Welcome to another insightful week with The SEOs Diners Club newsletter. Leveraging over a decade of SEO expertise, I aim to distill the week's most critical developments into a concise read that will take less than seven minutes. Let's dive into the insights that matter.

SEO Lessons We Learned from the Google Search Algorithm Leak

This week, the leak about the Google algorithm caused a significant uproar in the SEO world. I shared my perspectives on this matter.

The incident broke out with the following post from Ipullrank's Mike King, who revealed that internal Google Search-related APIs had been leaked:

King shared his comments on the leaked information in detail in this article. Afterward, some accused King and claimed that he was speculating. Until Google admitted to this leak and said, with its classic habits, that we should not pay much attention to the document:

You have probably read about this development in many different channels.

Google is one of the most secret, closely guarded black boxes in the search world. In the last quarter-century, a leak of this magnitude or detail has not been reported from Google's search division.

Based on my experiences, I commented on the lessons we can learn from this leak. First of all, we need to approach the issue very cautiously.

Three things to keep in mind about the Google leak:

1. This leak is not the entire algorithm. Google is a $2 trillion company, and it doesn't keep its most important trade secrets in a single file that its nearly 200,000 employees can download. If this were the case, he would have already obtained this information by deceiving a rival employee with a large bribe.

2. There is no information on how the weights were used in the leak. These factors or signals may be included in the algorithm, but it is impossible to understand how and when they are used.

3. Search algorithms are not based on a fixed list like “200 ranking factors”. Even if you get a perfect score, it won't win you an SEO medal. Many factors and signals work together in real-time, providing visibility. Therefore, even if a site copies exactly what its competitor does, there is no guarantee of success.

It is impossible to say that the Google Search API Leak will completely change our SEO methods. But if you're not changing anything, there are only two possibilities:

1. You don't consider what's in the content, you don't test it, you don't find reliable sources and follow their research and tests. So, you don't improve on new information, and that was a big mistake throughout my years of doing SEO.

2. Before this leak emerged, we were intuitively familiar with the thousands of potential inputs into Google's Google'ssystems.

If years of experienced SEO expert Michael King is surprised by what is written in these documents, you should be too.

SEO Lessons I Learned from the Google Leak

1. Navboost Data: Click data obtained from Google Chrome is essential in ranking algorithms. Google persistently denied this. However, it has now been revealed that this data may be considered when determining the rankings.

2. Quality Rater Feedback: We thought Google's Google'sRaters only detected general trends. We were surprised by the possibility of such intense use of these people's people's in ranking algorithms.

3. Toxic Backlinks: The Google algorithm has penalization mechanisms for bad backlinks.

4. Site-Wide Title Compatibility: Page titles must be consistent and compatible throughout the site. Don't think this is an outdated method; make your titles compatible with the search queries.

5. Likelihood of Google Ads Affecting Organic Results: If Google Chrome data is used for ranking tracking, paid ads may also affect the rankings.

6. Authors and EEAT: According to information leaked from the documents, Google values the authors' credentials and experience on the subject. Author credentials and working with writers who are experts in their fields can provide an important advantage.

It would be beneficial to remember this information in your future SEO efforts. Even though Google tells you to ignore these, what I shared above is an essential lesson for all of us.

Having said all this, I must also say that Google is obsessively focused on AI Overviews, developed in response to Bing and OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race, and has no intention of returning from it. So, this leak may not have bothered them as much as we thought. According to them, it represents an older and outdated algorithm. I will share the developments on this issue in the next title.

Google Couldn't Stay Indifferent to the Reactions to its Faulty Artificial Intelligence Summaries

While Google has addressed concerns about AI Overviews, it continues to claim that it delivers higher user satisfaction and more clicks.

