Gone are the days when search engines worked on a pretty rudimentary level, and practices such as keyword stuffing and garnering hundreds of backlinks visibly had a very direct effect on rankings. Besides, there was only one algorithm to deal with. Over the last 25 years, SEO gradually evolved into a complex and ever-changing field.
Ranking factors all differ depending on the niche and what keyword is at play. YMYL content rankings are curated differently than transactional e-commerce queries, and local search has a whole different rule set in and of itself.
There is one thing certain about SEO, though: the more you know, the more you realize how little you know.
After all, there is no official blueprint or checklist regarding Google ranking factors that one can simply follow. But what we do know is that there are certain factors or signals that Google considers significant when it comes to the ranking of web pages.
Google 200 Ranking Factors Myth
Before we go into a discussion of important ranking factors and signals, let’s address the legendary catalogue of ranking factors that Google is said to use. If you conduct a Google search for “ranking factors,” you’ll notice numerous titles in the search engine results pages (SERP) that reference the “200 ranking factors” from prominent blogs.
The 200 probably originated as a form of publicity for Google, trying to make its algorithm appear complex and multi-dimensional. A concept took hold and stuck in the public consciousness about it. Indeed, the only evidence that “200” ever existed is in the form of a presentation by Matt Cutts at PubCon in 2009.
As we mentioned earlier, Google’s approach to ranking has undergone substantial evolution over the past 25 years, reaching a point where there are now several factors and machine learning overlays, possibly numbering in the thousands.
What Yandex Says About Ranking Factors
The Yandex ranking factors leak from January 2023 unveiled that Yandex uses approximately 690 ranking factors, more or less. At that time, this revelation provided a glimpse into the methodology of a prominent search engine regarding the usage of factors and signals for ranking.
During a direct conversation, Dan Taylor, a specialist in Russian search engines, highlighted the common factors between Yandex and Google in how they endeavour to index and rank websites:
“They both rely on the same data points, including on-page content, links, meta-data, mobile-friendliness, and user interactions such as SERP clicks and user behaviour.”
He continued, stating, “Both search engines also integrate AI into various aspects of their ranking systems, such as Vega. However, they diverge in how they assign weight to certain signals, such as backlinks and user engagement with SERP results, and some of these signals are more susceptible to manipulation compared to Google.”
Taylor posits that, theoretically, web pages can be optimized for both search engines in a similar manner without compromising performance. This implies that the insights from the Yandex leak may provide valuable guidance for ranking on Google.
The Factors, Systems, And Signals
Whenever there is an update to Google’s documentation or when notable figures like Gary Illyes, John Mueller, or Danny Sullivan make comments, SEO professionals become deeply engrossed in deciphering their significance.
This presents a challenge both for Google and the SEO industry as a whole, as SEO experts often delve too profoundly into the minutiae, losing sight of what truly matters. Few aspects receive as much scrutiny as ranking factors. SEO professionals are increasingly fixated on dissecting the semantic distinctions among factors, systems, and signals.
For instance, when the documentation was modified to remove page experience from the Systems section, Google felt compelled to release the following statement on X: “Ranking Systems are distinct from Ranking Signals (systems typically use signals). Some items on that page related to page experience were categorized as Systems, but they were, in fact, Signals. They should not have been included on the systems page. Removing them did not imply a disregard for page experience aspects. Rather, they were not ranking Systems but rather signals used by other systems.
It has become evident that page experience remains a ranking factor (as indicated below).
Digging into the intricacies, Google maintains two official pages that pertain to ranking factors:
A guide to Google Search ranking systems:
“Google uses automated ranking systems that look at many factors and signals about hundreds of billions of web pages and other content in our Search index to present the most relevant, useful results, all in a fraction of a second.”
How Search Works:
“To give you the most useful information, Search algorithms look at many factors and signals, including the words of your query, relevance and usability of pages, expertise of sources, and your location and settings. The weight applied to each factor varies depending on the nature of your query.”
During an Ask Me Anything session at PubCon in September 2023, Gary Illyes addressed the distinctions between factors, signals, and systems, stating, The primary distinction is primarily a matter of terminology.
The simplest way to differentiate between a system and a signal is to describe Google’s ranking systems as the layers of machine learning applied to fine-tune search results. Ranking signals exert an influence on these systems and the overall ranking process.
In a private message, SEO expert Ammon Johns offered further clarification, stating, “Not all elements classified as signals are necessarily used within a particular system. Many items labelled as signals by Google may not be relevant to a specific query, or their importance may vary compared to another query. For instance, even Google’s most renowned signal, PageRank, is not used in Local Search at all.
