Improve your SEO with video games and Google exploits - Mark Williams-Cook - BrightonSEO April 2025

An exploration paradigm similarity between competitive online video games and SEO, the value of understanding system goals and the meta. Demonstration of real sites exploiting Google successfully, as well as actual Google exploits offering insight into how subsystems work together.

Transcript

6. lol
7. You
8. You Competitors
9. You Competitors Google
10. Understanding system goals
12. Player fun
13. DLCs, loot boxes, micro-transactions Player fun
14. DLCs, loot boxes, micro-transactions Gaming reality Player fun
16. Good SERP
17. Helpful content Good SERP
18. Helpful content I have done this, but I don’t rank :( Good SERP
19. Good SERP
20. Making ungodly amounts of money Good SERP
21. Making ungodly amounts of money Good SERP
22. Making ungodly amounts of money Ranking reality Good SERP
23. Ranking reality
24. Ranking reality Google updates
25. X: @searchandstuff IG: #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly Documented things “The meta”
26. If you want a fun time and not a long time, you can abuse the meta
27. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly Ranking reality Google updates lol
28. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly Ranking reality Google updates lol 0 to 1.3M visitors in 16 weeks
29. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly “Helpful” Content Update
30. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly Topical Authority
31. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
32. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly Martin McGarry (@searchassistance.co.uk)
33. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
34. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly 0 to 40k visitors in 2 weeks
35. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly with one page for casino terms
36. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
37. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
38. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
39. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
40. The content is still not as important as you think
41. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
42. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
43. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
44. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly lol
45. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
46. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
47. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
48. All content is delivered in context to the site
50. The community
51. The community
52. Understand the underlying mechanisms
53. “Inside” information
54. 1/ DOJ documents / patents 2/ Leaks and stuff :o) 3/ Googlers “Inside” information
55. 1/ Googlers 2/ DOJ documents / patents 3/ Leaks and stuff “Inside” information
56. X: @searchandstuff IG: #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
57. X: @searchandstuff IG: #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
58. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly There were ~2,000 properties which conditionally appeared
59. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly 2019 “Twiddlers”
60. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly Ranking Re- Ranking The Twiddler Framework Twiddler Twiddler Twiddler Twiddler Twiddler Framework
61. “We don’t use CTR directly in ranking” ~Gary Illyes / Google Now it makes sense Ranking Post- Ranking
62. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
63. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly 2016: Paul Haahr
64. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly DOJ exhibits (actual slide from Google, not a child)
65. User behaviour + ML are some of the most important signals
66. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
67. There is a “Site quality score” patent
68. X: @searchandstuff IG: #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
69. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
70. Sometimes you’re optimising for a race you’re not part of
71. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
72. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
73. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
74. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
75. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
76. Google classifies all queries in rq_semantic_query_class: SHORT_FACT OTHER COMPARISON CONSEQUENCE REASON DEFINITION INSTRUCTION BOOL
77. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
78. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
79. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly rqpredictor.streamlit.app
80. X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly
81. #SearchandStuff #SearchandStuffAntaly a X: @searchandstuff IG: @searchnstuff No time, many graph, sign up: coreupdates.com
82. Understand and align your strategy with the system goals
83. Or just exploit the meta for profit: Gary is not a cop
84. “Inside information” can verify your understanding
85. Many important inputs are no longer things you can directly impact.
86. Be cautious: apply evidence and logic before you add to your model Play more video games!