New SEO Ranking Secrets from Google’s DOJ Deposition

What if you could peek behind the curtain of Google’s ranking algorithm? A recent U.S. Department of Justice deposition of a Google engineer just gave us that chance, revealing new SEO ranking secrets from Google’s own mouth. As a Fractional CMO and SEO strategist at ClickIt CMO, I’ve pored over this testimony to translate the geek-speak into real-world tactics for small business owners, local marketers, marketing directors, and mid-sized businesses. In this blog, we’ll break down the newly confirmed insights (not the same old SEO platitudes) and, more importantly, what you should do about each one. Get ready for an informative, business-casual walk through Google’s latest ranking clues – actionable insights without the fluff, just as you’d want for your LinkedIn feed.

Google’s Hand-Crafted “ABC” Ranking Signals: Content, Links & Clicks Matter More Than Ever

One major revelation is Google’s concept of “ABC” signals for ranking relevance. According to the leaked testimony, Google combines three core inputs to gauge how well a page matches a query:

• A – Anchors: The backlinks pointing to your page (with their anchor text context).
• B – Body: The content on your page, especially how it contains the search query terms.
• C – Clicks: How users interact, particularly their dwell time on your page before returning to the search results.

In plain English, Google looks at backlink trust signals, on-page relevance, and user engagement metrics for SEO when determining topical relevance. These signals aren’t new individually – SEO pros have long optimized content and links – but hearing a Googler explicitly affirm user clicks (behavior) as part of the formula is big news. It confirms that dwell time and engagement are officially part of Google’s SERP ranking strategy, not just rumors.

Practical takeaway: Make sure your SEO strategy covers all three “ABC” bases. Produce high-quality, relevant content that answers searchers’ queries (cover your Body signal). Invest in earning authoritative backlinks from relevant sites to boost your Anchors signal (quality over quantity!). And critically, keep visitors engaged – improve page load speed, readability, and content usefulness so that users stick around (boosting the Clicks signal). For example, a how-to article that immediately provides value (and perhaps a video or infographic) can reduce pogo-sticking. The more your page satisfies users, the more Google will reward it.

Page Quality Is Static & Site-Wide – Authority (Trust) Trumps Query Tricks

Another insight from the deposition is that Google calculates a page’s quality score as a largely static, site-wide metric – essentially an assessment of your site’s overall trustworthiness that applies across all queries. Unlike relevance signals that change with each keyword search, quality doesn’t fluctuate every time. If Google deems your site high-quality and authoritative in general, that reputation benefits you on all related searches. (Only in special cases will the query itself influence this score – e.g. a very niche technical query might favor a more technical high-quality site over a general one.)

The engineer emphasized how important this Google quality score still is: “Q* (page quality…trustworthiness) is incredibly important… Quality score is hugely important even today”. In fact, page quality is one of the factors people (and Google’s own evaluators) complain about most when it’s lacking. We also learned that Google’s original ranking signal, PageRank, has evolved into a component of this quality score – described as a “single signal relating to distance from a known good source, and it is used as an input to the Quality score”. In other words, Google now views backlinks through a “trust distance” lens: how far removed your site is from a set of highly trusted seed sites. The closer your backlinks connect you to authoritative seed websites in your topic, the more trust (authority) your site accrues.

Practical takeaway: Site-wide authority is gold. You should focus on building a trustworthy website in every aspect – expertise in your content, positive user reviews, credible authorship, and of course, quality backlinks from authority sites in your industry (those convey trust by association). Don’t just optimize one page for one keyword; invest in your site’s overall reputation. This means auditing for E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) across your content. For instance, a local realtor’s blog that consistently publishes data-backed housing market insights and earns links from respected real estate organizations will develop a high “quality” score broadly. Remember that backlink trust signals like PageRank still very much matter in 2025 – perhaps even more so now that we know they feed into your site’s credibility ranking. Aim to get cited by trusted “seed” sources (a mention on a .gov or an industry leader’s blog beats dozens of low-quality links). At ClickIt CMO, our AI Visibility Audit is designed to pinpoint where your authority is lacking and provide a link-earning playbook to shift those trust signals in your favor.

AI Content Flood & Google’s Response: Why “AI Makes It Worse” for Quality

It’s no secret that the web is currently flooded with AI-generated content – and Google knows it. In the deposition, the Google engineer candidly noted that people have been complaining about content quality, and “nowadays…AI makes it worse”. In other words, the surge of auto-generated, low-quality text is aggravating the very quality concerns Google’s algorithms are trying to address. Because Google’s page quality systems are “largely static and related to the site rather than the query”, a flood of thin AI pages on your site could drag down your overall quality reputation – a risky move for businesses hoping to rank.

