What’s a Google Search Ranking Factor & What Isn’t in SEO
Without a doubt, Google is the most known search engine worldwide to the extent that some people even use the phrase “Google It.” Yet, the list goes on to Bing, Yahoo, Ask.com, Baidu, and AOL. Either way, we have always had to battle what a Google search ranking factor is and what isn’t. To be precise;
A Google ranking factor is a metric used to rank websites. Unless you professionally offer SEO services or you run a business, you may have no idea of how websites come up on the first page of Google or even rank as number 1, 2, 3, and so on.
We also have organic search engine results and paid search results from advertising strategies like PPC. More so, there are different ranking factors like On-page, Off-page, and Technical ranking factors.
At this juncture, you will understand several Google search ranking factors and those that aren’t.
Google Search Ranking Factors
1. Keywords
Keywords are search terms that Google targets to produce results for search intent. In SEO, keyword research is essential as it enhances organic results and helps run the campaign successfully. Every effective SEO campaign must have a well-defined content strategy with the right keywords. Therefore, keywords are a Google ranking factor.
2. Meta Description, Title, and Header Tags
A meta doesn’t appear on a page; however, it’s present in the HTML code and is displayed in the search results. Titles and header tags help Google to understand what your page is about for indexing purposes. This is why major companies and big brands buy TikTok views for content that mentions their name.
3. URL Structure
It’s pretty essential to have well-structured page URLs as it helps in ranking your page. SEO-friendly URLs help Google to learn about your page.
4. Speed
Speed is crucial for every page or website to rank highly on a search engine. The faster your page or website loads, the higher it will get more visitors and better conversion rates.
5. Internal Linking
Google crawls and indexes pages, and this is how a page or website shows up with given search results. If your internal linking structure is clean and neat, Google and other users will easily find the content they are looking for on the internet.
It isn’t a Google Search Ranking Factor.
If you once thought that these are Google search ranking factors, then it’s a perfect time to clear the air.
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Content Word Count
Word count hardly matters when it comes to ranking your page or site; however, quality is the answer. Quality or relevant content helps your site rank highly.
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E-A-T and Quality Raters
Although E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) are part of the Google Algorithm, they aren’t ranking factors. However, quality raters help Google to know the quality of a site.
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Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t solely a ranking factor however proper headings, and alt attributes are what a search engine looks at in SEO. With that, it’s essential to make your page or site accessible for enhanced SEO results.
Summing It Up
There is a range of Google ranking factors that we haven’t fully included here, such as backlinks, content quality, site’s mobile usability, etc. Some aspects aren’t Google search ranking metrics like social signals, subdomains, XML sitemaps, website’s age etc.
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