Google responded to criticism about AI Overviews, stating that it aims to improve accuracy. Pointless queries will no longer trigger AI Overviews. Google continues to claim that most users are satisfied with its AI Overviews. However, most users are looking for its off button 🙂 

These updates include better detection of frivolous queries, limiting the inclusion of humor and satire content, restricting the use of misleading user content, triggering restrictions for queries where AI Overviews are less helpful, and increasing quality protections for sensitive topics like news and health.

The lessons learned from Google's AI Overviews will shape the future of search and have significant implications for the SEO industry.

Accuracy concerns highlight the need for search engines to be transparent about how these AI features work, their limitations, and how issues are addressed.

SEO professionals, content creators, and website owners must demand more transparent communication. Google's chalGoogle'sresent an opportunity for its rivals to shine on transparency, user trust, and ethical use of AI. It will be interesting to see who rises to the challenge.

On the other hand, no matter what we say, the argument that Google will do what it wants is in vain. If American SEO experts and news sites had not raised their voices so much, Google would not have felt the need to make this statement.

How to Adapt to Search Powered by Large Language Models?

To adapt to searches supported by large language models (LLMs), it is necessary to know strategies for managing data quality, natural language interaction, and brand impression.

Unlike traditional search engines, large language models (LLM) promise to answer users' questions with direct answers, not links.

Applications such as ChatGPT and Perplexity and platforms such as AI Overviews, formerly Google's SearGoogle'sative Experience, enable users to obtain information about products and brands through natural language outputs.

This transformation means a new paradigm for marketers, where they must ensure their brands are accurately and consistently represented in relevant searches.

The duties of marketers in this new era are as follows:

1. Ensuring Data Quality and Accuracy: LLMs are trained with large amounts of data, and providing up-to-date information is essential. It is important for marketers to ensure that accurate information about their brand is available online.

2. Interacting with Natural Language: LLMs interact with users in natural language. Therefore, marketers must optimize their content so that these models understand and can deliver to users effectively.

3. Managing Brand Impression: LLMs can shape users” perceptions of brands. Marketers should monitor the information LLMs provide about their brands and intervene when necessary to protect the brand image.

These strategies can help marketers adapt to the new search experiences offered by LLMs and stand out from the competition.

What are AI Agents?

Artificial Intelligence Agents (AI Agents) are complex systems that can make decisions independently and interact with their environment.

These systems can collect data from their environment through various sensors, analyze this data to make decisions, and take action.

This article I read on Zapier inspired me to write this article. Actually, I have been researching the concept of AI agents and the changes they will create for a long time.

Key Features of Artificial Intelligence Agents:

• Autonomy: They can act and make decisions on their own.

• Responsiveness: They can respond to changes in their environment.

• Proactivity: They can take proactive action to achieve goals.

• Sociability: They can interact with other agents and humans.

• Learning: They can learn from their experiences and mistakes over time.

Various Types of Artificial Intelligence Agents:

• Reactive Agents: They make decisions based on past experiences.

• Goal-Oriented Agents: They can plan and problem-solve to achieve a specific goal.

• Model-Based Agents: They make decisions using a model that represents the environment.

• Reinforcement Learning Agents: They learn through trial and error from their actions and the rewards they receive.

Uses of Artificial Intelligence Agents:

• Robotics: Control and navigation of robots.

• Virtual Assistants: Personal assistants and customer service representatives.

• Gaming: Computer games and strategic planning.

• Medicine: Disease diagnosis and treatment planning.

• Finance: Risk analysis and investment optimization.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence Agents:

Artificial intelligence agents have the potential to revolutionize many fields. We can expect to see more complex and sophisticated agents in the future. For example, they can search for topics you are interested in and bring them to you. Although it may be difficult to accept, it is evident that they will eliminate the need to make calls after a while.

These agents will be able to interact with humans more naturally and meaningfully and offer new and innovative solutions to complex problems.

Why Every Marketer Should Be on Reddit

Reddit offers unique opportunities for digital marketing with its large and dynamic user base.

Reddit usage is increasing rapidly, especially in projects targeting America. The platform rewards authentic and friendly interactions, providing valuable information and brand awareness for brands.

