Google is notoriously tight lipped when it comes to the details of how their search algorithms work, which is one of the factors that makes search engine optimisation (SEO) such a tricky proposition for many businesses. Google is difficult to second guess, and often changes the rules of the game at short notice, leaving businesses and marketers to figure out what’s been altered after the event.
The leak, in May this year, of 2,569 internal Google API documents (view them here), is, therefore, extremely revealing about the way the search giant handles data storage and retrieval, content ranking, and access rights. In search marketing terms, it’s a kiss and tell letter of epic proportions.
What was leaked and why?
In total, the API documents include 14,014 different ‘attributes’ relating to various operational issues within Google.
Let’s be clear what’s been leaked: APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are programming tools that allow software applications to communicate with each other by exchanging data packets, so programming files rather than internal documents or policies.
‘API documents’ are manuals for developers that explain the various functions, endpoints, methods, and usage guidelines for the API. The ‘attributes’ in question are data points or properties that shape the way that the API exchanges data – the details are technical and aren’t really necessary for this article, but you can find out more here and here if you are interested.
As for ‘why’, we don’t know. The identity of the group or individual responsible for the leak, and their motivation for doing so, hasn’t been confirmed, and many of the attributes in the documents have nothing to do with web searches. However, around 8,000 of them do, and these relate to many aspects of search ranking, including YouTube, local SEO, and Google Maps.
Insights from the leak
As marketers, one of the reassuring takeaways from the leak is that the way we assumed Google’s key scoring systems to work is actually pretty close to the mark. However, some of the features revealed by the leak have taken many search marketers by surprise, and could well influence the way that marketers deliver SEO services in the future.
The API documents could empower marketing professionals to refine their strategies based on more accurate information about how the search engine’s content algorithms work. In particular, the leak included documents concerning Google’s Content Warehouse API, which is used for document storage and retrieval from the cloud (e.g., Google Docs, YouTube). By implication, the document reveals important insights about how content is managed and indexed by the Google search engine.
Long-term implications
Now that the dust has settled from the leak, reactions from industry experts have been mixed. Some have dismissed it as a hoax or even a deliberate plant by Google, others see it as a game changer for SEO, while others caution against overestimating the impact of these particular APIs on search algorithms. Firm conclusions will have to wait until the documents are fully analysed to understand their long-term implications.
However, the leak has also raised security concerns about how well Google’s internal APIs and documentation are protected. This affects everyone who uses Google’s services, including the search engine, Google Docs, Gmail, and Gsuite. The fact that the incident occurred underscores the need for more robust security measures from Google to protect sensitive content and information from unauthorised access.
Next steps
To find out more about search engine optimisation and how you can maximise visibility for your content on Google, please get in touch with one of the SEO specialists at JDR today by clicking here.
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