Insights from the DOJ vs Google Trial
The ongoing DOJ vs Google antitrust trial has revealed rare and valuable insights into how Google Search actually works behind the scenes. A recent filing by Google executive Liz Reid sheds light on why Google considers user data, page quality signals, and freshness indicators as some of its most closely guarded proprietary assets.
For SEOs, marketers, and digital strategists, this document confirms what many have long suspected: user satisfaction data is central to Google’s ranking systems.
Key Takeaways from the DOJ Filing
- Google has been ordered to share certain data with competitors to reduce monopolistic advantages.
- Google strongly resists sharing user-side data, citing risks to search quality and spam prevention.
- Page quality, freshness, and spam annotations are core proprietary ranking signals.
- User interaction data directly trains Google’s machine learning ranking models.
Google’s Proprietary Page Quality & Freshness Signals
According to the filing, freshness signals are not just minor ranking factors—they are foundational to how Google determines relevance. These signals help Google decide which content should surface first, especially for time-sensitive queries.
This explains why consistent content updates, relevance to current intent, and ongoing engagement matter far more than static SEO tactics.
Every Indexed Page Is Heavily Annotated
Every page that Google crawls and indexes is marked up with what Google calls “proprietary page understanding annotations.” These annotations include:
- Spam identification signals
- Duplicate content markers
- Page quality classifications
In simple terms, Google assigns every page a deep internal profile that influences how (or if) it appears in search results.
Why Google Won’t Share Spam Scores
One of Google’s strongest objections in the trial is around sharing spam-related data. If competitors—or bad actors—gained access to these signals, it would become easier to reverse-engineer Google’s ranking systems.
This would result in more sophisticated spam, ultimately degrading search quality for users.
Only a Fraction of the Web Makes It into Google’s Index
Another major revelation: only a small percentage of crawled pages ever make it into Google’s primary index.
Google argues that sharing indexed URLs would allow competitors to skip the expensive process of crawling and analyzing the entire web and instead focus only on “approved” pages—something Google has spent years and billions building.
User Data: The Real Engine Behind Google Search
The most critical insight from the filing is the role of user data.
Google uses extensive user interaction data to power internal systems like GLUE, which stores information about:
- Search queries
- Language, location, and device type
- What appears on the SERP
- What users click, hover over, or ignore
- How long users stay on results or return to search
RankEmbed BERT: Learning from Real Users
One of Google’s most important deep learning systems, RankEmbed BERT, is trained directly on user behavior.
This system helps re-rank results generated by traditional ranking algorithms by learning:
- Which results users actually choose
- Whether users return to the SERP
- Which results lead to long-term satisfaction
Google also runs live experiments and combines user interaction data with feedback from quality raters to continuously refine search results.
The Big SEO Takeaway: Optimize for Satisfaction, Not Tricks
The DOJ filing reinforces one fundamental truth: user satisfaction is the most important ranking signal.
Clicks, engagement, dwell time, and task completion all feed Google’s learning systems. SEO today is no longer about manipulating signals—it’s about delivering genuinely helpful, satisfying experiences.
Could Chrome Data Be Involved?
While not fully disclosed, the trial hints that Chrome browser data may also play a role in understanding real-world user engagement—such as form submissions, content interaction, and task completion.
If true, this further emphasizes the importance of real UX, not just SERP performance.
Final Thoughts
The Liz Reid declaration makes one thing clear: Google’s dominance in Search is powered by massive volumes of real user data combined with advanced machine learning systems.
For brands and marketers, the path forward is obvious—build content and experiences that users genuinely find useful. That’s what Google is optimizing for, and that’s where sustainable SEO lives.
