Hey there, digital marketers.
Wondering what you need to focus on to rank higher in Google next year?
You’ve come to the right place. Google’s algorithm is always changing, and if you want your website to appear at the top of the search results in 2023, you need to stay on top of the latest ranking factors. Forget about keyword stuffing and link farms – those tactics are long gone.
Google now values high-quality, user-focused content and a great overall user experience. If you want to outrank your competitors next year, pay attention to these critical Google ranking factors that will matter most in 2023. Optimize your site for these factors and you’ll be well on your way to dominating the SERPs.
Mobile-Friendliness
It is understated that mobile-friendliness is important to get your website ranked well. Well, mobile friendliness for ranking has always been a key factor.
Over half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices, so Google favors sites optimized for small screens.
To ensure your site is mobile-ready:
- Design a responsive layout that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. This means text should resize, images should shrink, and the content should flow in a single-column layout for easy reading on the go.
- Make buttons and links large enough to tap easily with a finger. No tiny text or links here!
- Limit vertical scrolling. Keep the most important info above the fold so visitors don’t have to scroll much to find what they need.
- Check how fast your site loads on mobile. If it’s more than 3 to 5 seconds, you’ve got work to do. Optimize images, minimize redirects, and compress code to speed things up.
- Test how your site displays on the most popular mobile devices. Make sure there are no weird formatting issues and that interactive elements function properly.
Page Load Speed
As people become increasingly impatient, fast-loading sites will be rewarded. There are a few ways to improve your page load speed:
- Optimize images by compressing them. Large image files have significantly slow download times. Use a tool like TinyPNG to shrink your images while maintaining quality.
- Minimize redirects. Having too many redirects from one URL to another creates extra loading time. Audit your site to find and remove unnecessary redirects.
- Reduce server response time. A slow server means a slow site. Use a content delivery network (CDN) to store static content on servers around the world so visitors access the geographically closest server.
- Minimize plugins and widgets. Extra widgets, plugins, and embeds on your site impact load speed. Only include what’s necessary and be selective about third-party integrations.
- Compress and minify code. Minifying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files remove unnecessary spaces and characters, reducing file size and speeding up load time. Enable compression on your server and minify code.
Optimizing and monitoring your page load speed will become increasingly important for ranking in Google. Make improvements now to create a fast, seamless experience for your visitors and establish a competitive advantage.
Build quality backlinks
The backlinks pointing to your site from other authoritative domains show Google that your content is valuable and credible. Focus on earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your niche. Commenting on industry blogs, guest blogging, and link-building outreach campaigns can help build powerful backlinks.
Building a strong domain authority will take time and effort, but by publishing high-quality content, earning powerful backlinks, and becoming an authority in your niche, your domain authority will increase over the long run. Paying attention to your domain authority and making continual improvements will help ensure your site ranks well in Google for years to come.
Search Intent
Search intent is the key to boosting your website ranking. This means understanding what the searcher is looking for. Are they looking for a quick answer, to purchase a product, or to dive deep into a topic?
Craft your page content, title, headings, and meta description around the likely intent.
For example, if someone searches “how to start a podcast,” they probably want a helpful step-by-step guide.
Provide that, and your page is likely to rank well for that intent-driven query.
Some other types of intent to consider include:
- Informational – The searcher wants to learn or research a topic. Provide an in-depth, comprehensive resource.
- Transactional – The searcher wants to buy, sign up, or download something. Make that easy to do from your page.
- Navigational – The searcher is looking for a specific website or business. Ensure your brand and page URL are prominently featured.
- Commercial – The searcher is looking to find and compare products to purchase. Include details like pricing, specs, and reviews.
Optimizing for search intent, especially the kind of in-depth, high-quality content Google values, is key to ranking success in 2023 and beyond. Provide the information and experience the searcher is looking for, and you’ll be rewarded in the rankings.
Website Navigation
Think about how visitors will move through your site and make options visible and intuitive.
- Keep your site menu clean and concise, with no more than 7-10 options.
- Use simple and consistent navigation – don’t change the style or location of the menu on different pages. Include links to your most important content and services within the first couple of menu options.
- Use breadcrumbs, page titles, and headings to show visitors their path. Breadcrumbs, located at the top of the page under the menu, display the page hierarchy to get to the current page. Craft page titles and H1 headings that accurately reflect the content on that page.
- Include internal links within your content to connect related pages and topics. But don’t overdo it – aim for 1-2 internal links per 200-500 words. Only link to high-quality, relevant content.
- Make it easy for visitors to contact you or perform key actions like signing up or making a purchase. Place contact information, calls-to-action, and links in easy-to-spot locations at the top and bottom of pages.
- Keep your site navigation simple, consistent, and geared toward helping visitors easily find what they need. Prioritizing a great user experience will serve your SEO and business well in the future.
Content-Length
Google wants to provide the most helpful, in-depth content to searchers. That means longer, more comprehensive content will rank higher, all else being equal. For 2023, aim for content that is at least 1,000 words or more.
Longer content allows you to cover a topic thoroughly while also using related keywords and phrases more often. This signals to Google that your content is authoritative and helpful. Of course, don’t just add fluff and filler to hit some arbitrary word count. The content still needs to be well-written, focused, and valuable to readers.
Bulleted or numbered lists, images, graphs, or other visuals can also add length in a meaningful way. They make content more scannable and help break up dense paragraphs. Embed social media content like tweets, videos, or infographics for extra length and to enrich the user experience.
While short content still has a place, especially for quick questions and answers, longer guides, in-depth blog posts, and comprehensive resources will be key for ranking in 2023. Provide the most useful, complete information on your topic, and Google will reward you.
The Conclusion
Google’s algorithm is always evolving to provide the most relevant results to searchers, so staying on top of the latest updates and trends is key.
If you want your website to rank higher in Google next year, put in the work now to improve your content, build more high-quality backlinks, optimize for mobile, and strengthen your site security. The search landscape is competitive, but by focusing on what matters to Google and providing an amazing experience for your visitors, you’ll be well on your way to crushing it in the rankings and achieving your goals. Now get to work – your top rankings are waiting!