The Google “How Search Works” page discusses the “key elements that influence which results are delivered for your query.
The main elements outlined on this page can be summarized as follows:
- Meaning
- Relevance
- Quality
- Usability
- Context
If you grasp the foundational approach that Google adopts, you’ll recognize that getting bogged down in semantics is of minimal importance. Using a common-sense approach aligned with the ultimate goal of serving the end user is a significantly more effective and enduring strategy.
In essence, Google is motivated by its aspiration to offer the most exceptional search results, thereby maintaining its position as a market leader. At its core, it’s a business endeavour. Once you internalize this perspective, you grasp the fundamental concept of SEO.
Having said that, here are the essential ranking factors that must all be taken into account for achieving visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Google Ranking Factors That SEO Experts Should Focus On
-
High-Quality Content
The first stage of ranking is to understand the user’s query. The second step involves matching the query to the content on a webpage.
According to what was provided in Google’s “How Search Works,” their systems analyze the content to see whether it contains information that may be relevant for the user’s intent. If your website is technically fit to be crawled and rendered, then the quality of your content will make it rank in the SERP, as this remains the top ranking factor.
Content is very important, but its role extends beyond mere ranking into aspects like better user experience and conversion.
Gary Illyes of Google succinctly encapsulates this concept, stating that ranking is virtually impossible without content. If there are no words on the page, you won’t achieve a favourable ranking. The top two or three ranking factors may vary for each website.
Essentially, the internet is constructed from a myriad of content-rich web pages. But what defines high-quality content? In brief, it can best be characterized as content that adheres to E-E-A-T signals, exhibiting:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
Keywords and words featured on a page play a vital role in its content. While there are ongoing debates about the relevance of keywords for ranking, it remains evident that keywords continue to hold significance.
According to Google, “The most fundamental indicator of content’s relevance is its alignment with the keywords used in your search query. For instance, when these keywords are present on a web page or within its headings and body text, the information tends to be more pertinent.”
To ensure clarity and avoid ambiguity in ranking, a page must distinctly convey its subject matter.
Pedro Dias, a former Google employee, said in a candid conversation, “Keywords, the foundational elements, are not dead; they are what we build on top of. We must continue to use those fundamentals just as skillfully as ever.”
Pedro further expounded, “Google has layered machine learning on top of those fundamentals to return results that address subtler shades of meaning for whatever query has been entered.”
This is a result of Google not stopping to work at bringing in the best, and its machine learning systems develop an understanding of natural language queries. That’s how Google can tell the difference between meanings of the word “cheat,” not just when it means to lie but when it refers to a method of manipulating a system, as Pedro showed through a story shared with him by Gary Illyes.
Notably, the discussion of content and keywords mentions entities-a very important component in how Google develops its understanding of subjects. This article provides an in-depth explanation of what entities mean in SEO.
As Ammon Johns says: “The search engines have moved through keyword-centric to semantic search and on to entities. Thus, for example, a search for ‘History of Munchen,’ Google recognizes not only the spelling mistake of ‘MÜNCHEN’ but is also likely to primarily show results with the more common ‘Munich’ keyword phrase in their titles and descriptions.
The major systems driving content rankings include:
RankBrain
One of the numerous machine learning systems that Google has-and which one was introduced in 2015-is RankBrain, and it learns associations of words and ideas, thereby helping Google understand what each particular search intends.
This goes a lot into helping tune the rankings, with Google striving to show the most relevant results for every query. Moreover, it helps Google to yield results for inquiries that have no prior search history.
In the pre-RankBrain era, Google lacked the ability to comprehend synonyms and would return strictly literal interpretations of search terms. As stated by Google, “Before we harnessed advanced AI, our systems simply matched words. For instance, if you searched for ‘pziza’ – unless a page included that exact misspelling, you’d likely need to rephrase the search with the correct spelling to locate a nearby pizza place… Now, thanks to advanced machine learning, our systems can more instinctively identify when a word seems amiss and propose a potential correction.
The Helpful Content System
Introduced in 2022, Google’s helpful content system is centred around delivering top-quality content to users. Google’s primary objective is for content to reflect real-world expertise, ultimately improving the reader’s experience through “more content by people, for people.”
This system undergoes continuous updates, with several iterations having taken place in 2023. According to Google, “The helpful content system is designed to reward high-quality content that leaves visitors satisfied, while content that falls short of meeting visitor expectations will not perform as effectively.”
