Yandex search engine leak in 2023
March 3, 2023

TLDR of the Yandex 2023 Leak

Yandex is a Russian search engine that functions similarly to Google. In Russia and neighboring countries, Yandex owns 54% of the search engine market, followed by Google at 44%. Yandex’s algorithm is similar to Google’s, but it includes some unique features tailored to the Russian language and culture.

So, what exactly is this alleged algorithm leak all about? So far as we know, a person claiming to be a former Yandex employee has leaked information about the inner workings of the search engine’s algorithm. Here’s the full list of raw leaked info. This information allegedly includes specifics on how Yandex determines search rankings and the factors it considers.

It’s worth noting that the factuality of this leaked information is still being debated. Yandex has denied that any significant information was leaked, but some in the SEO community are still taking this leak seriously.

The Yandex algorithm

Another little-known fact about the Yandex algorithm is that it employs a feature known as “Islands,” which divides search results into groups based on the query’s topic. Users can quickly find the information they need without having to sift through irrelevant results.

Overall, the Yandex algorithm is a complex and sophisticated system designed to provide users with the best possible search results. While it differs from Google in some ways, it is an important player in the world of search engines that digital marketers should not overlook.

The Leak

So far as we know, the leak allegedly revealed some details about the inner workings of Yandex’s search algorithm.

The problem is that we don’t know for sure whether the leaked information is correct or not. There’s some speculation that it’s not the real thing or is out of date, so take everything with a grain of salt.

Test your assumptions and use what makes sense to enhance your SEO.

Here’s are the important TLDR that I’ve compiled:

  1. Better URL
    • Less deep within architecture (less slashes)
    • Don’t use digits
    • Use 3 keywords
  2. Tech SEO
    • Server Speed
    • Need analytics installed
  3. Link Building: Make it natural!
    • Link age (3-7 yrs old)
    • DR, how old, have organic traffic
    • Build links with a more natural frequency and varying amounts
    • Build links with both branded and non-branded anchor texts
    • Avoid buying links from websites that have mixed topics
    • Backlinks built from homepages is better than internal pages
  4. PPC helps
  5. Wikipedia helps (Yandex value it higher than Google)
  6. User behaviours and dwell time rules:
    • CTR matters but don’t manipulate CTR, as you may get penalized
    • Time on site
    • User “loyalty”: site engagement + return frequency, duration between visits, and source of the visit
    • Bounce Rate
  7. Update your page
    • 10 years should be deleted or updated (preferred)
    • Consistent updates is good
  8. Average domain position on ranking keywords (Looking at your site’s average ranking from all the keywords ranked)
  9. Content Quality
    • 100 Great pages, but if we have 20 bad ai pages, it will drag the 100 down
    • Check pages and fix the bad quality pages
    • Ratio of useful and advertising content on a page
    • The less ads on the page, the better. Execive ads yields negative impact.

To reiterate, it is still too early to say what the leaked information means for SEO. We don’t even know if the information is correct. So, while staying informed about this news is important, I wouldn’t recommend making any drastic changes to your SEO strategy just yet. Overall, the Yandex algorithm leak is a noteworthy development in the world of SEO. It will be fascinating to see how it unfolds and what effect it has on the industry.