At this year’s Search Metrics Ranking Correlation Study analysts gave away some of the most vital factors that lead to higher rankings on search engines. Marcus Tober acquainted the audience with some determinant SEO ranking factors that one needs to know to keep abreast the latest Google Hummingbird algorithm. So here are some of the vital factors to be kept in mind while formulating content for websites.
1) Website speed
Since Google is very particular about the audience surfing internet on their mobile devices, therefore Google gives high weightage to websites that load faster. So it should be on your priority list to make the website ultra-fast and if possible responsive for mobile device platforms. Another factor would be to incorporate maximum instances of auto fill in forms to make it easier for the user to fill in the relevant information in as little time as possible.
2) Branding
Google recognizes brands to have distinct advantage at getting top ranked positions, so it is highly recommended to make your brand being talked about.
3) Internal linking
Too many, or too less links in your webpage’s content can harm website’s ranking ability. Special attention should also be given to maintenance of links on the website. It should be kept in mind that internal links should be placed in such a way that they look natural.
4) Content
As most experts would say, content is the king, if you want to rank higher in website rankings and google search results. In a study it is found that in 2014, longer text (length of characters) did better, and also insertion of Proof Keywords has higher chances of ranking better in Google search.
5) Social shares
Making sure that you webpage(s) or website is shared organically on Facebook and Google+ makes a big difference in search results.
Now it is no more about Search Engine Optimization, it is about Search Experience Optimization, according to Marcus, who believes that in the end it is all about enhancing the experience of end-users. If your webpage has ample information about relevant content, is well formatted with pictures and proof read for any mistakes; the chances of the webpage ranking higher on Google search is maximum.