Some of the guidelines for creating helpful content, all rooted in the principles of E-A-T, comprise:
- Staying on topic without deviation.
- Demonstrating firsthand expertise.
- Avoiding the merging of multiple subjects on a single website.
BERT
Back in 2018, BERT sent ripples through the SEO sector as a substantial Google update, said to influence approximately 10% of search queries during that period.
This system further allows the identification of how word combinations, including so-called stop words, can actually have different meanings, and even stop words may be relevant in queries when they form part of the meaning.
As per Google: “BERT marked an enormous leap in natural language comprehension, helping us grasp how combinations of words convey all sorts of diverse meanings and intents.
Content Freshness
In 2010, Google introduced Caffeine, departing from the practice of refreshing the entire index every few weeks. Google’s primary aim with Caffeine was to “examine the web in smaller segments and continuously update our global search index.”
Recognizing the rapid expansion of the internet in 2011, Google expanded upon Caffeine by introducing “Freshness.” They announced, “Today, we are implementing a significant enhancement to our ranking algorithm, impacting approximately 35% of searches. This enhancement better determines when to provide users with more current and relevant results, varying in freshness.”
It’s essential to note that content freshness is not uniformly applied to all searches. Its application depends on specific queries and is more crucial in certain niches and topics. For instance, it plays a pivotal role in delivering breaking news, weather updates, or stock prices.
Over time, most content in search results will exhibit some degree of decay if it is not regularly updated. This is because ideas, concepts, products, and information are in a constant state of evolution, and user expectations evolve in tandem.
Multitask Unified Model (MUM)
In 2021, during Google IO, MUM was unveiled as a system taking a significant stride forward by embracing a multimodal approach, enabling it to glean insights from text, images, and possibly video content.
MUM’s role doesn’t encompass all verticals for ranking purposes, as Google clarified: “While we’re still in the early stages of harnessing MUM’s potential, we have already used it to improve searches related to COVID-19 vaccine information.”
It seems that the primary application will be for searches that integrate text and images within Google Lens.
According to Google, “As we introduce more MUM-powered features to Search, our focus will shift from advanced language comprehension to a more nuanced understanding of the world’s information… MUM possesses the capacity to both comprehend and generate language.
Personalization & Locality
While content quality isn’t the primary focus here, it’s worth noting that beyond the various factors that refine ranking, there exists a layer of personalization. This layer accounts for a user’s search history and their geographical location.
For instance, queries like “phone repairing shop” are influenced by your location and will present results on a map based on where you are. Certain product-related queries are tailored to showcase local suppliers.
Results for the same query can vary from one device to another. Understanding a user’s intent at a particular point in their online journey significantly influences the results displayed in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
As an illustration, the query “London Fun Park” produces desktop results that emphasize research, featuring video and image carousels. In contrast, the mobile SERP places emphasis on tickets, directions, and location.
In the words of John Mueller, “If you’re searching on your phone, you might be looking for local information because you’re on the move. However, if you’re searching on a desktop, you may prefer to see more images or videos in the search results.”
When conducting keyword research and creating content, it’s important to grasp how personalization and local factors influence rankings. Integrating this understanding into your strategy is essential.
E-E-A-T Is Not A Ranking Factor But Is Important
Again, not a ranking system per se, but critical to all creators, the idea of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness – also known as E-E-A-T.
Previously, Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines had been a very closely guarded secret at Google, only exposed to the public after having been leaked. Today, Google publicly publishes this document as an example of what its Quality Raters use when manually reviewing websites.
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness; it’s a crucial part of the Google Quality Search Raters Guidelines to help dog the process but not a direct ranking factor per se. E-E-A-T encompasses a set of refining signals for several core aims that improve user experience and fight misinformation.
This is a concept meaningful in all sectors, but in YMYL sectors like finance and health, the consequences of search results to the user can be deep.
As suggested earlier, more or better quality content is a fundamental ranking signal; and honestly, there is no better way to reach this mission than following these E-E-A-T guidelines. Building a reputation for being trustworthy as a source of expertise is in line with Google’s goals and also improves user experience.
-
Page Experience
The removal of Page Experience from Google’s ranking systems page stirred some discussions within the community, prompting the Search Liaison team to clarify: “…As stated in the first sentence of our page experience guidance: ‘Google’s core ranking systems seek to reward content that offers a positive page experience.'”
