Join us as we unlock the secrets to mastering SEO in the ever-evolving landscape of search engine optimisation, understanding the key SEO ranking factors is essential for anyone looking to enhance their online visibility.
This blog delves into the critical elements that search engines like Google and Bing use to evaluate and rank websites. From technical setups like mobile-friendliness and page speed to content quality and user engagement metrics, we will explore how each factor impacts your website’s SEO performance and provide actionable insights to help you climb the SERPs effectively.
SEO Analytics
1. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
What is it?
Search engines analyse the percentage of users clicking on a result after viewing it. Higher CTR indicates relevance and can boost rankings.
What to do?
Write compelling meta descriptions and titles to improve CTR. Conduct A/B testing to find the most effective formats.
2. Dwell Time
What is it?
The time users spend on a page before returning to search results signals content relevance and quality. Longer dwell times generally improve rankings.
What to do?
Create engaging content that encourages readers to stay longer on your site. Use multimedia and interactive elements to enhance engagement.
3. Bounce Rate
What is it?
A high bounce rate may indicate content irrelevance or poor user experience. Search engines use this as a negative ranking factor.
What to do?
Optimise landing pages to be relevant to the visitor’s search query and improve navigation to encourage exploration:
- Content Alignment: Ensure that the content on your landing pages directly addresses the search queries leading visitors there, by including relevant keywords, clear headings, and engaging opening paragraphs.
- Improve Navigation: Simplify your site’s navigation to help users find the information they need by using clear, logical menu structures and visible links to related content or popular pages.
- Page Load Speed: Enhance the loading time of your pages by optimising images, leveraging browser caching, and minimising HTTP requests.
- Clear Calls to Action: Each page should have a clear call to action (CTA) that guides users to the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or viewing another piece of content.
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site is fully responsive and easy to navigate on smartphones and tablets.
- Use Engaging Media: Incorporate videos, infographics, and images to make pages more engaging. Visual aids can help explain complex information and keep users interested.
- User Experience (UX) Enhancements: Regularly conduct UX audits to identify and rectify design or usability issues including checking for broken links, confusing layouts, and poor font choices.
4. Link Velocity
What is it?
The speed at which a website gains or loses backlinks can indicate growth or manipulative link-building practices. Natural link growth is essential for sustainable rankings.
What to do?
Monitor the rate of link acquisition to ensure it appears natural and sustainable over time.
5. Engagement Metrics
What is it?
Metrics like time on site, pages per session, and interactions indicate content quality. Higher engagement suggests satisfied users.
What to do?
Monitor metrics like time on site and pages per session to understand user engagement and refine content strategies based on this data.
SEO Technical
6. Page Speed
What is it?
Fast-loading pages are favored as they improve user experience and reduce bounce rates. Search engines like Google measure this factor through tools such as Core Web Vitals.
What to do?
Optimise images, leverage browser caching, and minimise HTTP requests to enhance page loading times. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights for specific recommendations.
7. Mobile-Friendliness
What is it?
Websites optimised for mobile devices rank better, as most search traffic now comes from mobile users. Mobile-first indexing means search engines use mobile versions of websites for ranking.
What to do?
Design your website with a responsive layout that adapts to different devices. Regularly test your site on various screens using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
8. Secure Websites (HTTPS)
What is it?
Websites with HTTPS encryption are preferred over non-secure HTTP sites. This factor improves user trust and data security.
What to do?
Migrate your site to HTTPS to secure data and boost user confidence. Ensure all resources on your site are also secured, such as:
- Images (e.g., product photos, banners, logos)
- Stylesheets (e.g., CSS files for website design)
- Scripts (e.g., JavaScript files for interactivity)
- Fonts (e.g., web fonts hosted externally or internally)
- APIs (e.g., third-party integrations like maps or payment gateways)
- Embedded Content (e.g., videos, widgets, or social media plugins)
9. Core Web Vitals
What is it?
Metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Point (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measure page performance and user experience. These are critical technical ranking factors.
- LCP: This measures how quickly the main content of the page is visible.
- INP: This evaluates the overall responsiveness of a webpage by measuring the time from a user’s input (e.g., click, tap, or keyboard action) to the next visual change on the screen.
- CLS: This measures unexpected layout shifts that occur as a page loads.
What to do?
Monitor and optimise LCP, FID, and CLS metrics using real user data and lab tools to improve user experience. Below is an easy breakdown:
- Monitor Metrics
- Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Google Search Console, or Web Vitals Chrome Extension to track your website’s LCP, INP and CLS scores.
- Optimise Metrics
- LCP: Strategies: Optimise images, use faster hosting, enable caching, and implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
- INP: This evaluates the overall responsiveness of a webpage by measuring the time from a user’s input (e.g., click, tap, or keyboard action) to the next visual change on the screen.
- CLS: Strategies: Set size attributes for images and videos, use stable layouts for ads or third-party content, and avoid dynamically inserting content above existing elements.
- Use Real User Data and Lab Tools
- Combine lab data (simulated conditions from tools like Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights) and real user data (field data from Chrome User Experience Report or Search Console) to gain comprehensive insights.
- Lab data helps pinpoint issues during testing, while real user data reflects actual experiences under different network and device conditions.
- Iterate for Continuous Improvement
- Regularly review Core Web Vitals scores to ensure sustained optimisation as your website evolves. Address newly arising issues promptly.
10. Internal Linking
What is it?
A strong internal linking structure helps search engines crawl and understand the hierarchy of content on a site. It also helps distribute link equity across pages.
What to do?
Develop a logical internal linking structure that connects related content, aiding both users and search engines in navigating your site.
11. Structured Data (Schema Markup)
What is it?
Implementing structured data (e.g., Schema.org) helps search engines understand content context and display enhanced results like rich snippets. It aids visibility in search results.
What to do?
Implement relevant Schema.org markup to help search engines understand your content and enhance your appearance in SERPs.
12. Domain Authority
What is it?
Search engines evaluate a website’s overall credibility and trustworthiness through domain authority. It is influenced by backlinks, domain age, and consistent quality.
What to do?
Strengthen your domain authority by securing backlinks from high-authority domains, maintaining active social media profiles, and ensuring a steady stream of fresh content.
13. Backlinks
What is it?
Links from authoritative and relevant websites signal credibility and trustworthiness to search engines. The quality of backlinks outweighs the quantity, with spammy links negatively affecting rankings.
What to do?
Focus on earning backlinks through high-quality content, guest blogging, and partnerships with reputable sites. Regularly audit your link profile to weed out bad links.
14. Crawlability and Indexing
What is it?
Search engines must be able to easily crawl and index website pages. Proper sitemaps, robots.txt, and resolving crawl errors are critical.
What to do?
Ensure all important content is easily accessible to search bots, use a clean robots.txt file, and regularly update your XML sitemap.
15. HTTPS Redirects
What is it?
Properly redirecting from HTTP to HTTPS ensures security without losing traffic. Mismanaged redirects can hurt rankings.
What to do?
Implement proper redirects from HTTP to HTTPS to avoid security warnings and ensure a smooth transition for users.
16. Image Compression and Format
What is it?
Compressed, fast-loading images in modern formats (e.g., WebP, AVIF) improve page performance and SEO. Alt text and descriptive file names enhance accessibility and discoverability.
What to do?
Use modern image formats and compression techniques to reduce load times while maintaining visual quality.
17. XML Sitemaps
What is it?
Submitting a sitemap helps search engines understand a website’s structure and ensures all pages are indexed. It’s particularly important for large or complex websites.
What to do?
Regularly update your XML sitemap and submit it to search engines to assist with efficient page indexing.
18. Anchor Text Optimisation
What is it?
The text used in hyperlinks (anchor text) helps search engines understand the content being linked to. Over-optimisation or irrelevant anchor text can trigger penalties.
