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What are Google ranking factors?
SEO is the process of optimizing your website to appear as high as possible in organic search engine results (yes, you can strive for the first page). When discussing search, the phrase "organic" refers to unpaid search results. This differs from the paid results obtained through PPC advertising.
Organic rankings on Google are decided by an algorithm that considers a variety of attributes and SEO metrics—these are your ranking criteria.
There are around 200 Google ranking factors, and while we will never know them all, we do understand many of them. We also know that while ranking variables and algorithms may fluctuate, the attributes Google is aiming to extract from them are expertise, authority, and
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Before we go into the top ten Google ranking variables for which you can optimize your website pages, let's first define the various types.
There is no single ranking criteria that can make or break your SEO. It is the culmination of all of your technical, on-page, and off-page activities that work together to help you rank higher in Google, increase traffic, and develop trust.
The technical search engine ranking criteria listed above apply to your entire website, but the following ranking variables are page-specific—hence the phrase on-page SEO.
The most crucial Google ranking element is the quality of your content. This is congruent with the production of high-quality material, user engagement, and specialty knowledge, as shown in the chart. So, what constitutes relevant, excellent content?
In a recent Directive poll, 78% of marketers cited keyword research as a high-impact approach for delivering new traffic. The research method enables you to better understand what your target audience is looking for and generate content that specifically meets these search queries.
Once you've determined which keywords you want to rank for, you must arrange them strategically on your page. This includes:
Not only is the quality of your material important in demonstrating expertise in your field, but so is the quantity of that quality content. For example, WordStream has been posting high-quality PPC content for a long time, and Google has come to regard us as a reliable source in this field. However, if we create an extremely high-quality post about, say, robotic process automation, our chances of ranking for that term are limited.
The hub and spoke method (also known as pillar page and cluster content) can help you expand your niche expertise. This strategy involves creating a hub/pillar page on a specific topic, which is typically a broad, high-volume term. This is the primary resource for that topic, and your H2s address distinct child keywords within that topic.
Then you have your spokes, or cluster content, which are supplementary pages that delve deeper into each of the characteristics (child keywords) mentioned in the pillar page.
In addition to displaying your experience in this field, this strategy improves your site structure, which we'll discuss later. Because the cluster pages link to and from the pillar content, as well as to each other, all of your links remain tightly grouped around the same issue.
Because it requires understanding of website structure and content management systems, technical SEO is typically a collaborative effort between marketing and development teams. However, while this may appear hard, once your website is in good functioning order, there is little continuing SEO upkeep necessary. Here are some technical ways for boosting your ranking:
Users anticipate a painless surfing experience, which is why page speed is a key ranking element. If your pages take too long to load, your bounce rate will rise and your ranking will drop. You can use GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights to verify yours.
In 2019, Google announced that it would use mobile-first indexing on all new sites. This means that it ranks sites based on their mobile versions rather than desktop versions. Then, in 2020, it announced plans to make this the case for all sites, and by 2021, all sites would be subject to mobile-first indexing.
In other words, even if your website's desktop version is excellent, if it is not mobile-optimized, your search engine rating may suffer significantly. Most content management systems allow you to preview and adapt for mobile and tiny devices. You can also try Google's Mobile-Friendly Test.
In addition to these tests, you should always preview and test your web pages on a mobile device because code cannot detect some problems.
While SEO trends fluctuate, ranking variables rarely alter. However, as part of the page experience change in 2021, Google added a new ranking element known as Core Web Vitals. Core Web Vitals measure a user's experience on your page, determining whether and how they interact with it. They include:
You can increase your Core Web Vitals by using lazy loading, code minification, picture compression, and other techniques.
Have you ever wondered what the s stands for in https (as opposed to plain old http)? Well, it stands for "secure." Obtaining an SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate is how you convert your site from http to https. There are several options for obtaining an SSL certificate, and the cost is determined by the amount of protection required as well as your hosting arrangement. HubSpot, for example, provides free SSL through their CMS.
As previously stated, search engines work by crawling and indexing various types of material on your website. Internal links are any hyperlinks that point to another page on the same website. The more organized and tightly-knit your internal linking structure is, the more points of access you provide to any given page, making it easier for search engines (and people) to find what they're looking for.
Ideally, any page on your website should be accessible in three clicks or fewer.
To accomplish this, you must be aware of the pages you are linking to whenever you create a new page or piece of content.
It ensures that search engines can readily understand and index the information. Topic clusters also improve the user experience. It makes your information easier to explore, and readers will notice that they don't need to visit many websites to locate what they're looking for.
Off-page ranking criteria involve entities other than your website, such as social media platforms, influencers, and other websites, but every off-page SEO plan revolves on one central focus:
Last but certainly not least, we have backlinks. A backlink is a link to your page from another website. A page with a high number of backlinks shows to Google that it provides outstanding value and is from a reliable source. However, one link from a quality domain is far superior to numerous connections from low-authority websites.
So, how do you gain backlinks? Here are four link-building strategies.
As the tech world anticipates Apple's next flagship release, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has become a focal point of numerous leaks and speculations. This article consolidates the most credible information available, offering insights into its expected price, launch date, design, color options, camera enhancements, specifications, and more.
Lip-Bu Tan will take over the position on March 18, the business announced Wednesday. In addition, he will return to the board after leaving in August 2024.
