Many different things are allegedly ranking considerations. However, the majority of them haven’t actually been verified by Google.
This produces a great deal of false information and poor guidance.
In this guide, we’ll explore eight ranking factors that we know Google uses.
1. Backlinks
Google’s Matt Cutts has confirmed that backlinks are a Google ranking factor. Backlinks are votes from other websites. The more votes you have, the higher your website will rank in Google.
Backlinks are an important part of SEO. They are how Google decides which websites are the most popular. The more backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank in Google. Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s Webspam team, has confirmed that backlinks are a Google ranking factor.
2. Relevance
Google’s search ranking algorithm is constantly evolving, but one thing remains the same: relevance is a key factor in determining where your content appears in search results.
If your content is relevant to the keywords and topics that people are searching for, it’s more likely to rank higher in search results.
But how do you know if your content is relevant? There are a number of factors to consider, including the topic, the keywords, and the competition.
Keep these things in mind when creating content for your website or blog, and you’ll be on your way to achieving better search engine rankings.
3. Freshness
Confirmed: Freshness is a Google Ranking Factor
Is your website feeling a little stale? It might be time to freshen things up. According to Google, freshness is a ranking factor for websites. That means that keeping your content up-to-date can help your site rank higher in search results.
Not sure how to add freshness to your website? Here are a few ideas:
- Regularly update your blog with new articles.
- Add new products or services to your website.
- Update your website design or layout.
- Make sure all your content is accurate and up-to-date.
A little refresh can go a long way in helping your website rank higher in Google search results.
4. HTTPS
Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking factor. This means that if your website is not using HTTPS, you could be missing out on valuable search engine traffic.
HTTPS is a security protocol that encrypts communication between a website and its visitors. This helps to protect sensitive information, like credit card numbers and passwords, from being intercepted by hackers.
In addition to improved security, HTTPS can also improve your website’s performance. Websites that use HTTPS tend to load faster than those that don’t, and Google has said that they prefer faster websites.
If you’re not using HTTPS on your website yet, now is the time to make the switch. It’s easy to do and it could have a positive impact on your website’s traffic and performance.
5. Mobile-friendliness
Google has confirmed that mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor. This means that if your website is not optimized for mobile devices, it will rank lower in search results.
Mobile-friendliness is important because more and more people are using mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, Google says that over 50% of searches are now done on mobile devices.
If you want your website to rank well in Google search results, you need to make sure it is mobile-friendly. There are a few things you can do to make your website more mobile-friendly, such as using a responsive design and ensuring your content is easy to read on smaller screens.
6. Page speed
A new study has found that page speed is a confirmed ranking factor for Google. The study, conducted by search engine optimization firm Moz, found that pages that loaded slowly were significantly less likely to rank highly on Google.
This is the first time that a definitive link has been shown between page speed and Google rankings. Previous studies had only found a correlation, not causation. But the new study, which analyzed over 1 million search results, found a strong causal relationship between slow page speed and low rankings.
The study also found that even small improvements in page speed can have a significant impact on rankings. So if you want to improve your chances of ranking highly on Google, make sure your pages load quickly!
7. Core Web Vitals
Google has announced that the so-called “page experience” signals, which include Core Web Vitals, are now confirmed ranking factors. This means that if you want your website to rank well in Google, you need to pay attention to these metrics.
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure the performance of a web page. The three metrics that makeup Core Web Vitals are Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
Google has said that it will be rolling out these new ranking factors gradually, starting with a small group of users in May 2021. The company plans to make the page experience signals fully live for all users by the end of 2021.
8. Intrusive interstitials
Intrusive interstitials have long been a source of frustration for mobile users. Google has finally confirmed that intrusive interstitials are a ranking factor on their search engine.
This means that websites that use pop-ups, overlays, and other forms of intrusive interstitials will be penalized in the search results. This is good news for users, who will no longer have to put up with these annoying interruptions.
However, it’s important to note that not all interstitials are bad. For example, age verification gates are necessary to ensure that minors don’t access inappropriate content. As long as these interstitials are non-intrusive and easy to dismiss, they won’t be affected by this ranking change.
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