What Does Google Look For When Ranking Your Website?
You probably have a website or a blog and are wondering how to come up first in search results. You may have tried keywords, you may have even Googled the most-searched terms. However, Google focuses on very specific traits from your website that will help them decide how significant it is and therefore place it near the top.
Let me summarize the top factors Google focuses on:
HTTPS
This security certificate assures your audience that your website is secure and protected. Also, it proves to Google that your website is not spammy and that you are serious about the privacy of your audience.
Click-Through-Rate
Google wants to see how engaged your audience is by clicking through your website. Once they land on your page, you need to keep them interested in navigating your site by providing them with helpful content. If they stay on one section and then leave, that is not good.
Content Relevance
Your website’s content must contain valuable information and relevant keywords. Google determines this by checking the overall length, the ranking of the keywords, and images.
Time on Site
This is an obvious one. The time your viewers spend on your site determines how relevant your information is and how high your engagement rates are.
Font Size
The font size is one of the main characteristics of a website. A larger font size (not colossal) is much more appealing, easier to read, and maintains your audience engaged.
Number of Backlinks
Yes, you may use keywords and advertise your website on Google but organic traffic is the best way to go. Additionally, Google wants to see that relevant and well-known sites are linking your website in their content. It proves that you are a legitimate website.
Number of Images
Make sure you own the images you post or that you have legal rights to them. Also, make sure that you have a significant amount of images on your website because images have proven to increase engagement rates among your audience and prove that your site is valuable.
Facebook Activity
Does your website link to your Facebook? Does your Facebook link to your website? Google wants to see you active on social media and promoting your content to confirm that you are a legitimate website and that you have an engaging audience. Having a plugin on your website that displays your Facebook is a great strategy.
Tweets
In addition to Facebook, Google wants to see how engaged you are on Twitter because it shows that you have an engaged audience and you are not spammy.
Pinterest is not just a social site, it is a search engine. Being active on Pinterest and promoting your website there is essential to increasing your traffic and ranking high on Google. Make sure it also links back to your website.
Google +
Just like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, you need to be active. (It belongs to Google, duh!) Create your collections, participate in others, and share your content with the world!
By following this guideline, your website could come up in the first ten search results!