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Ranking Factors of SEO 2K22 Facts vs Fiction
Many people would probably be shocked to learn how many factors Google takes into account when determining search rankings. It was estimated to have more than 200 ranking criteria in 2009, and given the passage of time, it probably certainly has many more now. New features like RankBrain, neural matching, and others have played a significant role in Google’s development into the company it is today. What can we therefore assume about the popular search criteria? There are a lot of rumours and conjectures floating about. Here are several SEO ranking indicators you should take into account as 2021 approaches, as well as some that most likely don’t.
Domain-Related Factors
The duration of a domain’s registration
Popular Belief
The age of a domain has long been thought to be important by many individuals. This is why some developers would buy outdated domain names in an effort to benefit from them for SEO.
Reality
This, though, probably isn’t as crucial as many people believe. The age of a domain has no impact on results, according to numerous statements made by Google.
This will be categorised as fiction.
The Domain Name Should Include Keywords
Popular Belief
It has long been believed that including a keyword in the domain will improve a site’s ranking. In fact, some engineers thought Google gave this kind of behaviour too much weight.
Reality
According to Google, putting a term in a domain will not change a site’s ranking for that keyword for a very long time. It might have been important in the past, but it doesn’t matter now.
This is also a work of fiction.
The URL Should Include Keywords
Popular Belief
It can be easier to recognise a site as relevant for a term if the URL contains the keyword. When the website is shared or linked to, they can even act as anchor texts.
Reality
True, including a keyword in the URL will improve a site’s SEO standings. However, because of how little of an impact it has, it will not have the same impact as other elements.
This one will go down as a fact.
nation codes
Popular Belief
A country code will aid in linking a website to a certain nation, which will improve its rating there. For instance, the country code for websites in Canada is.ca.
Reality
It is true that including a country code in the URL will aid in a site’s localization. However, it might impede international ranking efforts, so be cautious to balance the advantages and disadvantages for your site.
This is a proven fact.
Content-Related Factors
Key word-containing title tag
Popular Belief
Title tags assist in describing to site indexers the subject matter of a page or post. Search engines utilise this data to interpret the content of a page and correctly rank the website.
Reality
Make sure you use title tags because they are, in fact, a crucial component. Although they are not as significant as meta tags, everything can help with SEO.
This is a proven fact.
Keywords in the description
Popular Belief
It’s generally accepted that description tags are no longer important SEO elements. However, it does have an impact on click-through rate.
Reality
Rankings no longer take into account description tags. Although they do not now, they did in the past and are valuable in that they assist Google in providing content previews.
Consider this to be fact.
Enhanced Pictures
Popular Belief
To aid in ranking and Google image search, images should be properly indexed by being tagged with file names, descriptions, alt text, and other descriptors.
Reality
For SEO, alt text for images is crucial. Particularly when it comes to image ranking. An image will be more likely to rank for multiple keywords if you add additional content to it.
This is true.
Size of Content
Popular Belief
The material will rank higher if it is longer. 2000 to 3000 words of pertinent material might play a significant role in ranking.
Reality
According to Google, the word count is not at all taken into account in the search algorithm.
This is made up.
Complete Information
Popular Belief
Concerning the subject it is covering, content must be quite thorough. A website is an authority on a subject when it is thorough.
Reality
Something needs to be thorough in order to be high-quality content. This indicates that it is true and that those who read it can benefit from it.
This is true.
Recent Content Is Required
Popular Belief
Google favours current content that has been updated to match any particular subject’s development.
Reality
Google is seeking out fresh content more than ever. Rankings will undoubtedly benefit from new content. However, it could not matter if a user is not looking for anything that is particularly new, like news or current events.
In most instances, but not always, this belief is accurate.
Grammar in Content
Popular Belief
Your writing should be free of grammatical and spelling errors. These serve as indicators of the quality of the content. If there are errors, your ranking will suffer.
Reality
Grammar and spelling no longer play as much of a role as they did in the past. No errors or typos are screened by Google. However, if your material is riddled with errors, it could have a negative impact on the user experience and your SEO.
This is another work of fiction, but it contains a few bits of truth.
Arrangement and Coding
Inside Links
Popular Belief
Internal links facilitate Google’s crawling of a website. Additionally, it helps search engines determine which sites are the most crucial for a given keyword search.
Reality
Google specifically looks at internal links to ascertain a site’s hierarchical organisation. These backlinks give particular pages authority, which is essential for assisting with search engine results.
This is true.
User-Friendly Layout
Popular Belief
Visitors to a website should be able to immediately see the content. The site will be penalised by Google’s algorithm if the design is not user-friendly. This can include websites with numerous pop-up ads and other content-distracting distractions.
Reality
The usability of a website is crucial to its ranking. It to the very heart of what Google wants to provide its users. Not just excellent stuff, but also content that is simple to access and use.
This can be taken as fact.
Performance and Security of a Site
Popular Belief
Because HTTPS websites are safer, they will perform better in Google search results.
Reality
For the past five to six years, HTTPS has been a recognised ranking criteria. Google will favour websites that employ HTTPS because it wants to protect users.
This is true.
Place of Server
Popular Belief
A website will rank higher for a certain country or location if its server is situated in that country or place.
Reality
A country-specific server will be beneficial, just like a domain with that country’s name will. Additionally, it might hurt a website globally.
This is a reality that cannot be disputed.
Speed of Page Loading
Popular Belief
One of the most important factors when it comes to ranking may be loading speed. Even more so for mobile websites.
Reality
For many years, page rankings have been significantly influenced by how quickly a site loads. It was only a factor for desktop searches in the past, but it was just recently stated that it would now now apply to mobile sites.
It is undeniable that speed is important.
Mobile-Friendliness
Popular Belief
Because using mobile devices is so widespread, a site must be mobile-friendly to improve its search ranks.
The Truth
Mobile browsing is at an all-time high and will only continue to rise. As a result, Google has unquestionably elevated the importance of mobile friendliness when determining how to rank websites.
This is unquestionably true.
Dwell Time, Click Through Rate, and Bounce Rate
Popular Belief
Google takes user engagement with a website into account. This pertains to how quickly they leave, how long they stay on the website, and how many pages they view while there.
Reality
Google has been extremely clear over the years that none of those things are taken into account when determining search rankings. Having said that, these are crucial metrics to monitor in order to assess the effectiveness of your website.
This is made up.
As you can see, there are many myths as well as many truths out there. It’s vital when putting out an SEO plan or a piece of content to focus on what genuinely matters for SEO. Use this fact or fiction article as your guide for some of the most generally held SEO assumptions.
