page rank
algorithm every web page has an initial
Rank and that ranking grows and improves
based on the number of highquality
incoming backlinks this worked pretty
well at first but eventually SEO gurus
realized that all you had to do was spam
a bunch of backlinks with the anchor
text of your keyword to dominate the
extremely valuable top search result
placement however over the years the
algorithm has become more complex and
nowadays you actually have to make
really good content to get the top
ranking but that's too hard and SEO
gurus still need to put food on their
families and sadly many of the
statements Google has made about how the
algorithm Works appear to be lies it's
important to point out that although
Google has confirmed that these
documents are real we still don't really
know exactly what they are they could be
internal training documents they could
be old and outdated or it could be a
false flag in Google's 5D chess game to
protect the algorithm officially though
Google has implied that these documents
are out of context outdated and
incomplete another interesting point is
that the leaked code uses the Elixir
programming language which is not a
language that Google would normally use
in internally but now let's get into the
true lies in the past Google has denied
the use of domain Authority for ranking
however in these documents there's a
site Authority metric that seems to
contradict that claim another highly sus
thing Google has said in the past is
that clicks are not a direct ranking
Factor well we actually learned a while
ago that that's a fib during Google's
antitrust lawsuit which revealed a
system called nav boost or glue and
Aggregates a bunch of different
interactions like clicks hovers Scrolls
swipes Etc what's a unicorn click nav
boost was confirmed once again in the
leaked documents which it defines as
click and impression signals for craps
so it looks like clicks are actually
important not surprisingly another
potential FIB is that it looks like
based on these documents that data
collected from users in the Chrome
browser affects search rankings not
surprised and another thing that's not
surprising is that backlinks still
matter it's not the simple page rank
algorithm that it used to be but getting
those high quality backlinks is still
important and finally the most
shockingly unsurprising thing is that
actual humans are used for rating and
whitelisting critical content Fields
like is co Authority or is election
Authority are used for this and through
my investigation I also found this one
called Web ref compact flat property
value that appears to be hiding in the
true shape of the earth now I'm no
urologist but overall this leak looks
pretty bad I can't believe a big
Corporation would lie to us but the real
tragedy here is the web itself in the
early days Google was the best way to
find interesting websites and forums
created by random weirdos but nowadays
the top rankings are almost entirely
dominated by authoritative sites like
Wikipedia and Reddit in addition to paid
advertisers and it's like what is even
the point of a website nowadays if AI is
just going to summarize your website
anyway and never get you a clickthrough
SEO has been dead for a long time and
now with this leak it's even more dead
this has been the code report thanks for
watching and I will see you in the next
one
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