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10 Key Google Ranking Factors to Pay Attention to in 2021


10 Key Google Ranking Factors to Pay Attention to in 2021

Are you looking to reach more audiences and make more sales? Do you want to boost the ranking of your website or online store? Keep reading for a helpful guide on the top Google ranking factors you need to keep an eye on for 2021.

We’re in an era where going online can help you access every service and product. As a website owner, you want your site to be at the top of the Google search page result. This way, your customers and target audiences can find you fast and with ease.

The best way to do that is to keep an eye on the most vital Google ranking factors. Below, we’ve got a list of ten key ranking factors you need to observe in 2021.

1. Monitor Backlinks

One of the top SEO factors to keep your eye on is your backlink game. PageRank, the base for Google’s ranking algorithm, looks at a website’s backlinks first. Considering how long PageRank has been in use, using strategies to cater to it is a surefire way of boosting your rank.

You don’t have control over who and how many people use your website to link to. The best thing you can do is to produce high-quality content, source guest posts, and do cold outreach. You can also use thought leadership content, like webinars, podcasts, and data-driven posts.

2. Relevance and Information Accuracy

If you’ve kept up a blog for your page, you know that the content you posted a year or two ago isn’t all that relevant anymore. Unless you’re posting a dissertation on Shakespeare’s works, your content needs constant updating. Also, always expect that the trends for next year will be quite different from this year’s trends.

This is how Google sees old content, and so it’s always looking for new and valuable information. A good move is to always look for new information and topics that you can create content for. You can also keep your old but well-created posts updated.

3. User Experience (UX)

Google cares about the experience of its users. It’s why it keeps reinventing its assets, like Google Design and Maps. The new Google algorithm wants to make sure that its users find websites that focus on UX, too.

To improve UX, make sure your website works well and doesn’t confuse users. You can create an impact even with a simple system. Learn to use Google’s free tools to help you in this area.

4. Freshness

Another one of the most undervalued search engine ranking factors is freshness. The news, trends, and current issues come and go. Both Google and people want the latest content, so stay updated.

5. Content

Another one of the top SEO ranking factors is content. You don’t need to create new content on your website every day to stay on top of your game. Again, this race is all about reaching the top with quality rather than quantity.

Remember that Google loves looking for information with credibility and reliability. Putting out quality content can put you at the top of search results. However, it may take time before you can build web authority, so be patient.

6. Speed

More countries are adapting to 5G internet, which means their connections are faster. In countries like China, South Korea, and the US, it’s already the standard wireless connection. Whether your customers are local or international, you want to make sure that your website is up to speed.

Consider how long you stay and wait on a webpage that’s loading. If you don’t click away after three seconds of loading, you’re in the minority. Now, consider how long your shopping site or webpage takes to load.

Even Google looks at page speed as a ranking factor, not only internet users. Since 2010, Google has looked at page speed as a ranking factor. In 2018, it extended this criterion to mobile searches, so make sure your page is up to speed.

7. Usability for Mobile

Our dependency on smartphones continues to grow more and more. In 2019, around 1 in 5 American adults accessed the internet using only their smartphones. Thus, it’s only wise for you to consider the mobile accessibility of your website.

Also, the mobile-friendliness of a website is one of the most important Google ranking factors.

Google has a preference for websites and pages that are accessible to mobile. It’s one of the most useful local SEO ranking factors. If you’re aiming for localization, make sure that your site is mobile-friendly above all else.

8. HTTPS

Today, we can do almost everything on the internet. Banking, money transfer, and information-sharing, and more are all doable online. It’s only normal for online security to be a big concern for many internet users.

Google knows this and focuses on it. Thus, it focuses on websites that use the HTTPS encryption rather than the risky HTTP protocol. If you haven’t updated your site to use HTTPS encryption yet, now is the time to do it.

9. Domain Power

Domains carry a lot of weight. It’s one of the best ways for a brand to remain in the memory of its target audiences. It’s also a Google ranking factor that you need to take note of for this upcoming 2021.

Your domain power can come from two things. One is the domain seniority or age. The older your domain is, the easier it’ll be for you to rank for keywords. The other is the exact-match domain, like “cars.com,” for example.

10. Brand Power

For the last entry in our ranking factors, we’ll discuss brand power.

40% of revenue gets captured by organic traffic. You can get this if you have a powerful brand. The more your brand gets searched for by users online, the more likely the algorithm will recognize it.

Going to social sites and platforms is a solid way to boost brand awareness. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit correlate with search rankings. Combine this with your brand power to get the most search visibility.

Make It to the Top When You Focus on These Google Ranking Factors

That ends our list of the top ten Google ranking factors for 2021 that you need to look out for. We hope this guide helps you boost your rankings.

If you have any queries, feel free to visit our contact page. Are you thinking about getting help from SEO experts to boost your website ranking? You can also check out our directory for more information about buying SEO services.

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