Decoding Google’s Algorithm: Top SEO Ranking Factors
Did you know that less than ten percent of Google searches lead to a user looking at the second page of search results?
If you want your content to be seen by your potential customers, you need to know how to rank a website well, and you especially need to know how to rank higher on Google than your competitors. But in the ever-changing world of SEO, it can be difficult to keep track of all the SEO ranking factors that you need to cater your content to.
Luckily, a few of these Google ranking factors remain tried-and-true methods for boosting your site’s SEO ranking. Keep reading to learn more!
High-Quality Content
The most long-lasting strategy for how to rank higher on Google is to always focus on creating high-quality, relevant content for your audience. If the user experience on your site is poor, no number of SEO strategies will get you a high Google ranking.
Think about the kind of content your audience is looking for. Do they need blog posts or e-books with educational content? Maybe they’re looking for entertaining videos or a library of how-to webinars?
Determine the problem that they’re experiencing, and figure out how to solve it with your focused, well-researched content.
Optimize Your Pages
Just like your content quality, this part of the user experience greatly affects your Google ranking factors. Ensure that you have the lowest loading speed possible for your web pages. Double check that all your content is responsive and works for various sizes of screens and devices.
Use a site hierarchy that is intuitive and easy for your users to navigate. User testing can be illuminating for what works well on your site and what needs to change.
Use Linking Strategically
Internal linking helps users navigate your site. They’re also great for boosting page rankings across your site.
If you’re thinking, “What is internal linking?” take a look at the linked guide to learn more. For now, just know that well-placed, contextually-relevant internal links throughout your site are one of the few SEO factors that work consistently and are also entirely under your control.
Don’t forget that external links are critical to SEO success. Both inbound and outbound external links develop your pages’ authority, an important consideration among the Google ranking factors.
Inbound links show that other sites find the information on your site to be valuable enough that they’re willing to send their site traffic to you. If this happens often enough, your page will start to be seen as an expert in its topic area, leading to your page being shown more often in Google search results.
Outbound links are also valuable in their own way. They show that you’ve done your research and are willing to connect your content to other authoritative, high-quality pages on the web, leading to a boost in your authority as well.
Start With These SEO Ranking Factors Today
As you can see, there are many SEO ranking factors to consider when building your website. High-quality content, optimized pages, and external and internal links are valuable SEO factors, but there are also dozens more that you can use to optimize your site. Start with these basics, and you’ll have a strong foundation to build on for some of the more complex Google ranking factors.
Interested in more information in the world of tech? Take a look at the other articles on our site!
