Last Updated on 4th January 2024
A Comprehensive Guide to Important Ranking Factors in 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital realm, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) stands as a crucial cornerstone for online visibility and success. As search engines continue to refine their algorithms, staying abreast of the most important ranking factors is paramount for businesses and individuals alike. In this article, we delve into the intricate web of SEO and unravel the key factors that can propel your website to the coveted top positions on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Google rarely talks about ranking factors but in 2016, when interviewed, Google’s Andrey Lipatsey revealed its three most important ranking factors were content, links and RankBrain. However, recently, Google’s Gary Illyes revealed links are no longer in the top three ranking factors. We know that Google has hundreds of ranking factors it takes into consideration when returning search results and no doubt, many weights on these ranking factors too. This makes determining what is making a web page rank first for a specific keyword or query virtually impossible, but we do know that certain fundamentals and insanely obvious (from a human search engine user’s perspective) factors will undoubtedly be crucial features taken into consideration.
We have a few more to add to these, and don’t think the need for publishing quality content needs further explanation.
But there are also other important metrics you should watch closely to improve your SEO and ultimately your visibility in search engine rankings. In fact, there are supposedly over 200 ranking factors that Google takes into consideration when it comes to ordering pages in search. By the way, PageRank is only one of them, so don’t be fooled that it is the be-all and end-all.
So, let’s take a look at some of the prevailing factors you should continually seek to improve upon.
I. Content is King:
A. Quality Content:
The foundation of any successful SEO strategy is high-quality content. Search engines prioritize content that is relevant, informative, and valuable to users. Crafting engaging and authoritative content not only captures the attention of your audience but also establishes your website as an authoritative source within your niche.
B. Keyword Optimization:
Strategic keyword optimization remains a fundamental aspect of SEO. Conducting thorough keyword research and seamlessly integrating relevant keywords into your content aids search engines in understanding the context of your pages. However, it is crucial to maintain a natural and user-friendly flow to avoid keyword stuffing, which can result in algorithmic suppression (if it looks spammy when reading a piece of content to you then it undoubtedly won’t fare well with search engines).
C. Write for Humans
As Google continues to polish it’s understanding of how ‘things’ fit together and the context and meaning of search engine queries, the goal is to emulate human speech naturally. This is called ‘natural language processing. Many SEOs have spent years learning how to write for robots and stuff pages with keywords. Humans do not speak (nor search on search engines) in this way.
Over time Google are looking to emulate human searching behaviour, so it makes sense to write your content in the way that users are likely to search or say things (consider voice search as a factor being built in for the future here).
SEO is a long-term goal and marketers need to be aware of the direction search engines are driving. By understanding the underlying purpose behind important metrics, it is easier to put your house in order for now and for the future.
II. Technical SEO:
A. Information Architecture, Site Structure and Navigation:
The information architecture (IA) of a website is how your navigational pathways are organised and how content flows within that structure. The purpose of planning information architecture is to make your website as easy to use as possible.
When visitors to a website cannot find what they are looking for quickly, they get frustrating and will leave. One of the greatest causes in lost traffic is because brands are not providing customers with a good user-experience.
Information architecture is not only used by humans either. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. By using a strong, organised website structure with clear ways to find pages in categories and subcategories or by site section themes, you send a clear signal to search engines about the relevance of your site (and the pages within it) to a particular subject.
A well-organized site structure enhances user experience and facilitates search engine crawlers in efficiently indexing your content. Clear navigation, logical hierarchy, and user-friendly URLs contribute to the overall crawlability and accessibility of your website. Think of your website as a library (search engines are of course merely modern day online libraries), sections of your website akin to the sections in a library. Keep everything logically and semantically together. Would you expect to find a romance novel in the horror section of the library? No. A website is the same. A clear and understandable information architecture mapped for audience needs and to meet the top tasks of the target audience is crucial. Organise well.
B. Mobile Friendliness:
With the increasing prevalence of mobile devices, search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites. Responsive design ensures that your site adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes, providing users with a consistent and enjoyable experience across devices. If you still have a separate version of your website for mobile then you really shouldn’t have. Your website should be a single site which responds automatically to the changing screen size and device of users.
C. Page Speed:
Site speed is a critical factor influencing both user experience and search rankings. Slow-loading pages can lead to higher bounce rates and negatively impact your SEO performance. Optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and employing content delivery networks (CDNs) are effective strategies to enhance page speed. Bear in mind though when it comes to ranking factors specifically, relevance always beats speed so don’t spend too long obsessing over the tiniest increase in speed. It really does become a zero-sum-gain situation over time.
