Ultimate Guide to Google’s Ranking Factors Part 3: Site-Level Factors

While we are nowhere close to deciphering what exactly Google wants, we sure know that it revolves around quality and relevancy.

To determine the relevance, what Google does is that is looks at how well a web page answers a user’s search query. Once through that, Google moves out to figure the degree of relevance to the search query.

To accomplish this complex task, Google checks on keywords usage and relevance and other semantically related concepts. Since for a single query, Google has a repository of innumerably relevant websites, it becomes necessary for Google to check upon the quality.

Let’s now get down to the very factors affecting the relevancy and quality of your website and subsequently helping Google rank you:

1. Quality rich content: Google has quite explicitly stated that they are always on a lookout for websites with valuable content. Content with a degree of freshness and value that brings something new to the table is always valued by Google.

2. Contact us page: The Google Quality Document that we’ve previously talked about clearly states that they prefer websites with a well stated contact us information. Also, if the given information resembles the WhoIs information, then it’s a fair advantage.

3. Domain trust rank: A website’s trust is assessed by the number of links your website is away from seed sites that are highly trusted. When it comes to search engine optimization, it’s an immensely chief ranking factor.

4. Architecture: The correct site structure can help your SEO efforts flourish. When nicely put-together, it lets Google thematically organize the content and in turn rank you accordingly.

5. Website Updates: It’s important that your website is timely updated and even more so that new and fresh content is added frequently to your website.

6. Pages: The more pages a website has, the weaker is its authority. Moreover, its navigability and accessibility decreases.

7. Sitemap: A sitemap promotes easy navigation for search engines and allows for an easier and more thorough indexing of your website. This, in turn, improves your website’s visibility.

8. Website uptime: A website that takes too long to load, or suffers a lot of downtime owing to server issues is at a threat against negative SEO ranking.

9. Server Location: Particular preference is given to geographical searches, and that makes server location a crucial ranking factor of your website in different locations.

10. SSL certificate: As of 2017, HTTPS is a relevant ranking factor and therefore, availing an SSL certificate is important. Google has confirmed that they index SSL certificates.

11. Privacy pages and terms of service: Both service terms and privacy page indicate whether a website is trustworthy or not and thus work as important ranking factors.

12. Counterfeit on-site Meta information: Duplicate information across the website can bring down the visibility of particular pages with duplicate content. Lucky you, it would have brought your whole website down had Google not updated their ranking algorithm.

13. Breadcrumb navigation: This secondary navigation scheme reveals users’ location on a website. This user-friendly website architecture is another important ranking factor assisting both website users and search engines.

14. Mobile optimization: Google now adds a ‘mobile friendly’ tag to websites that load and display well on mobiles. Google definitely has a thing for mobile-optimized websites and end up penalizing websites that are not mobile responsive.

15. On-site YouTube videos: Google owns YouTube. So it’s fairly obvious that YouTube videos get a preferential treatment when it comes to search engine ranking.

16. Website Usability: A website with poorly marked navigation is a definite no by Google and can potentially reduce your SEO rankings. Improper usability also leads to low on-site time and higher bounce rate, things that Google do not prefer at all.

17. Google Webmasters tools and Analytics usage: Having these programs installed on your website might improve your page ranking. Some claims argue that it definitely boosts the indexing. We do not know for sure, there’s however, no harm in going by what’s said.

18. User reviews: A positively reviewed website can give a nice boost to your page rankings. It clearly tells both the search engines and the users of the value you seek to provide.

• Published on
• 27/06/2017
• By
• Brands Martini


• Categories: Google Algorithm Updates, Google Ranking & SERP