What to do?
Use descriptive, relevant anchor text for all links. Avoid overusing exact-match keywords to prevent penalties.
19. JavaScript and CSS Optimisation
What is it?
Ensuring JavaScript and CSS are crawlable and do not slow down page performance is crucial. Search engines may penalise pages with broken scripts or poor user experiences caused by unoptimised code.
What to do?
Minimise and optimise JavaScript and CSS files to reduce load times and ensure smooth functioning.
What is it?
Breadcrumbs provide a clear path for users to navigate a site and help search engines understand page hierarchy. They also appear in search results as rich snippets.
What to do?
Implement breadcrumb navigation to enhance both user experience and SEO by clarifying site structure.
21. Server Uptime
What is it?
Frequent server downtimes or errors negatively impact rankings. A reliable hosting provider ensures minimal disruptions.
What to do?
Choose a reliable hosting service with strong uptime guarantees to minimise site outages and interruptions.
22. AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
What is it?
AMP pages load faster on mobile devices and often rank higher in mobile searches. They are especially beneficial for news and blog content.
What to do?
Implement AMP for faster mobile experiences, particularly for content-heavy sites like news platforms.
23. Robots.txt
What is it?
Correctly configured robots.txt files ensure search engines can access essential pages. Misconfigured files may block critical pages from indexing.
What to do?
Properly configure robots.txt to ensure that search engines can access important content and are blocked from irrelevant sections.
24. URL Structure
What is it?
Simple, clean URLs with relevant keywords improve SEO and user experience. Dynamic and overly long URLs can hurt rankings.
What to do?
Keep URLs short, clean, and descriptive. Avoid excessive parameters or complicated structures.
25. Search Console Integration
What is it?
Integrating with tools like Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools ensures better monitoring of indexing and performance. Search engines reward well-maintained sites.
What to do?
Use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to track site performance and address indexed or crawling issues.
26. Cross-Device Compatibility
What is it?
Pages optimised for seamless experiences across desktop, tablet, and mobile rank higher. Poor cross-device performance leads to lower usability scores.
What to do?
Ensure your website offers a seamless experience across all devices and platforms by regularly testing and updating its responsiveness.
27. Browser Compatibility
What is it?
Websites should perform consistently across different browsers (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Edge). Compatibility issues reduce usability and rankings.
What to do?
Test your website across all major browsers to ensure consistent performance and fix any compatibility issues.
28. Click Fraud Protection
What is it?
Implementing mechanisms to detect and prevent fraudulent clicks on ads or links protects your rankings. Search engines may penalise sites linked to click fraud.
What to do?
Implement tools to detect and prevent click fraud, especially if PPC campaigns are a significant part of your marketing strategy.
29. Web Hosting Speed
What is it?
Hosting providers with optimised server speeds and minimal downtime improve rankings. Shared hosting can sometimes slow down large sites.
What to do?
Select a web hosting provider that matches your traffic needs and minimises site downtime, especially if your audience is global.
30. Hosting Location
What is it?
For international or local searches, the location of a website’s server can influence rankings. Fast and regionally relevant hosting improves performance and visibility.
What to do?
Choose a hosting location close to your primary audience to improve site speed and user experience for that region.
31. JavaScript Loading
What is it?
Properly deferred or asynchronous loading of JavaScript ensures faster rendering. Poorly optimised scripts hurt page performance and rankings.
What to do?
Optimise JavaScript loading by deferring non-critical scripts and ensuring essential content loads quickly.
What is it?
Links in footers are given less weight but can still provide navigation benefits. Overloading footers with spammy links can negatively impact SEO.
What to do?
Use footer links wisely to aid navigation without stuffing irrelevant links that could be perceived as spammy.
33. Hosting Uptime
What is it?
Frequent server downtimes disrupt user access and signal instability to search engines. Reliable hosting ensures consistent rankings.
What to do?