Google isn’t just shaking its fist at AI content; it’s also leveraging AI within its ranking systems in a controlled way. The deposition mentioned an internal ranking component called eDeepRank, described as an LLM-based system using BERT transformers to help break down and interpret complex language model signals. Essentially, Google is using advanced AI (like BERT, a language model) to better understand content and user intent, but decomposing those AI-driven insights into transparent factors that engineers can tweak. This aligns with Google’s preference for “hand-crafted” signals – they even contrasted their approach to Bing’s more automated system. Google intentionally hand-tunes most ranking signals (using human quality raters, empirical testing, etc.) so that when something goes wrong they “know what to fix”. It’s like a pilot insisting on manual controls for critical systems – more work up front, but easier to troubleshoot than a fully automated black box.

Practical takeaway: Resist the temptation to pump out masses of unchecked AI-generated content for quick SEO gains. Google is doubling down on content quality and can smell the mass-produced fluff. If you use AI, use it to assist a human expert – e.g. generate ideas or first drafts that you then refine – rather than replacing human insight. Focus on experience and expertise in your content: share original insights, case studies, and clear, helpful answers that AI alone couldn’t produce. This will distinguish your site’s quality in an AI-cluttered web. Also, be aware that Google is increasingly using AI (like BERT) to evaluate content semantics and relevance. Ensure your writing is clear and structured (good headings, FAQ schema, etc.), which helps both AI algorithms and human readers. The bottom line: quality over quantity. As Google’s engineer implied, low-quality AI content could hurt your site’s trust in the long run. Instead, aim for content that showcases your unique expertise – that’s something algorithms (AI-based or not) consistently reward.

The Mystery Chrome-Based Popularity Signal: User Behavior Outside Google Might Count

Perhaps the most intriguing nugget from the testimony is a reference to a “popularity” signal derived from Chrome data. One cryptic excerpt read: “[redacted] (popularity) signal that uses Chrome data.”. This suggests Google may indeed use anonymized Chrome browser usage stats as a ranking factor – effectively measuring a site’s popularity by how people interact with it on the web at large. This is huge because Google representatives have long denied using Chrome data to rank pages (publicly insisting Chrome browsing history isn’t a factor). In fact, Google spokespeople have repeatedly said they don’t use Chrome data for rankings, yet leaked internal documents specifically mention Chrome in the context of search signals. It appears the deposition just confirmed what many SEOs have suspected: there is a Chrome-based SEO ranking factor at play.

Now, the exact nature of this signal remains shrouded in mystery – the document had it redacted, after all. It could relate to how often users visit or bookmark a site in Chrome, how long they stay, or other engagement metrics at the browser level. The SEO community is buzzing about it because it’s essentially Google’s own browser feeding user behavior insights back into search rankings. Roger Montti (the author reporting on the deposition) noted this aligns with a recent leak of Google’s search API data that hinted at 14,000+ ranking features including Chrome UX metrics. Google has neither confirmed nor refuted these specifics, but the pieces are forming a picture: user engagement beyond Google Search – possibly page views, time on site, repeat visits captured via Chrome – might influence rankings.

Practical takeaway: While we can’t directly manipulate a secret Chrome signal, the implication is clear – user experience and popularity matter at a broad level. In addition to optimizing for the traditional on-site SEO metrics, focus on building a brand and website that people actively seek out and enjoy. For example, if you run a local restaurant, nurture your online reputation so that users deliberately navigate to your site (via Chrome, mobile, etc.) because they trust your brand. Engage visitors with useful tools or compelling content that makes them want to come back. High user satisfaction and loyalty might well register in Chrome’s data, essentially boosting a “popularity” score for your domain. This hidden signal reinforces what good marketers already do: prioritize user engagement and retention. Make your website fast, friendly, and valuable so that it earns organic popularity. If you increase direct visits, repeat traffic, and user time spent (without relying solely on Google search), you could indirectly be sending Google positive ranking signals. Think of it as reputation management for SEO – happy users beget higher rankings.

Conclusion: Adapting Your SEO Strategy to Google’s New Clues

It’s not every day we get confirmation from Google insiders about ranking factors. These DOJ deposition revelations give us a rare peek into Google’s playbook, and smart marketers will update their approach accordingly. To recap the SEO ranking secrets from Google we learned:

• Relevance = Content + Links + Engagement: Align your pages with the ABC signals by creating excellent content (Body), building quality backlinks (Anchors), and satisfying user intent (Clicks).
• Trust and Quality are Paramount: Invest in site-wide credibility. Your overall authority (quality score) now underpins all rankings, so cultivate expertise and get those trustworthy backlinks.
• User Experience is Queen (not just content): From dwell time on your pages to possibly even Chrome browser popularity, Google is watching how users interact. Delight your visitors at every turn.
• Be Selective with AI: Google is wary of the AI content deluge. Use AI wisely, but keep the bar high – demonstrate human expertise and originality.
• Stay Informed & Nimble: Google’s algorithm is complex and evolving (over hundreds of systems). When new evidence emerges (like this deposition), pivot your SEO strategy. Small tweaks now (better content, faster site, improved link profile) can mean big gains in future rankings.

