A collection of 2,500 leaked internal Google documents filled with details about the data the company collects is authentic, the company confirmed today. Until now, Google had refused to comment on the materials.
The documents in question detail data that Google is tracking, some of which may be used in its closely guarded search ranking algorithm. The documents offer an unprecedented, if still murky, look under the hood of one of the most consequential systems that shape the web.
“We caution against making inaccurate assumptions about Search based on out-of-context, outdated, or incomplete information,” said Google spokesperson Davis Thompson. The edge in an email. “We've shared extensive information about how Search works and the types of factors our systems weigh, while working to protect the integrity of our results from manipulation.”
The existence of the leaked material was first described by search engine optimization (SEO) experts. Rand Fishkin and mike king, who published initial analyzes of the documents and their contents earlier this week. Google did not respond to The edgeYesterday's multiple requests for comment on the authenticity of the leak.
The leak is likely to cause repercussions throughout the SEO industry.
The leaked material suggests that Google collects and potentially uses data that company representatives say does not contribute to ranking web pages in Google Search, such as clicks, Chrome user data, and more. The thousands of pages of documents act as a repository of information for Google employees, but it's unclear what detailed data is actually used to rank search content: the information could be outdated, used strictly for training purposes, or collected non profit. It is not specifically used for searching. The documents also do not reveal how different elements are weighted in the search, if at all.
Still, the information made public is likely to cause repercussions in the search engine optimization (SEO), marketing, and publishing industries. Google is typically very secretive about how its search algorithm works, but these documents (along with recent testimony in the US Department of Justice antitrust case) have provided more clarity about the signals Google is thinking about when it comes to to classify websites.
The choices Google makes in search have a profound impact on anyone who relies on the web for their businesses, from small independent publishers to restaurants and online stores. In turn, an industry has emerged of people hoping to crack the code or circumvent the algorithm, delivering sometimes contradictory answers. Google's vagueness and wordiness haven't helped, but the influx of internal documents offers at least a glimpse of what the web-dominating company is thinking.