Monitor and optimise your web hosting arrangements to ensure high availability and minimal service interruptions.
34. Domain History
What is it?
A domain with a history of penalties or ownership changes may struggle to rank. Maintaining a clean history is critical.
What to do?
Maintain a clean domain history by avoiding black-hat techniques and ensuring any domain purchases have not been previously penalised.
35. Negative SEO Attacks
What is it?
Protecting your site from malicious practices (e.g., spammy backlinks, DDoS attacks) helps maintain rankings. Regular audits are necessary.
What to do?
Protect your site from negative SEO through regular audits and quick responses to suspicious activity.
36. Error-Free Code
What is it?
Valid and error-free HTML/CSS ensures smooth crawling and rendering. Validation tools can identify issues that hinder SEO.
What to do?
Validate your site’s HTML and CSS regularly to fix any coding errors and ensure compatibility across all browsers.
37. Deprecated Tags
What is it?
Using outdated HTML tags or attributes can confuse search engines and users. Modern web standards improve SEO.
What to do?
Update any outdated HTML to ensure your site meets current web standards and avoids potential SEO pitfalls, such as:
- <font>
- What it did: Controlled text style, size, and colour.
- Modern approach: Use CSS for styling, such as:
- <center>
- What it did: Centred text or elements.
- Modern approach: Use CSS for centring:
- <b> and <i> (for stylistic purposes)
- What they did: Made text bold (<b>) or italic (<i>).
- Modern approach: Use <strong> for bold (emphasising importance) and <em> for italics (emphasising text)
- <u>
- What it did: Underlined text.
- Modern approach: Use CSS for underlining:
- <marquee>
- What it did: Created scrolling text or images.
- Modern approach: Use CSS animations:
- <frame> and <frameset>
- What they did: Divided the browser window into multiple sections.
- Modern approach: Use <iframe> sparingly or better yet, modern CSS layouts (e.g., Flexbox or Grid).
- <strike>
- What it did: Displayed text with a strikethrough.
- Modern approach: Use <s> (for stylistic strikethrough) or CSS.
38. External Link Quality
What is it?
Linking to high-quality, relevant external resources boost your content’s credibility. Excessive or irrelevant outbound links can lower rankings.
What to do?
Link to authoritative and relevant sites to support your content’s credibility. Regularly audit external links for quality.
39. Site Architecture
What is it? Clear and intuitive website navigation helps both users and search engines. A logical structure ensures better crawlability.
What to do?
Plan a logical site hierarchy that groups similar content under common themes, making it easier for search engines to understand and index your site
40. Ads and Pop-Ups
What is it?
Excessive ads or intrusive pop-ups can negatively affect user experience and rankings. A balance of content and ads is recommended.
What to do?
Balance monetisation with user experience by limiting intrusive ads and ensuring they do not cover important content. Recommended practices:
- Wait at least five seconds before pop-ups are displayed
- Display pop-ups when users have spent about 50-60% of the average time on the page.
- Use a scroll condition by displaying the pop-up after the user has scrolled a certain amount of the page.
- Display the pop-up when the user seems like they are about to leave the page.
41. AI and Machine Learning
What is it?
Search engines increasingly rely on AI to assess content and search intent. Algorithms adapt to user behaviour, influencing rankings dynamically.
What to do?
Leverage AI technologies to analyse user behaviour and personalise content, improving engagement and retention.
42. Local Listings and NAP Consistency
What is it?
For local businesses, consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) information across directories (e.g., Google My Business, Yelp) is critical. Discrepancies can hurt rankings in local search results.
What to do?
Ensure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all platforms and directories.
43. Age of Domain
What is it?
Older domains with a history of consistent and quality content often have a ranking advantage. However, newer domains can still compete with strong content and optimisation.
What to do?
While leveraging an older domain for its established credibility, ensure the content remains relevant and fresh.
44. Affiliate Links
What is it?
