Google’s Ranking Factors – Optimizing Your Content For Better Position

It’s a known fact that content is king. A key that will open the doors of top ranking. This is the reason why having quality and optimized content is important for a website’s ranking. Google is changing its ranking factors / or you say algorithm all the time. For instance, keyword stuffing was a key for ranking a page in the past. But today it is advised to be avoided.

So, it is better to stay updated about new SEO techniques which are affecting your Google’s ranking factor and thus introduced into the market for better results. They will give the website owner an idea about the things that need attention. Before wasting any more time, let’s have a look at the 3 most important techniques that will help content reach the top of a page on Google.

Google’s Ranking Factor that Affects Website Traffic

Search Engine Optimization, often known as SEO, is extremely important for marketers. And when it comes to content optimization, there is much more to consider that helps your business organically rank on search engines. So what are ranking factors that affect website traffic?

Get ready for an in-depth explanation into the world of content optimization and make your site more appealing to visitors.

Keywords:

While talking about content, the first and foremost technique is keyword optimization. Here are some tips regarding keywords;

Avoid keyword stuffing:

Did you know, Google can penalize your page if it has keyword stuffing? Keyword stuffing means adding irrelevant keywords just to be noted by search engines. It is a shortcut and definitely a futile one.

Not only does it jeopardize the page’s reputation, but it is also a cause of bad user experience. While working on On-page-SEO, it is important to improve user experience. But keyword stuffing is just the opposite. Try using effective keywords throughout the content that will also play an important role in the lead generation process. By adding as many as possible keywords, you are compromising your content’s quality.

Long-tail keywords:

These are the keywords comprising more than two or three words. They have less search volume and hence less competition. So, why are long-tail keywords important?

According to backlinko, 70 percent of Google traffic consists of long-tail keywords. Since they have less competition, it helps in page ranking. Finding Long-tail keywords is not difficult. One can find them on the google search tab. Just enter the keyword, the relevant queries will be suggested. Use some in your content.

The words that Google suggests in bold letters are the queries people search for.

LSI keywords:

LSI stands for latent semantic indexing keywords. These are the terms related to the head keyword. How do they work? Google no longer looks for keyword density when it comes to SERPs. Though keyword density still matters, it is not the only thing noticed by Google. Google looks for the topic of your content.

For instance, if your article or blog post is about “Hot Chocolate”, the LSI keywords would be coca, whipped cream e.t.c. Using LSI keywords in your content gives search engines an idea of the overall topic of your content.

This way Google will be sure you are not adding irrelevant keywords and your keywords are related to your topic. So, these were some tips related to keywords. Now let’s move further.

Quality:

The thing that increases the user experience most is the quality of the content. If the article is offering some benefit to users, they will be happy. Saying so, because Google puts its users first. If you do the same, you will be in the good books of Google.

As Neil Patel says:

“Write for humans, not computers.”

Moreover, if you don’t know how to write content according to Google’s standards, enroll yourself on Google Skillshop, it will enhance your knowledge. In the end, it is for your own. Now, let’s see how to improve the quality of the content.

Uniqueness:

The uniqueness of the content is one of the things that improve the content quality. If users see the same content on 3 or more pages, they will get annoyed and would probably never visit them again. Search well before writing, have a grip on your topic, and write honestly. Writing honestly means plagiarism-free work.

Avoid plagiarism like it’s a plague. Because it is disastrous for the page ranking. Always make sure that your content is free of plagiarism. You can check for plagiarism by using online tools.

Freshness:

Users like fresh and updated articles. Because old ones are not in use anymore. For example, In 2017, you wrote a blog post about “5 fashion trends to follow this summer”.
Fashion changes within weeks nowadays. Users who found it useful in 2017, will want an updated version of it as this one is outdated. Sometimes it can be done by making a few changes in overall content. Google will consider it new and updated.

Layout:

Another thing that affects content quality is the layout. A website with an appealing design will attract more traffic. Make sure to use headings where ever needed. It is suggested to use keywords in the main and subheadings.

Keep the design minimalistic and do not use 10s of colors. Choose a theme and stick with it. Also, use images as they improve the appeal of the content.

Readability:

Last but definitely not least, make your content readable. Readability of content describes which age group can read your content.

Keep your readability to 7th and 8th graders. Use simple wording. Readability can be checked by using a readability checker.

Details:

Though the heading suggests tiny details, it does not mean unimportant. These are the details that often go unnoticed when people work on improving ranking.

Backlinks:

Linking to quality websites enhances your link profile. They are an important On-page-SEO technique. You can check domain authority to measure the quality of the Backlinks.

It not only helps in attaining a better position on SERPs but also improves Page’s reputation. But keep in mind backlink stuffing can lead to a bad user experience.

Quantity:

While many people think that long and detailed posts are boring and don’t attract much traffic. This is certainly not the case. Of course, writing in-depth content is important. But it has been seen that most top results of SERPs are the long articles.

Page speed:

Page speed is a factor that affects the bounce rate a lot. And pages with higher bounce rates mostly rank lower on Google. Some pages are simply not affected by it because they are one-page sites and users usually don’t make long trips to such websites.

But it is important to consider the bounce rate when it comes to multiple-page websites.
If a website takes more time to load, users will abandon it.

URL and meta description:

URLs and meta descriptions make the first impression on the user.
Your meta description introduces your page to the audience and gives them an idea of what your page is about.

Using keywords in meta descriptions helps search engines locate your page easily. Write a little meta-description about your content.

A comprehensible and short URL address also intrigues the audience.

Wrapping up:

Above are some of the many techniques that affect a continent’s ranking. It is important to stay updated about Google algorithms and parameters and make them a part of SEO practices. An improvement in the link profile, keywords, and quantity can give your content a better ranking.