There are apparently more than 200 ranking factors that Google uses for ranking websites on desktops & mobile. These signals are a part of continually changing algorithms which determine the rank of your Website. Since those Ranking signals are varied to every website, I am listing out the top 20 Google ranking factors below.
1. Quality Content
There is no wonder that Content is one of the most major Google ranking factors. We have seen a transformation i.e. from keyword focussed content to relevant natural content.(effects of Hummingbird & RankBrain Algorithm)
How to Optimize?
- Create a relevant quality content to Attract the Users, not the Search Engines.
- Create a lengthy content(min 3,600 words) with more Information.
- Avoid Spelling mistakes, Keywords Stuffing, Grammatical errors & Content Duplication.
Keep in Mind: Your landing page must bring a solution to the user's queries.
2. Backlinks
Backlinks is another important Google ranking factor. Over the years, Google has learnt to wipe out the bad links from the good.
In last year Google released a Penguin 4.0 Update which is merged with the Google's core Algorithm and it devalues the bad links instead of penalizing sites.
If a user found your WebPage Content useful and informative, naturally they will link back to you. So this will improve the Authority of your Website and it will improve your Rank on Google.
How to Optimize?
Create a high-quality Content and Promote it on Relevant channels.
Audit your Website's backlinks and eliminate the low quality and spammy links.
Keep in Mind: Don't ever buy links for your Website and it can be injurious to your website.
3. Mobile Responsive
Mobile Friendly is an extremely major ranking factor in Google. One of the significant changes we observed in 2016 was Google’s turn towards mobile-first indexing. As of now, Google primarily crawls the mobile version of websites rather than the Desktop version.
Your Website should be Mobile Responsive, which means your content should be responsive on all mobile platforms and same to the content on your desktop site.
How to Optimize?
- Add your Website's Mobile version in Google Search Console.
- Ensure that your desktop and your mobile site have the same structured markup.
- Ensure that your mobile site is accessible to Googlebot using the Google Search Console.
Keep in Mind: If you are in the process of creating a mobile version of your site, don’t launch it until it’s finished. It may hurt the Rankings of your Website rather than helping.
4. Page Speed
Page speed is another important ranking factor which provides a good user experience. If a site takes too much of time to load, users are most likely to abandon it.
Desktop websites must load in 3 seconds or less, while mobile websites should load in 2 seconds or less (according to Google).
How to Optimize
Test your page speed using Google's PageSpeed Insights and Optimize your Website based on the tool's suggestions.
Keep in Mind: You need to check the PageSpeed frequently if you're making any changes in your Website.
5. Other Technical Factors
Title Tag, Meta Description, Structure of URL, H1 & H2 Tags, Webpage Content & Image Alt Tags: Provide your Primary Keyword.
HTTPS Encryption: Get an SSL certificate from providers like Let’s Encrypt and then install it on your hosting server.
Anchor text: Google still loves the Exact Match keyword as Anchor Text but it should be relevant to the destination page.
Fresh Contents: Maintain a blog and update it frequently
Conclusion
SEO has always been an ever changing Industry. We have seen Google making a constant drive for Quality content, quality links, and a good user experience. Improve your website with these factors and stay ahead of your competitors.
Feel free to contact me if you need any Digital Marketing Assistance(SEO, Paid Advertising, Social Media) for your business.