Excessive use of affiliate links without proper disclosure or context can lead to penalties. Search engines prefer content with genuine value over monetised spam.
What to do?
Clearly disclose the nature of affiliate links and focus on linking to products or services that are relevant to your content.
45. Spam Score
What is it?
Search engines evaluate spammy behaviours such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, and unnatural links. High spam scores can lead to penalties or delisting.
What to do?
Regularly check for and correct any factors that might contribute to a high spam score, such as hidden text or excessive keyword stuffing.
46. Web Accessibility
What is it?
Sites adhering to accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1) rank better, as they cater to diverse user needs. Accessibility also improves UX for everyone.
What to do?
Ensure your website complies with WCAG 2.1 guidelines to provide a better user experience for all visitors.
47. Domain Extensions
What is it?
Certain TLDs (.com, .org) are trusted more than others (.info, .xyz). Country-specific TLDs improve rankings in localised searches.
What to do?
Choose domain extensions wisely; opt for .com, .org, or .net for broader appeal or country-specific TLDs for local markets.
48. Exit Rate
What is it?
A high exit rate from key landing pages may indicate poor content or navigation issues. Search engines monitor this metric for user satisfaction.
What to do?
Analyse exit rates to identify potential content or navigation issues that might be causing users to leave the site prematurely.
49. IP Reputation
What is it?
The IP address of your hosting server affects rankings if flagged for spam or malicious activity. Clean, reputable hosting is essential.
What to do?
Monitor your hosting IP’s reputation to prevent being associated with spam or malicious activities, which can affect your rankings.
SEO Semantic
50. Keyword Usage
What is it?
Keywords in titles, headers, meta descriptions, and throughout the body of content help search engines understand page relevance. However, keyword stuffing is penalised across most search platforms.
What to do?
Use keywords naturally within the content, especially in the title, headers, and early in the text. Conduct keyword research to find a balance between high search volume and low competition.
51. User Intent
What is it?
Content that aligns with user queries (e.g., informational, transactional, or navigational) ranks better. Search engines evaluate whether content matches the specific needs behind a search term.
What to do?
Analyse search queries to understand the intent behind them and structure content to address these needs directly. Use tools like Google’s People Also Ask for insights.
52. Geographic Relevance
What is it?
Search engines use location signals, such as IP addresses and local keywords, to serve geographically relevant results. This factor is vital for local SEO.
What to do?
Include local keywords, register with local directories, and use local business schema to enhance local SEO.
53. Social Signals
What is it?
While their direct influence is debated, social shares, likes, and engagement can amplify content visibility and backlinks indirectly boosting rankings. Social signals are more impactful on Bing.
What to do?
Encourage sharing and engagement on social media by integrating share buttons and promoting content through social channels.
54. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
What is it?
This guideline assesses content credibility, especially in niches like health and finance. Author profiles and references improve E-E-A-T scores.
What to do?
Demonstrate expertise and authority by including author bios, citing reputable sources, and gaining certifications or recognitions in your field. Add experience into your content truthfully to improve the E-E-A-T score.
55. Language Relevance
What is it?
Pages targeting specific languages should have proper localisation and hreflang tags. Search engines prefer content that matches the language and culture of users.
What to do?
Use hreflang tags for multilingual content to target specific languages and regions appropriately.
56. Multilingual Content
What is it?
Proper use of hreflang tags and accurate translations ensure pages rank appropriately for different languages and regions. Poor localisation can confuse search engines and users.
What to do?
Implement hreflang tags accurately and ensure high-quality translation to provide a localised experience.
57. Voice Search Optimisation
What is it?
With the rise of voice-activated assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, content tailored to natural language queries ranks better. Long-tail keywords and conversational tones are crucial for voice search.
What to do?
Optimise for voice search by including conversational keywords and structuring content to provide direct answers to common questions.
58. Search Intent Shifts
What is it?
Search engines monitor how user intent evolves and adapt rankings accordingly. Updating content to reflect these shifts maintains relevance.
