Thousands of alleged Google Search API documents were leaked over the weekend. The highly technical documents aim to cover Google’s 14,000+ ranking factors, how link value and click behavior are assessed, and how Google ranks smaller sites. But for the average marketer focused on building a brand, the news may be more exciting than actionable.
Don’t overreact. “It’s interesting to dig deeper into the leak, but there’s too much unknown with the actual leaked information to make SEO decisions,” said Lily Ray, Amsive’s vice president of SEO strategy and research. “We don’t know if the attributes listed in the leak are actual ranking factors, or to what extent they are currently used, if at all.
“That said, the information is worth exploring, as it at least reveals some interesting naming conventions that Google uses for its internal API documentation, including many buzzwords that SEOs have discussed and debated for years.”
Instead of poring over technical documents, brands should focus on making sure their core SEO practices are sound, like making sure content matches search intent, including keywords and images, linking internally and create strong URLs.
Brand matters. This was most important to Rand Fishkin, co-founder and CEO of SparkToro, who said the documents show that it’s difficult for small websites to play SEO to climb Google’s ranks. “If there was one universal piece of advice I had for marketers looking to massively improve their organic search rankings and traffic, it would be: ‘Build a notable, popular and well-recognized brand in your space outside of Google search.’ “. Fishkin wrote in a blog entry.
About 36% of sellers worldwide are increasing its investment in brand marketingan increase of 31% in 2023 and 23% in 2022, according to a December 2023 study by WARC.
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