The 4 most important learnings from the Google Search Leak

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At the end of May 2024, there was an unprecedented leak of internal Google documents that provided new insights into the tech giant's search algorithm. This leak confirmed many theories that have long been circulating in the SEO community, but also offered some exciting new information. Our partner agency United Ads is very familiar with the Google platform, SEO and SEA. For this reason, we asked CEO Alexander Sperber what we can all learn from the Google Search Leak.

Alex, how surprising was the Google Search Leak for you as an SEO agency and what are the key learnings that everyone can take away from it?

I have been working with the Google platform for over 15 years now and nothing like this has ever happened before. It was a shock to the entire SEO community - including us. I'd like to tell you about what we believe are the four most important new findings from these leaked documents.

Clickstream data and its influence
One of the biggest surprises of the leak is the confirmation that Google uses clickstream data to rank websites. Google has always denied that they feed data from their Chrome browser into their search algorithm or use click data to determine rankings. However, the documents show that both Chrome data and so-called long clicks - i.e. longer visits to websites - are actually used.

What is clickstream data?
Clickstream data includes information about user behavior on the Internet, such as which pages are visited, how long you stay on a page and which links are clicked. This data often comes from web browsers such as Google Chrome, which is the most used browser in the world.

What are long clicks?
Long clicks refer to longer visits to websites, which from Google's point of view indicates that you find the content relevant and useful.

In contrast, short clicks are when you quickly return to the search results, which Google believes can be a sign that the website does not offer what you are looking for.

Why does Google use this data?
By analyzing clickstream data and long clicks, Google can better understand bc data philippines which websites actually provide added value to users. This helps Google rank high-quality and relevant content higher in search results.

What does this mean for you as a website operator?
You can take three insights from this:

Generate long clicks: While this is nothing new in terms of results, this clear confirmation of the use of click data is very relevant. So make sure that visitors stay on your website longer and are happy to return, i.e. generate long clicks.
Improve the user experience (UX): Make sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly and has an attractive design.
Provide high-quality content: Provide content that matches the needs and interests of your target audience. Well-researched, informative and useful content will keep visitors on your site longer.