Google ranks websites using a complex system that considers many factors to determine which sites are the most relevant to the search keywords entered. The main things Google looks at are:
Keywords: Google checks if the words from search query are found on the website. A site with content that closely matches the search terms is more likely to rank higher. However, this is not a reason to overload the page with keywords, especially since Google recognizes the query’s topic, possible synonyms, and related words.
Backlinks: These are links from other websites pointing to a site. Google sees backlinks as votes of confidence. If many reputable websites link to a particular site, Google will consider it trustworthy and rank it higher. However, it depends on the site’s topic; in some cases, you can be at the top of the search results even without backlinks, while in some competitive niches, no amount of trusted backlinks helps.
Content Quality: Google evaluates whether the website’s content is informative, well-written, and relevant. High-quality content that provides value to users tends to rank better, while poor-quality and AI-generated content does not. It is still unclear how this mechanism works, but it does exist. Often, a new site gets outstanding rankings initially, only to disappear from the search results later.
User Experience: Google looks at how easy it is to navigate a website. If the site loads quickly, works well on mobile devices and is easy to use, it will likely rank higher. Here, it’s essential to pay attention to Core Web Vitals, which are a set of specific factors that Google considers necessary in a webpage’s overall user experience, including loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability.
Engagement: If people click on a site and stay there for a while, it indicates to Google that the site is useful. One key metric is the bounce rate, which refers to the percentage of visitors who navigate away from a site after viewing only one page. It indicates whether the content meets their expectations and how engaging the page is. Having a low bounce rate and high engagement can help improve rankings.
“Trust Rank“: Google hasn’t officially detailed a specific TrustRank algorithm, but the concept is widely discussed in the SEO community. This score indicates how well a page may rank on search engines based on factors like the website’s age, the number of backlinks, and the overall quality of the content.
Freshness: For some queries, the search results hardly change, while for others, they change daily. Google considers how new or updated the content is. In some cases, recent information might be more relevant than older content, so newer pages can sometimes rank higher.
By considering all these factors, Google aims to show you the most relevant, trustworthy, and high-quality websites in the organic search results for your query. To make a website rank higher and match these factors, Search Engine Optimization is required. SEO involves optimizing a website to meet the criteria that search engines use to rank sites. This includes picking the right keywords, improving user experience, building quality backlinks, and regularly updating content.