At this week’s MozCon industry conference, Rand Fishkin, the former CEO of Moz and founder of SparkToro, shared his thoughts on how SEOs and marketers should adjust strategies based on their interpretation of recent Google API leaks.
In a packed session with Dr. Pete Meyers, Fishkin laid out specific ways he believes the leaked information, which has not been verified, could affect best practices.
Fishkin strongly believes the leaks contradict Google’s public statements about its systems.
“Google has been unkind and unfair. They’ve been abusive about this,” Fishkin said, though these are his opinions based on reviewing the leaks.
He adds:
“They have lied by omission or misinformation.”
Fishkin recommendations
Fishkin speculated and provided concrete examples of how SEO strategies might change if his interpretations of the leaks were accurate.
However, these are their opinions, not guidelines. Among their possible recommendations:
1. Invest in Authority/Entity
Surprised by the continued emphasis on authorship and entity signals in leaked code, Fishkin said brands should prioritize hiring writers with an established reputational authority that Google already associates with quality content.
Here’s what Fishkin said he’ll do differently:
“We’re going to hire a content marketer, basically a part-time content person, to make sure the SparkToro blog has a couple of new posts every week.
And all this authorship and entity stuff made me think we should find someone who already has a profile.”
2. Complement the creation of links with public relations
According to Fishkin, the leaks uncovered possible evidence that Google devalues links to sites without enough brand awareness and search volume.
As a result, he recommends accompanying traditional link acquisition with broader branding efforts such as PR and advertising to increase brand search demand.
Fishkin said:
“If you get a ton of links in a day and nothing else, guess what? You’ve manipulated the link graph.
If you really are a great brand, people should be talking about you.
3. Embrace the geographic nuance
With abundant references to geographic and country-specific cues throughout the code, Fishkin cautioned against one-size-fits-all strategies.
What works for big markets like the US may be ineffective for smaller regions where Google needs more data.
Fishkin advised attendees:
“I would encourage you to think that SEO is more geographically specific than you think even for web search results.”
4. Rediscover experimentation
More than anything else, Fishkin hopes the leaks will catalyze a renewed sense of curiosity and skepticism within SEO.
He challenged professionals to move beyond regurgitating Google’s public statements and instead embrace the evidence to discover what drives results.
Referring to an unexplained metric that appeared in the leaks, Fishkin states:
“My dream would be that if I were to go back to MozCon next year, someone would be on that stage and say, ‘Guys, I figured out what the Keto score is. Post this. I’m going to amplify it.’
A wake up call?
In many ways, Fishkin framed the leaks as a watershed moment for an industry he believes has become insular, averse to conflict and too accepting of Google’s carefully crafted narratives.
His call to action left some energized and others discouraged by his no-holds-barred frankness.
But whether one admires Fishkin’s cheeky delivery or not, the leaks have undeniably opened up Google’s black box.
For those willing to dig into the technical details and work their way through the tests, Fishkin argues that lucrative opportunities await those who stop taking Google’s word for gospel.
A word of caution about the Google API leak
Doubts have arisen about the true nature and significance of this “leak”.
Evidence suggests that the data can be plugged into Google’s public Document AI Warehouse API rather than exposing the inner workings of the classification system. The information also appears to be at least five years old.
While Fishkin’s plans to adjust its SEO tactics are interesting, they should be taken with a grain of salt, given the ongoing debate about what the data actually means.
It illustrates the importance of checking sources when evaluating any alleged “insider information” about how search engines work.
As the discussion about Google “leakage” continues, be careful not to fall victim to confirmation bias: viewing data through the lens of pre-existing theories rather than objectively evaluating them.
Featured Image: Taken by the author at MozCon, June 2024.
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