Enaa Mari
When it comes to ranking factors, every SEO under the sun has his or her own take. In fact, if you try listing every one of them, the list would probably go well into the thousands.
There is a joke that even Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai does not understand how its search algorithms work! Ranking factors is one of the many areas in SEO that is dominated by misconceptions and myths.
You do not have to ace each and every ranking factor under the sun. That is probably impossible and will cost you a fortune and your entire lifetime. This is why we have tried to create an effective roadmap by listing down seven ranking factors that should be your focus in 2022.
If you are an SEO or digital marketer looking to revamp your SEO strategy in 2022, this article will help point you in the right direction. Creating this resource has not been easy and we have had to take help from our SEO expert friends at Digitrio.
List of 7 Google Ranking Factors which are Important in 2022
- Relevant and Authoritative Backlinks-
You would note that we have not just written down backlinks (they are passe). We have complimented backlinks with relevance and authority. In other words, where you are placing your site’s links need to be related, in the same niche, and have an authority of their own. For Google’s search algorithm, a link placed on a relevant and authoritative site is a strong upvote.
- The freshness of the Content-
This is something that is debateable, but we will try to break it down. For evergreen content types like ‘how to bake a chocolate cake’ Google shows both new and old results. For news articles and sites, freshness means articles that have just been published. People like to read the latest as far as politics, sports, and Page 3 entertainment is concerned.
- User’s Search Intent-
While the first two ranking factors might be common knowledge, search intent is the hidden piece of the SEO ranking jigsaw puzzle. Is your content answering the query and expectation of the user? If yes, your SEO is a success. If not, you need to go back to the drawing board and match your content and keywords to the search intent. This is one of the hidden ranking factors.
- Topical or Niche Authority-
A shop that sells just wooden chairs is higher in authority for Google than a wooden furniture shop that sells chairs, beds, tables, and more. According to Google insiders, this is what is referred to as ‘Topical Authority’. In other words, the more niche your offer, the better will be your SERPS and search performance. When building backlinks, pay attention to this factor.
- High-Quality Content Types, Forms, and Angle-
This is the heart and soul of search engines. Content is everything is you want to rank. However, not all content is created equal. At the end of the day, you need to have a mixed bag of content types, forms, and angles and match it to the different stages of the user’s search intent. This will not only help you with the SERPs but also power conversions leading to sales and revenues.
- Webpage Speed and Loading Time-
Can you imagine how many web pages are competing for the same audiences? The top ones have more or less the same authority and content. Google then looks at elevating the experiences of the users through factors like site speed and loading time. Fast websites that have great loading speeds are ranked higher based on providing users with better search experiences.
- Mobile Friendliness-
70% of all searches are carried out on mobile devices. This means that websites and their content need to create the best possible design and experience on smaller screens. If you are not optimizing your website for mobile and tablet devices, you are going to lose out on a large section of your traffic. Google will penalize you with lower rankings and organic search.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we have listed down the seven major ranking factors that are going to make or break your SEO efforts. Additionally, site security through SSL certificate also plays a major role in boosting SEO performance along with the UI and UX experience of the site. Understanding the various ranking factors can give you a competitive edge to rank higher and better. If you have any questions, with regard to any point mentioned in the article, then please let us know in the comments below.
