Google Ranking Factors You Can Ignore

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What Is Google Ranking Factor?

Ranking factors are like algorithms that a search engine like Google follows to understand the web pages. It ranks them for better usability by users.
Google ranking includes several factors. To name a few: using keywords, creating backlinks, creating valuable content, updating the website, organizing your website, reducing the load time of web pages, writing unique meta titles and meta descriptions, and other similar parameters contribute to it.

Related : Local Search Ranking Factors

12 Things That Aren't Google Ranking Factors

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1. Discard the Age of Your Website as a Factor

The age of your website does not determine its ranking on Google.
If your website is older, that means you have bought more time to create content, generate backlinks, try and test new features, and promote your business. It gives you an upper hand in researching what might or might not work.
In contrast, many website owners assume that the older the website, the better it will rank on Google.
There is an interdependence to rank better on Google. Still, website age as an individual factor does not account for better ranking on Google or any search engine, for that matter.

2. Neglect the Word Count

Some searches suggest that the number of words on a particular web page will determine its rank on Google. How is that even possible?
The number of words or the length of content can be estimated based on the type of content or message the web page conveys. The quality of content and relevance matters for sure.
Consider yourself as a user. Suppose the text and visual content complement each other and the content flow across the website is not abrupt.
In that case, you should get the information you are searching for within a few clicks. That is what matters, and not whether it is written in 100 or 150 words.

3. Disregard AMP as an Essential in Ranking

AMP stands for ‘Accelerated Mobile Pages.’ It is a way to enhance the load speed for mobile users to get relevant information in no time.
AMP itself is not a ranking factor for Google, but the load speed is. It enhances the speed of the web page for sure, but nothing tops the relevance of that particular page.
If a page is more relevant than the keywords the user is looking for, it will show up on Google irrespective of how slow it is. An irrelevant page is not worth showing even though it is fast, right?

4. Ignore the Social Network Surge

Google does not consider any social media metrics like the number of followers, likes, or comments to determine how well the page will rank.
Many users keep their profiles private, so it does not give much access to information. Even if it has, it treats it like other pages across the web.
If social media metrics were a factor, you could have received a couple of trending memes on your screen for the information you are searching for.
Searching on Google uses a pull mechanism to get information on looking up something. In contrast to this, based on our search behavior, the information we get on social media uses a push mechanism.

5. Differentiate Between Content Accuracy and Content Popularity

Search engines like Google do not know how accurate a particular piece of content is.
Usually, the algorithm they follow suggests how many people interacted with a particular piece of content. It makes the content popular, but popular does not mean accurate.
This is how Google works if the site showing the information is credible or not matters. But how do you decide the credibility of a website?
It is through the number of links pointing to your website for a particular piece of information. If several websites show similar behavior, then Google will take it as authoritative and trustworthy.

6. Treat Subdomains as Separate Entities

Google no longer treats the subdomains as a part of the main site to give them an advantage in Google ranking. It treats it as a unique site altogether.
Of course, if many URLs are pointing towards the subdomain, it will gain some advantage. But, do not get confused. The advantage is due to the links and ranking of that page, not due to the URL construction, which references the main site.

7. Look Away from Accessibility as a Factor for Now

Several factors make your website more accessible to the users, which are important for Google to rank your website. Yet, there is no accessibility test that each of your web pages has to pass through.
This does not provide you with the license not to make your web pages accessible. It is important, but there are no criteria as of now to take it into account.
Instead, you can focus on the headings of each web page and the alt tags given to the images present on the web pages.

8. Keep Aside XML Sitemaps

XML Sitemaps have a clear function to make Google understand the flow and connectivity of each web page with one another. It is to make Google aware of the organization of different pages.
It is misinformation that will help in the indexing of your pages. Adding an XML sitemap will help the search engine crawl the pages and mark their presence.
Moreover, this does not imply that you should not think of adding an XML sitemap at all. It has several benefits to add which do not have a direct contribution to Google ranking.

9. Think of LSI a Little Later

LSI, which stands for ‘Latent Semantic Indexing,’ is a way to use similar words which circulate your target keyword. These are phrases that are centered around your main keywords.
To understand it in more depth, these are words that other people are searching for to reach the same set of information online. They are certainly important to understand the relevance of your primary set of keywords.
But they do not fall into the list of Google ranking factors for which most SEO users get confused.

