SEO Ranking Factors: The Complete List + Best Way to Use

Understanding SEO ranking factors is critical for achieving online visibility and growing website traffic. And as you may know, Google uses over 200 of them. While some factors are well-documented, others are based on anecdotal evidence.

This guide categorizes and details all known factors to provide insights for optimizing your website’s performance.

We’ll be focusing on Google because it’s the dominant search engine, and you can naturally align your site with the requirements of others. In other words, Google’s ranking factors are a good guideline since others share a similar evaluation process.

Best Way to Use SEO Ranking Factors

Understanding what the SEO ranking factors are is one thing; applying them effectively is another. The latter is what truly drives results.

Instead of optimizing for every factor at once, it’s best to take a strategic and systematic approach.

Here’s how you can get the most value.

1. Prioritize the Core SEO Pillars

While all SEO ranking factors contribute to search performance, focusing on the following key areas will yield the best results.

• Keywords: Identify the right keywords to ensure your content aligns with brand goals and what users are searching for, which drives qualified traffic to your site.
• Content Quality: Create original, in-depth, and valuable content that addresses user intent and offers a great user experience.
• User Experience (UX): Optimize navigation, aesthetics, mobile usability, page speed, and visual stability.
• Technical SEO: Optimize site architecture, sitemaps, and robots.txt to ensure crawlability. The fastest way to handle most of your technical SEO needs is to use an SEO-friendly CMS or website builder like WordPress.
• Backlinks: Build a strong, natural backlink profile by earning links from authoritative and relevant sources. Keep in mind that acquiring links too fast can hurt your domain.

2. On-Page Optimization for Quick Wins

On-page SEO ranking factors like meta titles, meta descriptions, H1 headlines, and internal links can have an immediate impact.

Best practices include:

• Placing primary keywords naturally within each area.
• Using descriptive, compelling copy to boost CTR (click-through rate).
• Strategically linking internally to guide users and distribute link equity.

3. Monitor and Adapt to Algorithm Updates

Google frequently updates its ranking algorithms, and staying ahead of changes is crucial. Keep an eye on updates that fall within the following areas.

• Core updates that impact content quality and E-A-T.
• Page Experience updates.
• Spam-related updates, such as Penguin and Panda.

4. Track Performance and Adjust

SEO is an ongoing process. You can maintain and improve your search visibility over time by continuously analyzing performance and adjusting.

Use data-driven insights to refine your strategy by:

• Tracking keyword rankings and organic traffic in Search Console and Google Analytics.
• Conducting regular SEO audits to identify gaps and opportunities with a good tool like SE Ranking.
• Testing different strategies to see what works best.

Domain Factors

Keyword Inclusion in Domain Name

Including keywords in your domain name is a relevancy signal. While not as impactful as it once was, it still contributes to Google’s understanding of your site’s focus. Ensure your domain name and branding align for the most benefit.

Domain Age

Older domains may have a slight advantage, as they’re often associated with established credibility. However, this is a minor factor compared to others, such as content quality and backlinks.

Domain Registration Length

Domains registered for multiple years signal long-term commitment, which may make your site appear more trustworthy. If you’re renewing yearly, consider changing your domain renewal length to 5 years at a time.

Subdomain Keywords

Keywords in subdomains can enhance relevancy for specific queries. For example, directory.techhelp.ca is a business directory.

Domain History

Frequent changes in ownership or a history of penalties can impact rankings, as Google may reset a domain’s authority. Also, domain penalties may carry over to a new owner, so check that a site is in good standing before purchase.

Exact Match Domains (EMDs)

While EMDs no longer provide significant ranking advantages, they can still be effective when combined with high-quality content and a good user experience.

Public vs. Private WhoIs Information

Domains with private registration may raise suspicion, but this factor alone is unlikely to penalize a site unless combined with other negative signals. For example, an eCommerce or other site with private registration that sells products/services but has no contact page with visible contact info may raise concerns.

Penalized WhoIs Owners

If the registered owner has a history of spam or penalties, Google might scrutinize other sites under the same ownership.

Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD)

Using a ccTLD (.ca, .uk, etc.) can help a site rank well in specific countries but might limit its global reach. However, there are potential remedies, such as introducing multiple languages or earning backlinks from sites hosted in other countries.

Site-Level & Technical SEO Factors

Site Architecture

A well-structured site makes it easier for Google to crawl and index your content. Logical navigation improves user experience and may boost rankings.

SSL Certificate

HTTPS is a confirmed ranking factor that signals security and trustworthiness.

E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness

Websites demonstrating high E-A-T, especially in sensitive niches like health and finance, are favored in rankings.

Sitemap Presence

XML sitemaps help Google and other search engines understand your site’s structure and index its pages more efficiently.

Web Host or Server Speed

As you know, fast-loading websites rank higher due to Google’s emphasis on page speed. A slow website host or server directly impacts how quickly your pages load.

Core Web Vitals (CWVs)

CWVs are a set of metrics that measure a website’s loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. They are part of Google’s Page Experience ranking signals and focus on three key aspects:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading speed.
• First Input Delay (FID): Measures interactivity and responsiveness.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability to ensure elements don’t shift unexpectedly.