Remember, SEO is not about gaming one signal – it’s about delivering value holistically. Google’s hand-tuned approach rewards those who cover all the bases in a balanced way. As a marketing leader or business owner, take these insights as validation to do what really works long-term: be the best answer for your customers, across content, credibility, and experience.

Call to action: If you’re unsure how to put these revelations into practice, or you need an expert pair of eyes on your strategy, let’s chat. At ClickIt CMO, we specialize in cutting through the noise and focusing on what moves the needle for your business. Reach out for a free 15-minute consultation, and we’ll help you craft an SEO game plan built on proven fundamentals and the latest secrets. Your path to better rankings (and more customers) might be just one conversation away – schedule your SEO consultation with ClickIt CMO today!

Frequently Asked Questions about SEO Ranking Secrets from Google’s DOJ Deposition

What are Google’s “ABC” ranking signals?

Google’s “ABC” signals refer to three core factors in its ranking algorithm: Anchors, Body, and Clicks. Anchors means backlinks pointing to your page (and their anchor text context), Body is the content of your page (how relevant it is to the search query), and Clicks refers to user interaction signals like click-through rate and dwell time. Essentially, Google looks at your site’s link authority, on-page relevance, and user engagement metrics when deciding how to rank it. To improve on these, create high-quality content, earn reputable backlinks, and keep visitors engaged on your pages.

How does Google evaluate page quality for SEO rankings?

Google uses a page quality score (a measure of trustworthiness and authority) that is largely static across queries. This means Google assesses your site’s overall quality – based on factors like expertise of content, site reputation, and yes, even backlink trust signals – and that score influences all your rankings. If your site is deemed high-quality, it’s considered trustworthy on any related search. (For example, a medical site with expert-reviewed articles gains authority to rank on many health queries.) The recent Google testimony confirmed that quality score is “hugely important” in rankings. To improve it, focus on E-E-A-T: showcase experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness in your content. Also, get endorsements from other trusted sites (mentions or links), as Google’s algorithm uses those to gauge your site’s credibility.

Does Google use Chrome data as a ranking factor?

Surprisingly, it appears yes – there may be a Chrome-based popularity signal in Google’s algorithm. The deposition revealed an internal reference to a “popularity signal that uses Chrome data,” suggesting that Google might consider how users interact with sites via the Chrome browser (such as visits or engagement) as a ranking factor. This contradicts past official statements where Google denied using Chrome browsing data in rankings. While Google hasn’t publicly confirmed the details, the evidence implies that user behavior outside of Google Search – for instance, how often people visit your site or how long they stay (as tracked by Chrome) – can influence your SEO rankings. In practice, you can’t game this directly, but it reinforces the need to build a site that people want to visit and engage with. A popular, frequently visited website (with good user experience) is likely to get a boost from any Chrome-based ranking signals.

Are user engagement metrics like dwell time part of Google’s algorithm?

Yes. The leaked Google testimony confirms that Google measures user engagement metrics in SEO rankings – specifically mentioning click signals such as how long a user stays on a result before returning to the SERP (dwell time or “long click”). If users click on your site and quickly bounce back to Google, that’s a negative signal; if they stick around and engage, it’s a positive one. These engagement metrics serve as a proxy for content quality and relevance. For site owners, the takeaway is to optimize for user satisfaction: make sure your page content immediately addresses the visitor’s query, is easy to read, and provides value so that people don’t feel the need to hit the back button. While you shouldn’t chase every algorithm signal, creating a great user experience aligns perfectly with what Google rewards.

Do backlinks still matter for Google rankings in 2025?

Absolutely. Backlinks remain a critical trust signal in Google’s algorithm. In fact, Google’s original PageRank system (which scores pages based on links) is still in use – the recent deposition described PageRank as a measure of “distance from a known good source” that feeds into the page’s quality score. In simpler terms, if your site is getting links from authoritative, trusted websites (those “known good sources”), your own authority and ranking potential increase. Conversely, if your backlinks are mostly from low-quality or irrelevant sites, they won’t help much. For 2025 and beyond, focus on quality backlinks over quantity. A single link from a respected industry publication or .edu/.gov site can outweigh dozens of mediocre links. Backlinks are not the only factor, but they validate your content in Google’s eyes. So yes, they matter – very much – but the emphasis is on earning trusted, relevant backlinks. Aim to create content others naturally want to cite, and consider outreach or digital PR to build those high-value link connections.