What to do?
Regularly update content to align with changing search trends and user needs, ensuring ongoing relevance and engagement.
59. Regional Relevance
What is it?
Search engines prioritise content relevant to a specific region or culture. Geo-targeted domains and region-specific content improve rankings.
What to do?
Tailor content to regional audiences by incorporating local language nuances, cultural references, and regional data.
60. Citation Signals
What is it?
Consistent mentions of your business name and details across the web (without direct links) improve local rankings. These are important for directories.
What to do?
Ensure consistent business information across all platforms and directories to strengthen local SEO efforts.
61. Content Duplication Across Subdomains
What is it?
Using the same content across subdomains can confuse search engines and dilute rankings. Unique content for each subdomain is necessary to avoid cannibalisation.
What to do?
Use unique content for each subdomain to prevent content dilution and improve SEO.
62. Search Engine-Specific Optimisation
What is it?
Different search engines have unique preferences; for example, Bing emphasises social signals and multimedia, while Yandex values local language accuracy. Tailoring efforts for each search engine improve visibility.
What to do?
Understand the nuances of different search engines and optimise specifically for those that are most relevant to your audience.
63. Domain Name Keywords
What is it?
Having relevant keywords in a domain name can provide a slight advantage but is not a primary ranking factor. Avoid keyword stuffing or overly generic names.
What to do?
Choose domain names that are relevant and memorable without resorting to keyword stuffing.
64. Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) Keywords
What is it?
Using related terms and synonyms helps search engines understand context and relevance. Overuse of exact-match keywords without LSI signals can lead to lower rankings.
What to do?
Include LSI keywords to help search engines understand the context of your content better. LSI keywords should not be treated at the same level as primary keywords, their purpose is to provide better context to your content.
65. Exact Match Domains (EMD)
What is it?
Domains that exactly match search terms may gain a slight advantage, but low-quality EMDs can be penalised. Quality of content remains key.
What to do?
If using an EMD, ensure the content is high-quality and the site offers genuine value to avoid being labelled as spammy.
66. Content Cannibalisation
What is it?
Having multiple pages targeting the same keyword can confuse search engines. A clear keyword strategy avoids cannibalisation and ensures each page has a distinct purpose.
What to do?
Audit your site to identify and merge or differentiate pages that compete for the same keywords.
67. Behavioral Metrics from AI
What is it?
AI-driven search algorithms assess nuanced behavioral data like session re-entry. High re-entry rates suggest value, while drop-offs indicate irrelevance.
What to do?
Use AI tools to analyse detailed user behavior and adjust content strategy based on findings to improve engagement.
68. Multi-Language Support
What is it?
Multi-language sites should use hreflang tags and culturally relevant translations. Poor localisation leads to confusion and lower rankings.
What to do?
Provide accurate and culturally relevant translations for multi-language websites, using hreflang tags for targeting.
69. Time Zone Relevance
What is it?
Search engines may prioritise content aligned with the searcher’s local time zone. This is particularly relevant for news and events.
What to do?
Consider time zone differences when posting time-sensitive content to ensure it reaches your audience at the appropriate time.
70. Voice-Optimised Snippets
What is it?
Content specifically tailored for voice assistants (e.g., concise answers, conversational tone) increases chances of being featured in voice search results.
What to do?
Create concise, direct answers to common questions in a natural conversational tone to improve visibility in voice search.
SEO Content
71. Content Quality
What is it?
Search engines prioritise well-written, unique, and engaging content that provides value to users. High-quality content is characterised by depth, relevance, and the ability to satisfy search intent.
What to do?
Ensure the content is well-researched, informative, and answers the user’s query comprehensively. Use clear headings, engaging introductions, and conclusions that summarise the key points.
72. Freshness of Content
What is it?
Regularly updated or newly created content can rank higher, especially for time-sensitive topics. Freshness is more critical in news, trends, and events.
What to do?
