Google Search Algorithm Insights
A recent leak of internal Google documents has given us a behind-the-scenes look at how Google ranks content, confirming SEO strategies Google has long denied as ranking factors. These documents highlight the importance of factors like clicks, high-quality content, and content freshness. This insight helps us understand Google’s algorithm better and confirms that Reunion Marketing’s SEO strategy aligns with Google ranking factors.
Key Insights & Our Strategy
This internal Google documentation contained 2,596 different modules that included a total of 14,014 different ranking factor attributes. Here’s a look at just a few of the confirmed ranking factors that are integral to Reunion Marketing’s SEO strategy:
Keyword in Title Tags
- From Google: Keywords in title tags matching search queries are important. Google has a feature called titlematchScore that is believed to measure how well a page title matches a query.
- Our Strategy: We perform detailed keyword research and optimize title tags to align with user search intent, improving relevance and rankings.
Content Freshness
- From Google: Google tracks content dates to assess freshness. The most recent content is seen as having a higher value than content that has not been recently updated.
- Our Strategy: We maintain monthly content additions ranging from 3 to 15 pieces of content (contract dependent) and regularly refresh and add new information to keep content relevant and timely.
Internal Linking
- From Google: Pages may be demoted (seen as less valuable) when links pointing to the page do not match the user intent of the page. Example: links using the anchor text “used cars for sale” pointing to a new car inventory page would devalue the new car inventory page.
- Our Strategy: Our internal linking strategy has been carefully designed to optimize the relationship between anchor text and the user intent of the target page.
SERP Signals Indicating User Dissatisfaction
- From Google: Pages may be demoted when users click through to a page from search results and immediately click back to the search results. This is measured in GA4 using bounce rate. The higher the bounce rate, the less likely it is that the page matches the keyword’s user intent.
- Our Strategy: Our pages and meta tags (titles and descriptions) are optimized for specific, bottom-of-the-funnel, high-intent searches which means visitors find the information they’re looking for and, in turn, spend more time on the page. In addition, our page design has been carefully refined to improve the user journey, provide an excellent customer experience, and drive conversions. We leverage on-page data for an enhanced customer experience and as a result, Google values and rewards the value and relevance of our content.
Location Issues
- From Google: For geo-based searches, pages may be demoted when the page is not aligned with the searchers desired location.
- Our Strategy: We optimize pages based on our customer’s chosen geographic locations by optimizing not only the content but also the meta tags (titles, descriptions, headings), image ALT text, internal links, and schema markup.
Design Elements
- From Google: Google measures the average weighted font size of terms in documents (avgTermWeight) to determine relevance.
- Our Strategy: Our pages have been carefully designed to include the most important keyword terms in heading tags, which almost always use the largest and boldest font size on the page.
The leaked internal Google documents have provided a rare glimpse into the intricate workings of the Google search algorithm, confirming ranking factors that are and have been part of Reunion Marketing’s SEO strategy. These insights validate the strategic choices made by Reunion Marketing in our approach, reinforcing that our methods are not only effective but also in alignment with Google’s ranking criteria.
This alignment with Google’s confirmed ranking factors ensures that our client’s websites are not only competitive but also positioned for sustained success in search rankings.
Reunion produces thousands of pages of content for our clients each month, all crafted to integrate Google’s ranking factors and technical best practices, while also providing an excellent customer experience. This high-quality, SEO-optimized content, along with our meticulous attention to detail, continues to result in consistent success for our dealership partners.
As we move forward, these insights will continue to inform and refine our strategies, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of SEO best practices. Our commitment to understanding and adapting to Google’s evolving algorithm underscores our dedication to driving exceptional outcomes for our clients, reinforcing our position as leaders in the SEO industry.
Resources
Michael King: https://ipullrank.com/google-algo-leak
Search Engine Land: https://searchengineland.com/google-search-document-leak-ranking-442617