The Page Experience concept was introduced in 2021, following the prior emphasis on Core Web Vitals (CWVs) as a significant ranking factor.
CWVs then became part of a broader set of ‘signals’ that collectively constitute the Page Experience—still essentially a ranking factor but now part of a group of factors referred to as ‘Page Experience.’
To grasp the importance of this shift, one must understand Google’s overarching objectives. Google is committed to delivering an exceptional user experience. It reflects poorly on its product if it serves pages that load slowly, display poorly on certain devices, or are cluttered with obstructive ads that hinder user access.
As Google states: “Google’s core ranking systems aim to reward content that provides a positive page experience.”
Page Experience centres on four primary signals:
- HTTPS.
- Page Speed.
- Mobile Friendliness.
- Core Web Vitals.
While Page Experience is important, it may not always be the most critical factor. Its significance becomes more apparent when multiple pages compete for the same position.
As John Mueller elucidates: “When the content in the search results is very similar, Page Experience can help to some extent in determining which pages offer a fast and user-friendly experience, as opposed to those that fall short in these aspects.”
Google’s aspiration is to offer the best product on the market, and this is a pivotal aspect of SEO that shouldn’t be overlooked. Concentrating on Google’s motivations and aligning your efforts with them can yield better ranking results than anything else.
-
Links
The connection between ranking factors and links is somehow inseparable. Google has watched SEO professionals game links for ranking since Google was born, and it fought back with a series of updates dedicated to eradicating link spam in an effort to clean up results.
Recently, however, a feeling has taken hold in the SEO community that links are becoming less and less relevant as a ranking factor. For a sense of their historical role, it’s instructive to turn back the clock to Google founders Sergey Brin and Lawrence Page who accorded them great importance in their seminal Stanford paper. The essence of the paper was that links were akin to citations in academic documents and therefore the basis for their ranking methodology.
During the early days of Google, the links actually became a highly exploited way to game the rankings, culminating in the 2012 Penguin update from Google to eradicate the low-quality links. Ever since then, Google has attempted to minimize links in its ranking formula.
It wasn’t until 2016 that links have been confirmed to be a ranking factor for the first time from a Google representative. On record, Google Search Quality Senior Strategist Andrey Lipattsev said, “Content, Links, RankBrain” to a Q&A session with Ammon Johns and others as the top three ranking signals.
Cut to 2023, and at an AMA at PubCon, Gary Illyes came out and contradicted that view, saying links were not a “top 3” ranking signal and haven’t been for some time. He contended that there was no universal top 3, adding, “It’s absolutely possible to rank without links.”
It’s important to consider why Google might downplay the significance of links, particularly to combat link spam. Google is unlikely to assert that links are an infallible ranking factor given their susceptibility to manipulation. While it is technically feasible to rank without links, they often contribute to improved ranking.
Ammon, in response to his 2016 video, emphasized that Andrey Lipattsev’s statement about “Content, Links, and RankBrain” underscored the importance of on-page, off-page, and query processing factors as essential components, regardless of later comments by Gary Illyes.
Aside from the flow of PageRank, links are very important since Google finds pages by crawling and crawls the web through links. Therefore, a page with no inbound or internal links will hardly rank, as Google will not find it through links for crawling and indexing. That is why submitting a sitemap can be helpful in suggesting to Google which pages it should index.
Internal linking also helps Google crawl your site and builds topic clusters, which are an extremely helpful SEO content strategy.
Not all links, however, are actually created equal. The quality of a single link is considered by Google far more than the actual number of links. In other words, as explained by Google’s John Mueller: “The number of links might have been a differentiator in the early days of PageRank, but Google uses so much more helpful metrics to assess links, something far beyond just counting.”
These links bear less value compared to some earlier days when several low-level inbound links would rank a page high. In fact, today, relevance means everything, along with link quality.
There is no doubt that inbound and internal links are still considered ranking factors and that much is for sure.
In Conclusion
What can be concluded from the article is that ranking and attaining visibility in the Search Engine Results Pages is not a simple process, steered by any fixed list of ranking factors.
That’s what makes SEO both exciting and challenging to work on.
With that in mind, even though there is no definitive list of Google ranking factors you can follow to the letter, various elements, and signals do come into play in ensuring the absolute best ranking possible.
First, you need to be able to understand what the goals and working principles of Google are. Once you understand this, then you will know how to mold your content and SEO strategy accordingly so that you maximize your ranking.
Would you like to read more about “The Most Important Google Ranking Factors” related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
