It’s been months since the Google Search algorithm leak, where roughly 2,600 API documents revealed over 14,000 features and ranking signals used by the search engine.
The SEO world hasn’t been the same since.
Businesses continue to reassess their SEO strategies to keep up with the shocking revelation that user engagement metrics like click-through rates (CTRs) and time on page influence rankings, despite what Google claimed in the past.
While some businesses are still trying to catch up, QGP had already recognized the importance of user engagement and made necessary adjustments early on — even before the leak.
The SEO software development company always understood that keeping users engaged is key, and their proactive approach has set them apart in an increasingly competitive field.
In this interview, QGP CEO Kosta Hristov discusses how:
- Author visibility can boost site authority and rankings
- New websites can build authority amid the sandbox challenge
- Small blogs can stay competitive in Google's new categorization
- To safely update content and links with Google’s history in mind
- To protect your content from Google’s AI detection standards
Who Is Kosta Hristov?
Kosta is a software architect and SEO expert with over 15 years of experience. He turned QGP into a multimillion-dollar software platform and service, powering SEO agencies globally. He is also the founder and CEO of web design firm CityTech Design. Kosta regularly speaks at SEO conferences across the U.S. and overseas.
According to Kosta, one of the biggest content-related insights from the leak (that most seasoned SEOs were already aware of) is the use of CTR and engagement metrics for rankings.
“And it makes absolute sense when you think about it. Google gives your content a chance in front of an audience by ranking it on the first page for some time.
Then the algorithm tracks the amount of engagement. If people stay on the page, if they browse the site, etc. And if the numbers are not where they’re supposed to be, the rankings decrease,” he says.
He highlights that the solution is investing in quality content.
Given the insights from the Google leak confirming user engagement as a ranking factor, I was curious to hear from Kosta how QGP has adjusted its SEO strategies to optimize user engagement.
He says that they’ve always known that links contribute to initial rankings, highlighting that if user engagement metrics like CTR drop, your page can quickly lose its ranking.
“To optimize for user engagement, we focus on improving the overall user experience, ensuring that the content is not only relevant but also engaging.
We pay close attention to metrics like CTR and time on page, as these are likely being tracked and used by Google to assess the quality of the content,” he explains.
With the Google August 2024 Core Update shaking up search rankings, Kosta's focus on keeping user engagement strong and building authority gradually is more important than ever.
As this update continues to roll out, businesses need to keep a close eye on their site performance and avoid making any rushed decisions.
The Role of Author Visibility in Boosting Site Authority and Ranking
Google tracks engagement through Chrome and stores author information as part of its ranking considerations.
Given this information, Kosta says a strong author presence is important for building site authority and improving rankings.
“We prioritize building a strong brand presence by ensuring that author information is clear and prominent on our sites,“ he says.
According to him, this includes having well-detailed author bios and linking them to professional profiles, particularly on LinkedIn.
“By doing so, we’ve noticed a positive impact on our overall site authority and more consistent rankings across our content,” he adds.
In a previous podcast, DesignRush spoke with Omniscient Digital co-founder Alex Birkett who shares effective SEO tips to transform your content. Watch the video below to learn more:
The leak suggests that content demotion can occur due to anchor and content mismatch or a high proportion of exact match anchors.
To understand how QGP navigates these challenges, I explored with Kosta their approach to anchor text and whether they’ve reconsidered the impact of exact match domains in their SEO strategy.
“To avoid penalties, we make sure that our anchor texts are closely related to the topic of the target page,” he explains.
He adds that while exact match domains were effective in the past, they are now more cautious.
“We make sure that our anchor texts are natural and relevant rather than forcing exact matches that could trigger a penalty,” he says.
How New Sites Can Build Authority Amid the Sandbox Challenge
The "sandbox" theory suggests that when a new website launches, Google might temporarily devalue the links pointing to it.
Experts believe that this prevents low-quality or spammy sites from quickly gaining visibility through manipulative tactics.
As a result, even with good content and backlinks, a new site might not rank well until it proves its reliability and quality over time by earning natural backlinks and maintaining consistency.
“The concept of a sandbox, where new sites’ links are devalued temporarily, is something that has been debated for years, but the leak confirms its existence,” Kosta explains.
For new websites, he emphasizes attaining authority gradually.
“We recommend acquiring backlinks steadily and maintaining consistency, even if results aren’t immediate.
The approach is to always increment the number of backlinks built month by month, the speed of which depends on the competition and the existing authority of the site.
