Google's GitHub Goof

Google probably didn’t want this to happen. The tech giant accidentally posted a whole host of sensitive internal documents to GitHub that partly detailed the way the search engine ranks web pages. 

And unlike with other blunders that are reversible, due to the nature of GitHub’s Google API, anyone in the world is now authorized to access the documents freely and without limits under the Apache 2 license. You can even download them yourself - though you might not understand them.

"The files consist of "2,596 modules represented in the API documentation with 14,014 attributes (features)."

-Mike King

SEO experts like King have been trying to use the documents to piece together a picture of how Google ranks its web pages. However, without the full scope of background knowledge, they are forced to draw their own conclusions from what is available. What’s most notable is that the search algorithm is often considered Google’s more precious and privileged intellectual property, the secret sauce, so to speak.

Many of the experts, including King, had cause to question, as the information was at odds with things Google has said about SEO in the past. 

'“Lied” is harsh, but it’s the only accurate word to use here.'

-Mike King

One of the inconsistencies is that the documents reveal that the click-through rate of a result affects its ranking, which was something Google had previously denied. While most are outraged, some others point out that this information could actually be used to their benefit - for instance, click-farms could theoretically help to increase a site’s SEO. 

Overall, Google’s mistake has led to sensitive information being released irreversibly into the tech-sphere and this could have lasting impacts on how it is perceived and used. Bigger picture, this serves as an example of what happens when any company gets too careless with internal data.