Search Engine Optimization is a field that is constantly evolving. Google, for example, regularly makes adjustments to the algorithm that decides when, where, and how to show a specific link, with the overall mission of providing the most relevant and reliable information.
Here are the major Google Search ranking factors to consider if you want to rank at the top of the SERPs.
Content is essential to SEO ranking as this is what will attract search engines to index your pages correctly and help rank your website better.
Google measures content quality by reviewing a page’s content and structure, taking into account factors such as incoming and outgoing links, keyword relevance, and usability.
High-quality content is well-structured, engaging, and provides value and relevant information to its readers by answering questions they may have relating to what they search for. Fresh content is also important, as this will trigger Google to crawl your website to index its new content and therefore increase your chances of visibility.
Not only does high-quality content indicate to Google and other search engines that it should be ranked higher, but high-quality content helps to engage your readers and helps with other SEO ranking factors such as engagement.
Long-form content is known to outperform shorter pieces, with one study finding that pages with 2,000+ words receive the most organic traffic.
This could be because longer content allows you to include more keywords relevant to your topic, which gives search engines more opportunities to rank your page for those keywords.
Long-form content also allows you to go into greater detail about your topic, providing more value and information to your readers. This can help reduce your bounce rate, as readers will be less likely to leave your page if they feel they have found all the information they need.
E-A-T is a Google Search ranking factor that measures the quality of your content in terms of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This includes factors such as whether an expert on the topic writes your content or if it contains accurate information.
The load speed of your website is an important ranking factor, as it determines how long it takes for your website to load when someone clicks on a link to your site from the search results.
A slow website can lead to a high bounce rate, as people will click away before the page has even had a chance to load. This signals to Google that your website is not providing a good user experience and will therefore be ranked lower.
Google prefers websites that are secure, which is why having an SSL certificate is now a ranking factor. When you have an SSL certificate, your website will show up as HTTPS instead of HTTP in the browser, which indicates to users that your site is secure.
Did you know that Google has over 200 ranking factors? Google is the world’s most popular search engine by far.
With roughly 5.6 billion queries every day on Google, it dominates competing search engines such as Bing and Yahoo. It’s reasonable to want to appear higher in Google search results.
However, with SEO (search engine optimization) changing regularly, it can be difficult to apply and keep up with all of the changes.
So, which Google ranking factors are vital for your website? In this second part of the article series, we’ll be narrowing down the SEO ranking factors that should matter most for your website. Read on!
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours that signal to Google that your website is trustworthy and relevant. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website will be ranked.
Crawlability is a measure of how easy it is for Google to access and index your website. If your website is difficult to crawl, it will take Google longer to find and rank your pages, which can hurt your SEO.
Google claimed in 2015 that mobile-friendliness was an important element in SEO ranking, citing that mobile users produced most of all website traffic worldwide.
Even though desktop still accounts for the majority of your company, it is critical that your website be mobile-friendly to demonstrate to Google that you are up to date on user trends.
This includes making sure your menus are easy to navigate on small displays, that photos appear appropriately, and that the writing is not too small.
Your website should be optimized for the keywords you want to rank for in order to improve your chances of appearing in the search results. This means using those keywords throughout your website, including in the title, header, and body of your pages.
Your website’s user experience is another important ranking factor, as it signals to Google how easy your website is to use. This includes factors such as whether users can find what they’re looking for easily, if the design is easy on the eyes, and if the overall experience is enjoyable.
A good user experience will lead to a lower bounce rate, which indicates to Google that people are finding what they’re looking for on your site and staying there.
Domain authority is a measure of how well-established and popular your website is. The higher your domain authority, the more likely you are to rank well in search results. There are a number of factors that contribute to domain authority, such as the age of your domain, the quality of your content, and the number of backlinks you have.
Conclusion
Google uses a variety of factors to rank websites in the search results, with the content being one of the most important. To improve your chances of ranking higher, ensure your content is high quality, relevant to your target keywords, and provides value to your readers. Additionally, keep your content fresh by regularly publishing new pieces, and ensure your website loads quickly to avoid a high bounce rate.
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