Google's Top Ranking Factors - What You Need to Know in 2023

With its dominant position as the world's leading search engine, Google continually refines its algorithms to deliver the most relevant and high-quality search results to users. As we enter 2023, it's essential to understand the current state of Google's top ranking factors to ensure your website remains competitive and visible in search results.

Content Quality and Relevance

Content is still king! Did you know websites with blogs generate 67% more leads on average, and 72% of marketers say that relevant content creation is the most effective SEO tactic? 

High-quality, relevant content remains at the core of Google's ranking algorithm. Google aims to provide users with the best possible answers to their queries, starting with content. In 2023, focus on creating comprehensive, unique, engaging, and relevant content. 

Comprehensive content provides in-depth coverage of the topic, unique content avoids duplication or plagiarism, engaging content keeps users on your site, and relevance ensures alignment with the user's search intent.

Mobile Friendliness

Mobile devices accounted for 63% of all organic search engine visits in 2021, and Google's mobile-first index rollout was completed in March 2021.

With the growing use of mobile devices, Google has shifted to mobile-first indexing. This means Google primarily uses the mobile version of a website for ranking and indexing. Ensure your website is responsive and provides an excellent user experience on mobile devices to maintain and improve your rankings.

Page Speed

Page speed has been a ranking factor for some time, but its importance continues to grow. A faster-loading website improves your SEO and enhances the user experience. Google expects websites to load quickly, especially on mobile devices.

FYI: 53% of mobile site visitors leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. Websites that load in 2 seconds or less have an average bounce rate of 9%, while those that take five seconds have a bounce rate of 38%.

Backlinks

Quality Backlinks Matter: 

Backlinks are the most influential ranking factor, according to a survey of SEO experts, and 66.31% of all pages have no backlinks.

Backlinks, or inbound links from other websites to yours, remain a crucial ranking factor. However, it's not just about the quantity of backlinks but also their quality. Focus on earning backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites in your niche.

User Experience (UX)

Google pays attention to user experience signals like ease of navigation, mobile-friendliness, and user engagement. A user-friendly design keeps visitors on your site longer and reduces bounce rates, positively impacting your rankings.

Core Web Vitals

Websites that meet Core Web Vitals benchmarks have a 24% increase in engagement. In 2021, Google introduced Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor, further emphasising user experience. These vitals include metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Optimising for Core Web Vitals is essential in 2023.

Secure and Accessible Websites

Google prefers websites with HTTPS encryption, as it ensures data security for users. Additionally, websites should be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Google's algorithms consider these factors when ranking websites.

Content Freshness

Did you know that 60% of marketers create at least one piece of content per day, and Google prefers fresh content, but it also values evergreen content that remains relevant over time?

Fresh content is a signal of a website's relevance. Regularly updating your content, especially in fast-changing industries, can help maintain or improve your search rankings.

Social Signals

90% of marketers say that social media marketing has increased their business exposure, and there is a correlation between social signals and higher search engine rankings, especially in highly competitive niches (Semrush).

While the direct impact of social signals on SEO is still debated, evidence suggests that social signals, such as likes, shares, and comments, can indirectly influence search rankings. Engaging on social media platforms can help increase your online visibility.

Page Experience Update

In May 2021, Google introduced the Page Experience Update, which focuses on providing a better user experience. This update combines existing ranking factors with Core Web Vitals and other signals to evaluate page experience.

Conclusion

Staying on top of Google's ranking factors is essential for maintaining and improving your website's search visibility in 2023. Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and what works today may evolve in the future as Google's algorithms continue to change. 

Keep experimenting, monitoring your performance, and adapting to Google's evolving algorithms to ensure your website continues to rank well and attract organic traffic in the years to come.

Would you like professional assistance optimising your website's SEO and digital presence? At Hive Social, we specialise in helping businesses like yours rank higher on Google and increase their online visibility. Our team of experts can provide you with tailored strategies and solutions to improve your website's performance in search results.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to boost your SEO efforts and enhance your online presence. Contact us today to learn how Hive Social can help you achieve higher rankings on Google and drive more organic traffic to your website. Your success is just a click away!