Regularly update existing content and publish new articles to keep your site relevant, especially in rapidly changing fields.
73. Visual Content Optimisation
What is it?
Optimised images and videos, with appropriate alt tags and captions, improve SEO. Visual content increases user engagement and keeps visitors on the page longer.
What to do?
Ensure all images and videos are optimised with appropriate file sizes, alt tags, and descriptive titles.
74. Readability
What is it?
Content that is easy to read and structured with headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs performs better. Search engines prefer content written at an appropriate reading level for the audience.
What to do?
Use simple language, short paragraphs, and bullets to make content easy to read. Utilise readability tools to ensure text is accessible.
75. AI-Generated Content
What is it?
While allowed, low-quality AI-generated content may face penalties. AI-driven content needs to meet quality, originality, and relevance standards.
What to do?
Use AI tools judiciously to create initial drafts or augment content creation, but always ensure human editing for quality control.
76. Duplicate Content
What is it?
Search engines penalise sites with duplicate or plagiarised content. Canonical tags can prevent issues with duplicate URLs.
What to do?
Use canonical tags to direct search engines to the original content, and avoid publishing repeated or similar content across multiple pages.
77. Multimedia Integration
What is it?
The use of videos, images, infographics, and interactive elements enriches content and boosts user engagement. Search engines reward pages that go beyond plain text.
What to do?
Include high-quality images, videos, and interactive content to make articles more engaging and informative..
78. Content-Length
What is it?
Longer, comprehensive content tends to rank better because it covers topics in-depth. However, quality and relevance should never be compromised for length.
What to do?
Ensure content is detailed and comprehensive enough to fully cover the topic, but remain concise where necessary.
79. Video Optimisation
What is it?
Videos optimised with proper titles, descriptions, tags, and closed captions perform well in search engines. Platforms like YouTube, which is a major search engine itself, prioritise optimised video content.
What to do?
Use clear, descriptive titles and descriptions for videos. Include closed captions and tags to enhance discoverability.
80. Review Signals
What is it?
Positive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or industry-specific sites improve trust and visibility. Negative or fake reviews can hurt rankings and reputation.
What to do?
Encourage customers to leave positive reviews and respond to reviews to improve credibility and customer engagement.
81. Behavioral Signals
What is it?
Actions such as pogo-sticking (frequent bouncing between results), bookmarking, and returning to the site indicate user satisfaction to search engines. Positive behavioral signals boost rankings.
What to do?
Enhance user experience to reduce negative behaviors like pogo-sticking and to encourage positive actions like bookmarking.
82. Industry Relevance
What is it?
Search engines value niche authority. Sites that focus on a specific industry or topic area tend to rank better than those with generalised content.
What to do?
Focus content efforts on specific industries or niches to establish authority and improve ranking in those areas.
83. User Feedback
What is it?
Feedback tools like comments, ratings, and polls indicate engagement and satisfaction. High user interaction suggests valuable content to search engines.
What to do?
Encourage interaction through comments, polls, and feedback forms to gauge user interest and satisfaction.
84. Offline Behavior Integration
What is it?
Search engines increasingly integrate offline signals such as foot traffic (via Google Maps or other apps) into local rankings. Businesses with high offline engagement tend to rank higher.
What to do?
Incorporate offline interactions into your online metrics where possible, such as linking in-store visits to online profiles.
85. Custom 404 Pages
What is it?
A user-friendly 404 page retains visitors even when they land on non-existent pages. Proper design and navigation options reduce bounce rates and improve SEO indirectly.
What to do?
Design user-friendly 404 pages that guide visitors back to useful resources or the home page.
What is it?
High social engagement with content can boost its visibility and indirectly impact rankings, especially on Bing and social-media-integrated engines.
What to do?
Enhance content sharability by including share buttons and engaging visuals that encourage interaction.
87. Thin Content
What is it
Pages with little to no value or redundant information are penalised by search engines. Comprehensive and useful content is rewarded instead.
