The 40 Most Important SEO Ranking Factors for Google

The factors examined are divided into binary and numerical features. This means there is an inherent difference in nature of the factors used in this analysis. This difference should not be neglected in the interpretation of the values. Apply SEO best practices to make your site easier to find, navigate, and rank higher in search results.

Why SEO Matters for Your Business in 2025

Bounce rate is possibly one of the most misunderstood performance indicators when it comes to search engine’s ranking algorithm. That’s why we spoke to experts all over the world to see what they consider the most important ranking factors to look out for in 2025. For many business owners, website optimization is more technical than they have time for.

The key is to stay proactive—consistently refining your content, improving technical SEO, and delivering an outstanding user experience. Not Prioritizing High-Quality Backlinks Despite being a key search engine ranking factor, backlinks are often not given the priority they deserve by many websites. Earning links from high-authority sites signals to Google that your content is trustworthy and valuable. However, relying on low-quality or irrelevant backlinks can hurt your SEO ranking factors.

Steps to Utilize Keyword Research Tools

That’s what you want if those parameters create duplicate pages, but not ideal if you want those pages to be indexed. Googlebot starts out by fetching a few web pages, and then follows the links on those webpages to find new URLs. Mastering on-page SEO is essential for improving your website’s visibility, driving targeted traffic, and ultimately boosting your online success. Since switching to mobile-first indexing in 2018, Google has prioritized sites optimized for mobile traffic, even for desktop search.

These are the words and phrases searchers use when seeking information. You can check domain authority or page authority with Open Site Explorer. Just plug your URL into the onsite search box, and you’ll get a report showing domain authority, page authority, established links, and new links.

Achieve top rankings on search engines with SEO.com

Search volume refers to the number of times a keyword is queried within a specific time frame. High search volume indicates strong interest, but it’s important to evaluate if you can attract traffic for those keywords based on your current rankings. You can track search traffic to ensure you are targeting terms that align with your audience’s inquiries. Tracking your keyword positions over time is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. Regularly monitor changes in keyword rankings to see if your efforts translate into improved visibility. Tools like Serpple make it easy to keep SEO Anomaly tabs on your keyword metrics without overwhelming costs.

In extreme cases, your website can get banned from a search engine’s index, which you can’t fix. If you’re unfamiliar with troubleshooting and resolving penalties, consider partnering with a reputable SEO service provider that specializes in them. Review Google’s full spam policies to learn what not to do when working with search engines. Google is already very efficient at identifying brands from particular sectors and at allocating their URLs a preferential ranking. Values like recognizability, user trust and brand image are also reflected in the SERPs to a certain extent.

Bing also measures click-through rates from its search results pages. Pay attention to Bing Webmaster Tools to assist you with your SEO strategy. Instead, Google wants businesses and SEO professionals to think about HTTPS differently.

• Becoming proficient in SEO requires understanding the inner workings of search engines.
• If these businesses mention your name, but don’t link back to your site, you can reach out to them and ask them to link to your site.
• You should take advantage of this and ensure you include your target keyword.
• One of the constants in the ranking factor studies is an interesting peculiarity in the data that we have dubbed the “brand factor”, present in many factors and observations.
• If you’re looking to ground yourself in modern SEO practices, this list of SEO statistics is a great place to start.

When people conduct local searches, many of them are looking for this information. If potential customers can’t find it, they’ll seek out another business. An owner-verified listing is one of the factors that will help improve your GBP ranking. You want to claim ownership of your GBP listing so you can include all the information potential customers need.