10. Dismiss Google Analytics and Bounce Rate as Ranking Factors

Using Google Analytics is often mistaken as a factor to improve your Google ranking. Many users use other tools to analyze the statistics.
Another parameter bounce rate is considered an important factor for Google, but it is not the case.
Most websites have a certain audience that will bounce off their platform and land up on other pages depending upon the relevancy of the content provided and what the user is looking for.

11. Disregard Outbound Links

Outbound links are not an important factor to focus on for Google ranking factors.
To clarify this doubt, let us first know what outbound links are. These are external links that your website is pointing at other websites.
This certainly helps in improving the credibility of your website but is not one of the factors. It only enhances the trust in your website that it is pointing at other places which showcase relevant pieces of information.
Besides that, it does not affect the ranking even if those links are followed or not.

12. Abandon Pricing of Products as a Factor

Some people tend to confuse listing of product prices as a Google ranking factor. But, it is not the case when users are searching for a product on the web.
Further, if you add a list that showcases a comparison of prices of different products, that gives the user an upper hand to find the product he is looking for with greater ease—nothing more, nothing less.
Don’t get confused; it does not affect the ranking of your page on Google.

Important Google Ranking Factors to Rank Higher

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1. Generate Backlinks for Your Website

Backlinks are an essential factor in enhancing your ranking on search engines like Google. When certain websites externally point at your website to attribute to some content they have used, the credibility of your website enhances.
It proves to Google that your website is a credible source of information and, in turn, improves your page rank.
If you observe closely, then you will understand that backlinks are a way to bring organic traffic to your website.
People who are willing to know more will go deeper into the topic will click on the link and end up on your website.

2. Showcase Recent Content

For some conditions, recent news is of utmost importance.
For instance, if someone is looking for travel restrictions due to lockdown, he is certainly searching for the recent protocols to plan his travel accordingly.
While if someone is looking for a cooking recipe or best business books to buy, then the definition to recent might shift to a month or so.
This is how Google understands the importance of showing recent content which people might be looking for, and it becomes a factor to rank on Google.

3. Work on the Page Speed

The speed at which a page of your website loads matters as a Google ranking factor.
The race is not about loading your page faster than your competitors. It is about showing relevant information to your users within a limited duration not to bounce off your platform.
If your website shows relevant pieces of information in the form of meta titles and meta description, but on clicking the link, it takes forever to open, then certainly it will irritate the user.

4. Keep Your Website Mobile-Friendly

How well your website is organized for mobile users certainly affects its ranking on Google.
Your website should have the right amount of white spacing such that your web page does not look crowded when it is opened on a mobile phone instead of a desktop. As most of the users open a website on their phones, it affects the ranking directly.
If your website is not functional as per a mobile phone, you will miss out on a huge audience who only browse through a website on their phones.

Google Ranking Factors & SEO FAQs

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Q1. Is Domain Age an SEO Ranking Factor?

The age of your domain does not matter. You pay for it and get it. It has nothing to do with the relevance of the content that the user is searching for. The bottom line is that users should get the relevant piece of information independent of the domain age.

Q2. What Is the Most Important Google Ranking Factor?

Although Google has around 200 factors to get your website ranked on, it is not equally important. To name a few important ones:

• Backlinks
• Page speed
• Mobile-friendliness
• User experience
• Content relevance
• The right set of keywords

Q3. Is Google AMP a Ranking Factor for SEO?

No, AMP is not a ranking factor. It only enhances the page speed for mobile users to add to their convenience. Load speed is a ranking factor but not AMP.

Q4. What Is the SEO Factor for Blog Ranking in Google?

Several factors are contributing to it. First is keyword research which is in sync with your website. There are various tools for that.
Using those keywords, you have to optimize the meta titles, meta descriptions, alt tags, and headings. Followed by some internal and external linking, you complete a blog post.

Q5. What Are the Top SEO Ranking Factors in 2021?

Everyone wants their website to top the list of Google search results. To do that, keep the quality of content non-negotiable even though it is time-consuming.
Keep in mind to generate unique, high-quality, and relevant content for your users, and you will go a long way.
Speak to our SEO experts to know more about Google ranking factors and its importance for search rankings.