What to do?
Avoid publishing low-quality or sparse content. Focus on providing value with every page.
88. Page Age
What is it?
Older pages with updated and evergreen content often rank higher due to accumulated authority. Stale content can drop in rankings over time.
What to do?
Keep older content updated to ensure it remains relevant and continues to attract traffic over time.
89. Topical Depth
What is it?
Comprehensive content that covers a subject in-depth tends to rank higher. This is especially important for long-tail queries.
What to do?
Create content that thoroughly covers topics, especially answering common questions and expanding on less-covered subtopics.
90. Image EXIF Data
What is it?
Including metadata in images (e.g., geotags, descriptions) can improve rankings, particularly for image searches. This is more influential in local SEO.
What to do?
Include relevant metadata in image files, especially for location-based searches.
91. Subdomain Relevance
What is it?
Subdomains are treated as separate entities by some search engines. Proper optimisation and linkage to the main domain ensure cohesive SEO benefits.
What to do?
Ensure that any subdomains are closely related to the main domain’s content and properly interlinked to enhance overall domain authority.
92. Page Themes
What is it?
Grouping related content around core themes signals topical authority. Clustering content into silos can enhance rankings.
What to do?
Develop content around thematic clusters to create comprehensive resource sets that improve topical authority.
93. Content-to-Code Ratio
What is it?
Pages with more meaningful content relative to HTML code perform better. Excessive code or bloated scripts can slow down performance.
What to do?
Aim for a higher content-to-code ratio by reducing unnecessary HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on pages.
94. Interactive Content
What is it?
Polls, quizzes, calculators, and other interactive elements keep users engaged and on the page longer. Engagement metrics positively affect rankings.
What to do?
Include interactive elements like quizzes and calculators to engage users and encourage longer visits.
95. FAQ Sections
What is it?
Structured FAQ sections with proper schema markup can enhance visibility in SERPs. They address common queries, improving user satisfaction.
What to do?
Build well-structured FAQ sections that answer common queries related to your business or industry, using proper schema where appropriate.
96. Blog Regularity
What is it?
Regularly publishing blog content indicates an active and authoritative site. Dormant blogs may lose rankings over time.
What to do?
Keep a consistent blogging schedule to signal to search engines that your site is continually updated with fresh content.
97. Hidden Content
What is it?
Hidden text or content not visible to users but loaded for search engines is penalised. Transparency is critical for SEO.
What to do?
Avoid using hidden texts or links. Be transparent with what’s on the page as search engines can penalise hidden content.
98. AI-Driven Personalisation
What is it?
Personalised content or recommendations based on user preferences and behaviour improve engagement metrics. Higher engagement signals boost rankings.
What to do?
Utilise AI to offer personalised content recommendations based on user behaviour, enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.
99. Proximity to Searcher
What is it?
For location-based queries, physical proximity between the user and the business significantly influences local rankings. This is critical for mobile searches.
What to do?
Optimise for local SEO by ensuring your business is listed in relevant local directories and maps.
100. Content Pruning
What is it?
Content pruning involves the process of evaluating and removing or updating outdated, redundant, or low-quality content from a website. This practice is crucial as it helps maintain the relevancy and quality of the site, which are factors that search engines consider when ranking pages.
What to do?
- Audit Your Content: Regularly review your website’s content to identify pages that are outdated, underperforming, or irrelevant to your current business goals.
- Update Valuable Content: For pages that still hold value but contain outdated information, update them with current data, improved multimedia elements, and optimized SEO practices.
- Remove Low-Value Pages: Delete or redirect pages that no longer serve a purpose or negatively impact your site’s SEO due to thin content, duplication, or outdated SEO practices.
- Consolidate Similar Content: Merge similar or related content to create comprehensive, authoritative pages that provide more value to users and search engines.
- Monitor Impact: After pruning content, monitor changes in traffic, engagement, and rankings to understand the impact of your actions and adjust your strategy accordingly.