With over 200 ranking factors that Google’s algorithm considers, it’s important to know which ones to really focus on. Your name, address, and phone number must be accurate and consistent everywhere it appears online. Even small differences — like using “St.” on your website but “Street” on your Google Business Profile — can create confusion with search engines and hurt your rankings.

#4 – Keyword Stuffed Meta Tags

The better a page ranks in search results, the greater its visibility becomes. This visibility can drive significant organic traffic to your site. Unlike other ranking factors, this one is hard to measure because it’s based almost entirely on search engines’ own internal data — something they don’t share. We do know search engines both measure and reward satisfaction in very significant ways. In fact, I highly suspect satisfaction is one of Google’s most important metrics used to judge the performance of its own search results.

How to Boost Your Google Maps Ranking

Next, note how different users, such as your grandmother or a child might interact with your site on their phone. If they struggle to click on non-clickable elements or can’t find what they’re looking for, you have a UX problem. These statistics give us a good idea of where SEO is headed in the coming months and years.

Don’t link to unrelated websites and sites that have been deindexed or penalized by Google. Your external backlinks are recommendations to your SEO Anomaly users and have to be of very high quality. There are millions of websites competing with you for higher rankings and more organic traffic. To compile our list of the top SEO ranking factors, we looked at a variety of sources–-including our own in-house experts and other popular lists. By optimizing content, fixing technical issues, and creating a better user experience, you can not only rank higher in search results but can also help you to maximize SEO ROI. Some of the most important ones are content quality, backlinks, page experience, and mobile-friendliness.

Internal links, or links to your content on your site, are an important on-page SEO element. A higher number of internal links to a specific page can reflect its importance. Plus, internal linking helps with crawling and indexing, which are crucial for ranking. Outbound links, or links from your content to other websites, can also affect your ranking. Linking to sites that have authority on the topic can indicate trustworthiness, so it’s a good idea to link to high-quality sites. The Google algorithm doesn’t rank just any high-quality content at the top of search results.

Understanding and catering to these intents can significantly boost your content’s relevance and value in the eyes of both users and search engines. These metrics not only provide insights into the effectiveness of your website and content strategy but also offer valuable clues on how to enhance your user experience and engagement. Here’s a beginner-friendly guide on measuring conversion rates and click-through rates for SEO success. Utilize schema markup to help search engines understand the context of your content, making it easier for them to display your site as a relevant result for voice searches.

• Through practical projects and real-world case studies, acquire job-ready skills with globally recognized certifications.
• Besides being confirmed as a Google Search Generative Experience ranking factor, the Shopping Graph also provides an opening for attracting, nurturing, and converting users using AI Overviews.
• Your content should not just talk to people, it should offer something useful.

BrightLocal’s 2021 study shows that 7% of SEOs think citations are the most important ranking factor. A NAP citation mentions your business’s name, address, and phone number online. They usually appear on business directories and social media profiles. Getting reviews on your Google Business Profile and elsewhere builds trust with Google and customers.

Special Google Algorithm Rules

Google wants to deliver the best product on the market, and this is a critical part of SEO that has been overlooked. Focusing on Google’s motivation and working with this will get you better results for ranking than anything else. The concept is important for all niches, but especially for anyone in YMYL niches, such as finance or health, where the results can really impact the user’s life in a significant way.

The placement and context of the backlink within the linking page also matter. Website links within your industry or niche are more valuable because they are contextually appropriate. For instance, a backlink from a well-respected technology blog to a tech product review site is much more beneficial than a link from an unrelated site like a cooking blog. Refer to our dedicated tutorial on evergreen content so that it remains relevant, informative, and valuable to audiences for months, years, or even decades. As part of the Search team, she enjoys creating content that helps you master SEO.