27.01.2023
Google’s search ranking algorithm has come a long way since its early days back in 1996.
Today, powered by the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the algorithm considers more than 200 different factors to deliver the most accurate answers to users’ queries and provide the highest-quality search results.
Why is it important to appeal to Google?
It’s simple — if Google recognizes your content as relevant, it will rank it higher in search results, increasing your visibility and driving more customers to your doorstep. How many more? According to research, the first organic result on Google captures nearly 40% of all clicks!*
Now for the more challenging part — how do you appeal to Google?
If there were a simple formula, we’d all be sharing the top spot in search results. But there are many practical SEO steps you can take. First and foremost, it’s important to understand which factors Google values most so you can allocate your resources effectively. Let’s go through them in order of importance:
Publishing high-quality content regularly – Google still values informative, engaging content that holds the reader’s attention above all else
Keywords in Meta Title tags – although Google has relaxed its strictness around keyword matching, and the weight of this factor has decreased, it remains a key requirement for ranking
Backlinks – in the early days of SEO, backlinks accounted for over 50% of ranking weight. Today, with new content validation methods, buying links is no longer a viable strategy, but backlinks still hold significant value
Niche expertise – the rise of this factor reflects the popularity of hub-and-spoke SEO strategies. The idea is to rank well for broad keywords to build authority, then distribute traffic to more specialized, long-tail keywords with higher transactional value
User engagement – content that closely matches what the user is looking for, explicitly or implicitly, and keeps them engaged (e.g., further clicks) should be a priority
Trustworthiness – a newer factor introduced as part of Google’s AI-driven fact-checking efforts. Google recommends referencing scientific sources wherever possible and avoiding unverified claims
Mobile-friendly & mobile-first – in short, according to Google, desktop versions are practically obsolete — your site and navigation must be fully optimized for mobile*
Internal linking – also tied to the hub-and-spoke strategy, internal links that connect related content help improve rankings
Page speed – a key part of Google’s commitment to user experience; you can test it using Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool
Security – SSL certificate – Google marks all sites without an SSL certificate as insecure
Structured data – Schema Markup – the modern version of meta tags that allows Google to display visually enhanced search results like snippets that stand out
Keywords in URLs – readable URLs with keywords are still a valuable practice, though their weight has declined compared to other factors
Keywords in meta descriptions and other factors – often a negligible part of marketing strategy, as these factors together account for only about 1% of total ranking weight
Weight distribution of factors influencing ranking according to Google’s algorithm
What does Google SEO mean for your marketing strategy?
An optimal approach involves an SEO strategy focused on developing dedicated pages for each keyword your potential clients might search for. By meeting the criteria from the list above, you create the conditions for organic growth in search result rankings.
27.01.2023