Reddit users trust the platform when murchasing decisions, awhich is significant advantage for brands. Examples of successful campaigns show how effective Reddit is in reaching target audiences. To use Reddit effectively, it is essential to understand the communities and establish long-term, honest interactions.

Why Is Reddit Important?

• Large and Active Audience: With 500 million users, Reddit is one of the world's most active and most visited websites. Eighty-two million users visit the platform daily, sharing over 1 billion posts and 16 billion comments.

• Reaching the Target Audience: With more than 100,000 active communities, Reddit hosts users with interests in every field. This allows marketers to reach their target audiences directly.

• High Participation: Reddit users are very active and participatory on the platform. They are eager to engage with brands by commenting on posts, voting, and interacting with other users.

• Organic Reach: Reddit has excellent potential for organic reach. Properly optimized content can rise to the top of search results and subreddits and reach a broad audience.

• Building Brand Credibility: Reddit is a platform where users can connect with brands intimately. By communicating openly and transparently, marketers can build brand trust and loyalty.

How to Create a Successful Reddit Marketing Strategy?

• Choose the Right Subreddits: Determine the subreddits where your target audience is active and focus on them.

• Create Valuable Content: Produce content that will attract users' attention and suit the subreddit culture.

• Actively Participate’ Post regularly, respond to comments, and interact with other users.

• Use Ads Correctly: You can reach your target audience more broadly with sponsored content and advertisements.

• Track Analytical Data: Use Reddit's analytics tools to track your performance and optimize Reddit'sategy.

Successful Reddit Marketing Examples:

• Toyota: Toyota has run several campaigns on Reddit to connect with users genuinely.

• Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola increased its brand awareness by producing content that attracted users' attention and organizing contests on Reddit.

• Duracell: Duracel increased product awareness by sharing videos on Reddit that attracted users' attention and enabled them to interact with the brand.

Reddit is a platform with great potential for marketers. When used correctly, it can build brand awareness, connect with audiences, and increase sales.

Recommended Tools & Services

• WhitePress: WhitePress is a content marketing platform that enables accessible article publishing across 90,571 websites in 30 languages, offering native copywriting and automated global publication services.

• Cannibalization Explorer Looker Studio Report is a tool for identifying keyword cannibalization and providing insights into how keywords perform across different pages.

• SurferSEO is a tool that helps you create and optimize content for SEO. It analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keywords and gives you suggestions on how to improve your content. Surfer AI also has a feature that can generate ready-to-rank articles in minutes.

• Copilot Pro: Copilot Pro is available for $20/month for cloud-based GenAI models and $27/month with Microsoft 365. It is integrated with Microsoft 365 applications and provides access to GPT-4 Turbo and advanced AI rendering tools.

• AlsoAsked is a helpful tool that can boost your visibility in the “People Also Ask” section of Google's search engine results page.”

• Semrush Map Rank Tracker is a Google-changing tool for local businesses looking to dominate their niche and attract more customers. I've been using the free version for a while now, and I'm impressed with its ease and effectiveness.

• ContentShake AI is an intelligent writing tool that combines AI with real-life competitor insights. It guides you from ideation to publishing directly to the blog, generates SEO-friendly articles, and helps you optimize them for organic traffic and engagement.

• Microsoft Clarity has recently introduced a feature called Copilot, which incorporates Generative AI through Large Language Models (LLMs) into the analytics tool. This integration aims to make data more accessible and understandable for users by leveraging the same technology created by OpenAI, which powers the new Bing or ChatGPT.

• InLinks is an SEO tool that uses a knowledge graph to optimize content for search engines. It automates internal linking and schema markup, simplifying SEO processes and content strategies.

Subscribe to my newsletter to stay informed about the latest in SEO and digital marketing. Next week, I'll continue to share the newest insights, tactics, and strategies for navigating the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.

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Best,

Mert Erkal