When it comes to figuring out how to rank on Google, there are a lot of factors that come into play. However, not all Google ranking factors are created equal. In fact, some carry a lot more weight than others. Here is a look at the top ranking factors that affect results placement on Google search pages:
1. Keywords
The use of relevant keywords is still one of the most important ranking factors on Google. When you use relevant keywords throughout your content, it helps Google understand what your page is about and ultimately helps you rank for those terms.
However, simply stuffing your content with keywords will not help you rank higher. In fact, it can actually hurt your rankings. Instead, focus on using keywords naturally throughout your content in a way that makes sense to your audience.
The percentage of times your keywords appear in your content is known as keyword density. It is usually recommended that the density for any target keyword is kept below 3% as anything above this may appear to be keyword stuffing.
2. Authority
One of the most important ranking factors on Google is authority. The higher your website’s authority, the higher you will rank in search results. There are a number of factors that contribute to your website’s authority, including links from high-quality websites, social media shares, and high-quality content.
One of the best ways to increase your website’s authority is to get links from high-quality websites. When other websites link to yours, it tells Google that your website is worth ranking higher. In order to get links from high-quality websites, you need to create high-quality content.
Social media shares are another important factor when it comes to authority. The more shares your content has on social media, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results. This is because social media signals are one of the many factors that Google takes into account when ranking pages.
Finally, the quality of your content is another important factor when it comes to authority. If your content is not high-quality and does not provide relevant information, people will not want to share it and it will not rank as high in search results. In order to create high-quality content, make sure you focus on providing valuable information that your audience will find helpful.
3. Links
Links are still one of the most important ranking factors on Google. The more high-quality links you have pointing to your website, the higher you will rank in search results. However, don’t focus on getting as many links as possible – instead, focus on getting quality links from reputable websites.
The quality of your links is just as important as the quantity. Make sure you only get links from reputable websites that are related to your industry. Also, make sure the links are relevant to your content. If the links are not relevant, Google may penalize your website.
4. Page Speed
Page speed is another important ranking factor on Google. If your page takes too long to load, people will not stick around to read it and you will not rank as high in search results. In order to improve your page speed, make sure you optimize your images and remove any unnecessary JavaScript or CSS files. You can also use a plugin like WP Smush or Imagify to compress your images if you use WordPress.
Of course, nothing beats fast hosting. If you want your website to load as fast as possible, make sure you choose a quality web host. We recommend using Cloudways or WP Engine if you use WordPress.
5. Mobile Optimization
With more and more people using their smartphones to search for information online, it is important that your website is optimized for mobile devices. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you will not rank as high in search results. To test whether your website is mobile-friendly, use the Google Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
You don’t need to create two versions of your site – mobile and desktop – as modern responsive layouts adapt to all screen sizes.
6. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title tags and meta descriptions are two of the most important factors when it comes to SEO. They are what appear in the search engine results pages (SERPs), so it is important that they are properly optimized in order to get more clicks from users.
Make sure your title tags and meta descriptions are keyword-rich and accurately reflect the content of your page. Also, make sure they are no longer than 150 characters so that they will be fully displayed in SERPs.
7. Social Shares
As mentioned earlier, social media shares are one of the many factors that Google takes into account when ranking pages. The more shares your content has on social media, the higher it will rank in search results. This is because social media signals are one of the many factors that Google uses to determine a page’s authority.
If you write social media posts that promote your website content, so much the better. This will help increase the number of social media shares and, as a result, the authority of your website.
8. User Experience
User experience is another important ranking factor on Google. If your website is difficult to use or navigate, people will not stay on it for very long and you will not rank as high in search results. In order to improve your website’s user experience, make sure it is well-designed and easy to use.
You can also use Google Analytics to track how long people are spending on your website and which pages they are exiting from. This will give you an idea of where people are having difficulty using your website so that you can make the necessary changes.
9. Domain Age and Authority
Domain age and authority are two more factors that affect your website’s ranking on Google. The older your domain is, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results. This is because Google considers older domains to be more trustworthy than new ones.
Domain authority is a measure of how popular and trusted your website is. The higher your domain authority, the more likely you are to rank higher in search results. You can increase your domain authority by building links from high-quality websites.
10. Freshness
Google also takes into account the freshness of your content when ranking pages. This means that if you regularly publish new and relevant content, you are more likely to rank higher in search results than if your content is outdated.
To make sure your content is fresh, try to update it on a regular basis. You can also use Google Analytics to see when people are no longer engaged with your content so that you know when it is time to update it.
It’s also important to ensure your page is structured correctly. New content is great, but it’s even better when it is formatted in a way that Google and other search engines can use. Check out our free page structure guide here.
11. Local SEO
If you want your website to rank higher in local search results, you need to optimize it for local SEO. This includes adding NAP (name, address, phone number) information to your website and adding schema markup to your pages. You can also use a tool like Google My Business to increase your website’s visibility in local search results.
It’s important to have your NAP information consistent across the web so that Google can trust it. Inconsistent NAP information can hurt your ranking.
12. Reviews
Google considers reviews when it comes to rankings, so it’s important to encourage customers to leave them. Positive reviews can help improve your ranking, while negative reviews can hurt it.
13. Citations
Citations are mentions of your business on the web, even if there’s no link to your website. Having citations from high-quality websites can help improve your ranking.
14. HTTPS
HTTPS is a security protocol that encrypts information sent between your website and visitors’ browsers. Google has said that HTTPS is a ranking factor, so it’s important to make sure your website is using this protocol. You can do this by installing an SSL certificate on your website.
15. Schema Markup
Schema markup is a code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content better. This can help improve your click-through rate from search results, which can in turn improve your ranking.
These are just some of the many factors that affect Google rankings. While there is no magic formula for guaranteed success, paying attention to these factors can help improve your chances of ranking well in search results.