The Google 200 Ranking Factors Myth
Although Google's specific ranking algorithm is proprietary and its exact details are not publicly disclosed, the idea of 200 ranking factors is often discussed among the SEO professional community.
We categorized the numerous potential ranking factors into 8 groups based on several sources, including Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List and Your Cheat Sheet to Google's 200 (Known) Ranking Factors.
1. Page-level relevance, quality and performance
There are many ranking factors among the page-level factors. Here are the essential subcategories. These ranking factors should be addressed through on-page SEO and technical SEO.
Relevance to Query:
The primary consideration is how well a specific page matches the user's search query. Pages with content directly addressing user intent and providing relevant information are more likely to get a higher ranking.
Keyword optimization plays a critical role in demonstrating the page's relevance to the query. Pages optimized for relevant keywords are more likely to rank higher.
Content Quality:
High-quality content is one of the most crucial factors for getting higher ranks.
High-ranked pages should provide accurate, engaging, comprehensive, and original information to satisfy user's search intent.
Link Quality and Relevance:
Linking to authoritative and relevant sites can be positive signals for improving the page's authority.
Page Experience:
Page experience in the SEO context refers to the overall user experience and satisfaction when interacting with a web page.
Page experience has three key elements: speed, mobile-friendliness, and security.
Google uses Core Web Vitals to assess page speed, including LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), INP (Interaction to Next Paint), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift).
2. Site-level relevance, quality, and performance
Site-level factors can be aggregations of page-level factors, but site-specific factors also exist. Here are the essential subcategories. These ranking factors should be addressed through on-page SEO and technical SEO.
Site architecture, usability, and crawlability
Website structure is important for both users and crawlers. A well-structured website can improve its usability and crawlability.
Having additional structured information, such as a sitemap (HTML sitemap and XML sitemap) and breadcrumbs (HTML-based and schema markup), also helps users and crawlers understand the site structure.
Duplicated content on the same website can be negatively rated.
Site reliability and relevance to Query
Google emphasizes the concept of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to provide relevant and accurate information to users for the query.
Having only one web page may not be sufficient to demonstrate E-E-A-T on a particular topic. To demonstrate the reliability of your website, you may need to have multiple pages covering related topics comprehensively.
Site's Technical Performance
Security, speed, and mobile-friendliness are also applicable at the site level.
Google mentions that using HTTPS is an essential factor and is usually managed at the site level.
The use of CDN or optimization of server location to improve speed should also be handled at the site level.
3. Domain authority
Although Google's explanation of the Ranking Results does not directly mention a domain, a domain influences ranking results.
Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz, but the idea of domain authority is widely used in the SEO professional community. Higher domain authority has a positive impact on getting higher search rankings.
Building domain authority takes time and requires all three types of SEO: on-page SEO, technical SEO, and off-page SEO.
4. Backlink quality and quantity
Backlinks are critical to demonstrate the web page's relevance to the query and the quality of content. Good backlinks from reputable websites are better for improving ranking than having lots of low-quality backlinks.
It is also important how backlinks to your website appear, such as the anchor text used in the backlink and where the link is located in the content of the referring website. The search engine may penalize paid backlinks (see spam detection section below).
Backlink building is the core part of off-page SEO.
5. Brand and social signals
Brand and social signals can be used to assess the website's or page's reputation. Highly reputed websites can demonstrate E-E-A-T to search engines. You can address brand and social signals through Off-Page SEO and On-Page SEO.
6. User engagement
How your page attracts and engages users is important for Google to measure if it satisfies the user's search intent.
SEO experts discuss various methods of measuring user engagement for ranking. These methods include organic CTR (Click-Through Rate), bounce rate, dwell time, direct traffic, and repeat traffic.
You can address user engagement issues through on-page SEO and technical SEO.
7. User context and settings
Google states that factors such as user location, search history, and personalized settings influence the ranking of search results.
You cannot control the user's context and settings. However, using SEO techniques, you can optimize content and website configurations for the user. Local and International SEO.
Check Chapter 6. Geographical SEO: Local SEO and International SEO for geographical context.
8. Spam detection
Google invests heavily in spam detection. Its official page says, "In 2020 alone, our systems found 40 billion spammy pages every day."
Web pages suspected of being potential spam are negatively rated. Google's spam policies are also available on the official page.
Conclusion of Chapter 2
This chapter has illuminated search engines' multifaceted nature—how they interpret queries, assess content relevance and quality, and personalize results. Understanding these fundamentals is crucial for applying effective SEO tactics that align with the nuanced criteria search engines use to rank web pages.
The next steps in your SEO learning journey will transform this knowledge into actionable strategies for measurable success.
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