Many factors have to be taken into consideration for achieving a good ranking in Google. However, there are some core aspects that you need to pay attention to for being successful in Google. Your website must be perfectly optimized in order to get significant amount of traffic to your website and thereby SERPs. It is a fact that Google’s algorithm changes frequently and we cannot rely on yesterday’s ranking factors, however the 5 factors mentioned in this post will surely be helpful for you for the year 2017.
Table Of Content
Here Are The 5 Most Vital Ranking Factors For Google:
– High-Quality & Useful Content
High-quality content emerges as one of the key Google ranking factors. Google is the best and the most widely used search engine because it provides its users with relevant and useful content. If the search results direct people to any type of content that is not useful and does not provide any value, then people won’t consider Google as an authoritative search engine. That is why high-quality content that solves user queries is what helps Google ranking genuine value-driven websites.
You should create top-quality content with a reader-centric approach while keeping SEO ranking factors in alignment. Google’s helpful content update guides how you can write value-driven and user-focused content to boost your ranking.
The search engine algorithm is a core framework to target when you try to crack the code for how Google ranks websites. Basically, there is a system that verifies your content and not human verification. Here are some of the important factors on the basis of which content is ranked by Google:
- The number of links to your website pages from other high ranking websites
- The domain authority of your website – .edu and .gov domains are always ranked higher
- The number of social media mentions the page / posts have
- Time spent by people on your website pages – the higher, the better
- The bounce rate of your content pages – the lower, the better
The above mentioned factors indicate to Google that people have found your website pages useful previously. It is important to take into consideration that the focus is on individual pages and Google ranks individual pages of your website.
– Backlinks
Creating backlinks is a key element for Google algorithm updates, which has a high weightage as an SEO ranking factor; however it is important to make sure that the backlinks are created from diverse and authoritative websites. The key to a strong link building profile is to create content that people want to read, and then promote the content through every medium possible. When other people and industry authorities read your content and link to your content, Google will detect your backlink’s matching anchor text and it will rate your content as useful.
When you get a higher number of links from other high-ranking websites, you succeed in fulfilling the three crucial factors affecting Google ranking:
- Number of backlinks
- Link authority
- Link diversity
– Optimized Keywords
Keywords optimization is also an important ranking factor. The appearance of the appropriate keywords in page titles, URLs, meta description and text implies the relevance of your content in respect of a particular search query.
It is also important to take into consideration that Google’s algorithm is much more advanced and it can judge the relevance of your content through a system called ’latent semantic keywords’; this means that after identifying the keywords in your content, the algorithm will then search for words that it expects to be associated with those keywords.
For example is someone is searching for – ‘The best way to learn to drive a car’, Google will not just look for the words ‘learn to drive a car’, but it will also look for words like speed, accelerator, driving, roads etc. as these words are associated with the topic. As a result of this, Google can filter the relevant results.
Therefore, if you would like to secure a good ranking for your website, it is important to make the use of the right keywords and along with them you should also make use of the other related keywords.
– Optimize Your Website For Mobile
If we discuss the major changes in Google algorithm updates since 2016, mobile-first indexing is a notable update. This change has influenced local SEO ranking factors for regional small-scale businesses. This goes on to say that Google will first crawl the mobile version of the website rather than the desktop version. Nowadays, mobile optimization plays a major role in rankings, and site speed SEO is crucial for ensuring website compatibility for different devices. In 2017 and in the coming years it will be extremely important that your content is responsive through all the mobile devices and it looks identical to the content present on your desktop website. Mobile friendliness is the new norm and you need to make sure that your website is developed in accordance with this norm.
It is important to note that if you are in the process of creating the mobile version of your website, hold the launch of the mobile version until it is completed. If you release an incomplete version of your mobile website, you might end up hurting your website ranking. It is a better option to keep your website in the desktop mode until the mobile version is completely ready.
– Other Important Technical Website Ranking Factors
There are many other important technical factors that seem to be small but play an important role in ranking your website, they include the following:
- Encryption: You can find a connection between the HTTPS ranking factor and first page ranking parameters of the Google search engine. Google confirmed in one of the updates back in 2014 that websites that have an HTTPS encryption will be in a better position in terms of rankings in comparison to their HTTP counterparts. This is an important factor that still hold true and it also portrays the credibility of your website.
- H1 and H2 Headings: You will find that most of the leading websites in Google have the H1 and H2 headings in the source code. There is a strong correlation between having the right H1 and H2 headings and gaining a better rank.
- Anchor Text: Having the exact match anchor text still has a significant influence on website rankings; however, it is important to note that you might risk your website for a penalty if your anchor text appears to be unnatural or spammy. An easy solution to this is to ensure that you have a diverse and organic backlink anchor text.
Search engine optimization has been evolving over time and we will see new changes in the future. However, the importance of the 5 factors motioned above is going to help your website rankings for a long time. If you prioritize the essential elements of your website, then you will surely gain a competitive edge, good amount of targeted traffic to your website and of course impressive website rankings.
FAQs
What factors does Google consider to decide a website’s ranking?
When determining a website’s ranking, several Google ranking factors are considered in the process. A user-friendly interface, quality content, and a strong backlink profile are key factors that influence how Google ranks websites. Search engine’s algorithm checks several elements as its objectives to deliver its users with the most authoritative and value-driven results for their searches.
What does E-E-A-T stand for, and how to implement it?
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) comes under the core of a search engine that helps to know what helps Google ranking. If you want to tailor your content as per E-E-A-T, ensure your content delivers value to Google’s search engine users through different forms of content and credible information. Create high-quality backlink profiles, build positive interactions, and provide a secure environment.
What role do LCP, CLS, and INP play in website performance?
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and Interaction to Next Paint (INP) come under primary standards for assessing website speed and user experience. They are core pillars of site speed SEO and are a key deciding factor for how Google ranks websites. As per Google’s algorithm, websites with a better user experience and quick loading speed tend to rank higher.
Why is user experience (UX) critical for Google’s ranking algorithm?
User experience (UX) is an inevitable part of Google ranking factors. Websites that feature user-friendly navigation, fast page loading, and cross-device compatibility engage more users. It sends a positive signal about your website and helps in SEO ranking. According to Google algorithm updates, websites with top-class UI have a higher chance of ranking on a search engine.