III. On-Page SEO:
A. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions:
Compelling title tags and concise meta descriptions not only grab the attention of users but also provide search engines with crucial information about your content. Including relevant keywords in these elements can improve click-through rates and signal the relevance of your page to search engines. Title tags do impact rankings but meta-descriptions do not (so strictly speaking a meta-description is not a ranking factor). However, a well-crafted meta-description which clearly explains what is on the page the search engine user might click through to, can make all the difference to click through rates, and that can impact your bottom line, so meta-description is included in this ranking factor to consider article.
B. Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.):
Header tags help structure your content and provide a hierarchy of information. Properly utilizing header tags not only improves readability for users but also assists search engines in understanding the key topics on your page. Header tags are not new, but it is only quite recently that these have started to be well implemented by SEO practitioners and agencies. These header tags are important too because these are a form of semi-structured data which is much more easy for search engines to understand when compared with the firehose of unstructured data online. Again, never over-optimise semantic header tags but make them meaningful.
C. Optimized Images:
Optimizing images by using descriptive file names, alt text, and compressing file sizes enhances both user experience and SEO. Search engines consider image optimization as a factor when ranking pages, especially in image-centric searches. Optimised images are also crucial for accessibility compliance and to meet the needs of those with sight issues using screen-readers.
IV. Off-Page SEO:
A. Backlinks:
Backlinks, or inbound links from other reputable websites, remain a powerful ranking factor. Search engines view backlinks as endorsements of your content’s credibility and relevance. However, the quality of backlinks is paramount, and spammy or low-quality links are likely largely ignored by search engines who nowadays have years of classification training data curated when means they can increasingly tell when links are spam or even paid-for links. Avoid paying for links which is against Google guidelines and can lead to a manual penalty at worse and just a waste of your budget at best.
SEO’s widely regards inbound links to be amongst the best ranking factors, but for many publishers this is a prayer-on-a-wing philosophy to content marketing, because not all links are considered equal, and in the light of the Penguin algorithmic updates of recent years some could actually be doing harm to your site.
What you do have control over is the quality of outbound links. Some studies have shown that pointing links at high-authority can help with rankings, but it is important to be clear that Google have always denied that this has an impact as such.
Building relationships and indicating relevance between your internal pages and site sections via internal links can help to provide clear signals of context. They also help users to find sources of further information relating to the content that they are currently visiting. Satisfying both search engines and humans is key here. Avoid scattering your pages with internal links for the terms that you want to rank for just for the sake of it. Google knows that this is a tactic employed by some and it just looks like spam to them and their learning patterns.
B. Social Signals (Possibly a tiny impact):
While the direct impact of social signals on SEO is debated, there is evidence suggesting that social media activity can indirectly influence rankings. Increased visibility and engagement on social platforms may lead to more organic backlinks and improved brand awareness, positively impacting SEO. The halo effect of being seen everywhere goes well beyond SEO and SEO should never operate as a single channel without support from other channels in any event. In terms of ranking factors, social signals are likely miniscule but the secondary ‘ripples’ can contribute – such as extending the reach of the brand to influencers or highly respected websites which then link to the brand website. And if you do publish shareable content you may naturally receive inbound links (but you’ll likely need to promote this via social media and outreach in order for people to find it if you don’t already have an engaged audience).
Ranking (and Re-Ranking) Factors will be Dynamic
Because of the nature of search engine ranking (two stage at least – ranking and re-ranking for further refinement), the ranking factors which matter at any given time will change. Location, personalisation (if permission is provided to personalise), temporal nature of the query (i.e. did the user mean Apple (the computer) or apple (the fruit). The contextual nature of search engine queries and users will impact continually. Sticking with the key fundamentals of a quality content, understanding the needs of the audience (the precise information needs), under what conditions, having a well organised and technically sound website, and being proud to shout about your business across other channels should stand you in good stead.
In the dynamic world of SEO, adapting to evolving algorithms and trends is crucial for sustained success. By focusing on the key ranking factors outlined in this article, businesses and website owners can develop a robust SEO strategy that not only improves visibility on search engines but also enhances the overall user experience. Remember, SEO is a multifaceted discipline, and a holistic approach that addresses both on-page and off-page factors is essential for long-term success in the digital landscape.