Other signals in the same group include:

• Mobile Usability
• HTTPS Security
• Intrusive Interstitials (pop-ups and overlays that negatively impact UX).

Site Uptime

Frequent downtimes can harm your site’s ranking and user trust.

Unique and Valuable Content

Sites that consistently provide fresh, unique content tend to perform better than those with duplicated or generic material.

Crawlability

Ensuring that search engine bots can easily crawl your site is fundamental for indexing and ranking.

Robots.txt

A properly configured robots.txt file ensures that sensitive or irrelevant pages are not crawled unnecessarily.

Canonical URLs

Setting canonical URLs helps avoid duplicate content issues and consolidates ranking signals. It tells search engines which page is preferred or original whenever there’s a duplicate.

Error-Free Code

Valid HTML and the absence of coding errors contribute to a smoother user experience and better rankings.

Responsive Design

Websites that adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes perform better in search results, especially for mobile users.

Pagination

Properly implemented pagination ensures search engines can follow and index multi-page content.

URL Structure

Short, descriptive, and keyword-rich URLs are more SEO-friendly and easier for users to understand. For example, a page about SEO ranking factors could use domainname.com/seo-ranking-factors.

Keyword Placement in Headers

Strategic placement of primary and related keywords in H2 and H3 tags helps search engines understand the structure of your page.

Image Optimization

Alt text, descriptive file names, and proper compression ensure your images are accessible and SEO-friendly.

Structured Data Markup

Implementing schema markup helps search engines better understand your content and increases the likelihood of rich snippets.

Internal Linking

Effective internal linking between relevant pages improves site navigation and helps distribute link equity across your website.

Meta Tags

Optimized meta titles and descriptions not only improve click-through rates but also provide clarity to users and search engines.

Content Freshness

Regularly updating content may signal relevance and help maintain rankings over time.

Page-Level & Content Factors

Keyword in Meta Title

The meta title remains a strong on-page ranking signal. It’s also among the first things searchers see, so it should be optimized for click-through rate.

Placement of Keywords in Meta Title

Keywords positioned at the beginning of a meta title generally carry more weight than those placed at the end.

Keywords in Meta Description

While Google doesn’t use meta descriptions as a direct ranking factor, well-crafted descriptions improve click-through rates, which can influence rankings. For example, the algorithm may determine that your page is best if your link receives more clicks and most users don’t return to the SERP for the same query.

H1 Title Keywords

Including your target keyword in the H1 title helps reinforce a page’s theme. This also suggests that using the same headline for your H1 and Meta Title may be better.

Content Length

Longer, in-depth content tends to perform better in search results as it covers topics comprehensively. Fluff or content that’s purposely stretched without adding any real value can harm a page’s ranking.

TF-IDF Analysis

Google uses Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency to assess the importance of specific keywords on a page. This helps the algorithm determine whether your page aligns with user intent.

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) Keywords

Using LSI keywords enhances content context and helps search engines better understand its relevance. These are words or phrases that are semantically related to your primary keyword. For example, LSI keywords for “apple” could include “iPhone,” “MacBook,” or “fruit nutrition,” depending on the context.

Further, some people think LSI keywords are just synonyms, which isn’t true. Synonyms are words or phrases that have the same or similar meaning. For example, good, excellent, fine, and superb all mean the same thing.

Page Loading Speed

Page speed is critical for both user experience and SEO. Google uses real-world user data to assess loading times.

Mobile Optimization

Mobile-friendly websites tend to rank higher, especially on mobile search results—thanks to Google’s mobile-first indexing. This means Google prioritizes the indexing and ranking of the mobile version of your website.

Originality

Unique and original content avoids penalties and enhances rankings, especially in competitive niches.

Topical Relevance

Content that aligns closely with user intent ranks higher.

Grammar and Spelling

Well-written content with proper grammar signals professionalism and quality.

Table of Contents

Including a linked table of contents enhances user navigation and helps search engines understand the page structure.

Readability

Content written in clear, accessible language caters to a broader audience and aligns with Google’s preference for easy-to-read material.

Page Layout

A clean, user-friendly design with minimal distractions ensures a positive experience and aligns with Google’s quality guidelines.

Multimedia Usage

Using videos, images, and other media to supplement text improves user engagement and signals content richness.

Interactive Content

Elements like calculators, quizzes, and tools enhance user experience and time on site.

Broken Links

Pages with numerous broken links may be flagged as neglected or outdated, impacting rankings.

Ad Placement

Excessive or intrusive ads can harm user experience and rankings, especially above the fold.

User Interaction & Behavior Factors

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Google uses CTR as a way to measure user satisfaction with search results.

Dwell Time

The time users spend on your page after clicking through from search results reflects content relevance and quality.

Repeat Traffic from Search Results

Sites that attract returning visitors may indicate value and user satisfaction.

Pogo Sticking

When users quickly return to search results after visiting your site, it signals that your content didn’t meet their needs.

Chrome Bookmarks

Pages bookmarked in Google Chrome may be a sign of user approval.

Comments and Engagement

User interactions, such as comments, indicate content quality and relevance.

