Pay special attention to your Google Business Profile (GBP), which is what appears in the results page when people search your business name and also where Google Maps gets its data from. Of all your online citations, GBP is considered one of the biggest local search ranking factors, especially for Google results (for obvious reasons). Add content to your GBP, such as local photos and updates, to make it clear your business is active in your location. Ignoring Mobile Optimization The majority of global internet traffic, over half, comes from smartphones. Google’s mobile-first indexing prioritizes the mobile version of your site and is prioritized in search rankings. Responsiveness of mobile, fast load times, and easy navigation on smaller screens are now vital Google ranking factors.

The best way to encourage a positive user experience is to give your visitors a sense of direction. It is better to have your visitors going to multiple pages, rather than just one or two. When you create content, blogs, news sites, BHS Links and other business sites can link to it as a source for their readers. People type in specific keywords that draw up results that utilize those keywords. Have you seen improvement in rankings after improving user satisfaction?

User Experience (UX) Factors

It’s a way to ensure the main topic of your page is clear to search engines and users. Interestingly, having a Google Business Profile was cited as the #1 ranking factor for small businesses in a recent survey of marketers. Let’s look at these 3 types of links to understand how and why they can affect your rankings. For any given keyword, the articles ranking at the top are deemed the best on the subject. Google rewards websites that load quickly, are easy to navigate, and provide a seamless experience across devices.

Search engines evolving

But the best idea is to start using Google Search Console (if you’re not already). This has an entire section dedicated to updating you on your site’s performance, including speed. On-page SEO refers to factors on your own website that you can optimize, such as the underlying code and the content. So instead of focusing solely on what a site’s page says, Google now tries to understand who is saying it. When someone goes to Google for information that could have real-world consequences, Google wants to be sure it’s giving its users the most accurate information possible.

Google Ranking Factors That Influence Search Results

This means that your website should provide value to your audience, answering their questions, solving their problems, and keeping them engaged. This list expands up to 220 SEO factors, each briefly described to highlight how it influences rankings. These factors are dynamic and adapt as search algorithms evolve, so keeping up-to-date with the latest practices is essential for long-term success in SEO. The idea behind NAP is that your business details should be consistent across all online platforms. Inconsistencies make your site look less credible and can confuse search engines as to which information is accurate. In this article, you’ll discover the most important Google ranking factors that make a difference in 2025.

Audit your pages regularly to ensure they are well-optimized and aligned with the latest search engine guidelines and user expectations. When getting other sites to link to yours, focus on quality, relevant links from authoritative sites in your niche. Stay attuned to industry trends, emerging keywords, and changes in search behavior to keep your keyword strategy up-to-date and effective. It’s not about the actual words or information on the pages but more about setting up the website so search engines can navigate and make sense of that content. Relevance is how well a local business matches what the searcher is looking for.

• The search engine also cautions content marketers and SEO experts to publish content for readers, not for the algorithm.
• High-quality backlinks are a cornerstone of off-page SEO, serving as one of the most significant indicators of a website’s credibility and authority.
• That’s right — just because your site can be discovered and crawled by a search engine doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be stored in their index.
• This, in turn, a lot of bad UX signals to Google showing that people are not liking your site.
• When someone searches for a business or place near their location, they’ll find local results across Google in places like Maps and Search.

Lack of Internal Linking Strategy A lack of internal linking or a disorganized approach can confuse search engines and prevent important pages from being properly indexed. Effective internal linking is a key part of SEO ranking factors, and it can also help users navigate your site more easily. Achieving a high SEO ranking requires a strategic approach, but some common mistakes can derail your efforts. Understanding and avoiding these errors is essential to improving your website’s visibility and performance. Let’s explore some of the most prevalent mistakes and their impact on SEO ranking factors, including Google ranking factors and other search engine ranking factors.

While E-E-A-T itself isn’t a confirmed ranking factor, it helps you create content that aligns with Google’s definition of quality. This means that high search engine ranking positions help you generate organic traffic, brand awareness, and other business results. SEO rankings matter in search engine optimization (SEO) because the higher you rank for a given keyword, the more likely users are to see and click on your result.