Using expired domains was a tactic that worked in the past, but with Google fighting this practice, it’s more important than ever to focus on organic growth and building trust over time,” he adds.
Ok, let's get this party started!
— Mic King (@iPullRank) May 28, 2024
A couple weeks ago I said I was publishing the most important thing I ever wrote. I was wrong.
Documentation related to the Google Search algorithm leaked and I spent the weekend tearing it apart.https://t.co/v71B16Ggov
✌🏾
With the leak confirming the importance of site and brand authorities, Kosta explains that they assess them by looking at the number and quality of backlinks, the overall brand presence, and user engagement metrics.
“To strengthen authority, we focus on acquiring high-quality links, ensuring that the homepage is well-optimized and authoritative, and building a recognizable brand that users trust and engage with,” he adds.
Kosta also shares how Google's siteAuthority score differs from third-party metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR).
“Google has the biggest database. DA and DR are third-party metrics, and the databases behind them are much smaller. Also, obviously, siteAuthority affects rankings directly, while DA and DR simply try to reverse-engineer siteAuthority,” he explains.
According to him, site authority is connected to brand-building and acquiring links. Therefore, he believes every business should focus on building a brand, as it is one of the few ways to create a moat around your business to protect it.
Watch our video below to discover the biggest takeaways of the Google SEO leak from experts in the industry:
The leak revealed that Google categorizes small or personal blogs differently, which may also account for why small businesses don’t rank on SERPs.
Kosta says that although the specific impacts of this categorization are unclear, there are some strategies small publishers can follow to ensure they remain competitive.
“Small publishers should focus on building strong, niche authority and providing valuable content that stands out.
They should also ensure that their sites are well-structured, mobile-friendly, and load quickly, as these factors are important for maintaining competitiveness,” he advises.
Safely Updating Content and Links with Google’s History in Mind
Kosta says that Google stores the past 20 versions of HTML, which has implications for those who frequently modify content and links.
Considering this, how should marketers create a more effective SEO content strategy that incorporates updates and link management to avoid creating harmful footprints?
Kosta advises SEO teams to be cautious with content updates and link management.
“We recommend not panicking during algorithm updates and making drastic changes to links or content too quickly. Instead, updates should be done thoughtfully and strategically, with a focus on long-term SEO health rather than short-term fixes.
By avoiding sudden, extensive changes, you reduce the risk of creating a footprint that could be seen as manipulative by Google,” he says.
Kosta also discusses how the recent leak about the "gold standard" attribute suggests that Google is starting to distinguish between content created by humans and content generated by AI.
“While we don't yet know exactly how this attribute is triggered or used, it’s clear that Google is paying attention to where content comes from.
This means that AI-generated content might be under closer scrutiny, and Google could be evaluating it differently compared to human-created content,” he explains.
Previously, we spoke to Tim Hanson of PenFriend.ai about selecting the right content marketing agency in the age of AI. Watch the video below to learn more:
How might this impact the rankings of websites that rely heavily on AI-generated content?
“I think this attribute will heavily impact rankings of AI-generated content down the line, simply because the Internet will get flooded with AI content. And AI content is reused content, it doesn’t solve any real problems,” he says.
He advises businesses to keep having their content writing teams produce authentic content and avoid any future risks that might come from relying too much on AI-generated material.
How Much Does Speed Really Impact Search Rankings?
Site speed is another ranking factor discussed in the leak, but does it really affect search rankings?
Kosta says that speed affects rankings in terms of user engagement.
“If a site is very slow, people will simply leave the page. This is bad for engagement. But speed should be pretty bad for this to happen,” he says.
I was also curious to hear Kosta’s opinion on whether Google should place more weight on user experience and site interactivity rather than just site speed when determining rankings.
“I think site speed on its own is not a major factor unless there are very big delays constantly happening. Google places more weight on whatever makes people stay long on the site. Slow speed = people leave the site,” he answers.
Additionally, Kosta highlights that improving site speed on search rankings isn't fixed or absolute. Instead, it varies depending on how other sites in the same ranking category perform.
Given Google’s constant updates and its hundreds of ranking factors, businesses should regularly adjust their SEO strategies to drive success.
To optimize your holistic SEO strategy, Kosta advises always keeping user engagement in mind.
He believes that the only way to withstand any future updates is to keep building on your brand while acquiring quality backlinks, which is QGP’s main approach.
Having a reliable SEO agency can make all the difference in ensuring that your website is properly optimized according to best practices and search engine updates to drive higher traffic and rankings.
QGP positions itself as a great partner for their proven experience, deep technical knowledge, and close relationship with clients.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