Backlink & Webspam Factors

Domain Authority of Linking Sites

Backlinks from high-authority domains carry more weight and contribute significantly to rankings.

Page Authority of Linking Pages

The authority of the specific linking page influences how much ranking value (often referred to as “link equity” or “PageRank”) it passes to your site. The more authoritative the linking page, the greater the potential boost in rankings for the linked page. This concept applies to internal links, too.

Anchor Text Relevance

Anchor text with relevant keywords signals the context of the linked page. However, over-optimization of anchor text can lead to penalties.

Diversity of Linking Domains

Backlinks from various unique domains suggest a natural link profile and enhance credibility.

Contextual Backlinks

Links embedded within content, rather than in footers or sidebars, are more valuable for SEO.

NoFollow Links

While nofollow links don’t pass direct ranking value, a natural mix of follow and nofollow links signals authenticity in your backlink profile.

Link Location in Content

Backlinks placed higher within the main body of content are more impactful than those at the end or in footnotes.

Links from .edu and .gov Domains

Backlinks from educational or government sites are often viewed as more credible and authoritative.

Backlink Age

Older backlinks tend to carry more trust and ranking value than newly created ones.

Linking Domain Relevance

The relevance of the linking domain’s niche to your content enhances the backlink’s value.

Link Velocity

A steady backlink increase over time signals natural growth, while sudden spikes may indicate manipulative link-building tactics. This may trigger penalties from Google, which can cause traffic to look like this:

Co-Occurrences

The surrounding text of a backlink helps Google understand its context and relevance.

Low-Quality Links

Backlinks from spammy or low-quality sources can harm your rankings.

Link Farms

Participating in link farms (networks created solely for link exchanges) negatively impacts rankings.

Article Directories

Backlinks from low-quality article directories are devalued and considered a manipulative SEO tactic.

Hacked Sites

If your site becomes compromised, Google may deindex it until security issues are resolved.

Spammy Guest Posts

Over-reliance on guest posting for backlinks, especially on irrelevant or low-quality sites, can harm your SEO efforts.

Unnatural Link Patterns

Links with identical anchor text or coming from the same IP block suggest manipulation and may be flagged as webspam.

Brand & Social Signals

Social Shares

High engagement through shares on platforms like Facebook and Twitter signals content value.

Branded Social Accounts

Active and legitimate social media profiles contribute to perceived brand authority.

Unlinked Mentions

Even without direct links, mentions of your brand across social media and websites can positively impact rankings.

Branded Searches

When users actively search for your brand, it signals to Google that your site is trusted and recognized.

Branded Anchor Text

Links with your brand name as anchor text reinforce brand authority and trustworthiness.

Brand + Keyword Searches

Searches that combine your brand with specific keywords indicate relevance and user familiarity.

Social Media Presence

Brands with active and verified social media profiles, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, are seen as more legitimate.

Online Reputation

Positive reviews and mentions on authoritative platforms like Yelp, Trustpilot, or news sites boost your brand’s credibility.

Brick-and-Mortar Presence

For local businesses, having verified physical locations on platforms like Google My Business and Bing Places enhances local search visibility.

Special Algorithms

Query Deserves Freshness (QDF)

For time-sensitive searches, newer content is given priority in rankings.

Localized Results

For location-based queries, Google prioritizes businesses and sites relevant to the user’s location.

YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) Content

Google holds content related to health, finances, and safety to higher standards, prioritizing expertise and trustworthiness.

Featured Snippets

Pages that answer user queries concisely are more likely to be featured in snippets at the top of search results.

Domain Diversity

Google ensures a single domain doesn’t dominate SERPs by adding variety to search results.

BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers)

BERT helps Google understand the context of words in search queries, especially for long-tail and conversational queries. It significantly improves the search engine’s ability to process natural language.

Hummingbird

Hummingbird allows Google to interpret search intent better rather than focusing solely on individual keywords.

Passage Ranking (Passages Algorithm)

Passage Ranking enables Google to independently rank individual passages from a webpage, even if the entire page covers multiple topics. This improves the chances of deeply buried content ranking for highly specific queries.

Webspam Algorithm Updates

Panda

The Panda update targets sites with low-quality or duplicate content, penalizing them in search results.

Penguin

This update focuses on unnatural link-building practices, reducing the impact of manipulative backlinks.

Fred

Fred targets thin content sites that prioritize ad revenue over user experience.

Payday Loans Algorithm

Google’s Payday Loans Algorithm targets spammy practices in high-risk industries like payday loans, pharmaceuticals, and adult content. It focuses on removing link spam, keyword stuffing, and other manipulative tactics from search results. Legitimate sites using ethical SEO are not penalized.

Mobilegeddon

This algorithm update penalizes sites that are not mobile-friendly.

Possum

Possum improves local search results by filtering out duplicate business listings and prioritizing businesses based on location relevance. It helps ensure more accurate local search visibility.

Medic Update

The Medic Update targeted health, wellness, and other YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) websites, emphasizing the importance of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and content credibility.

Pigeon

Pigeon refined local search rankings by improving the ties between Google’s local and core web algorithms. It increased the significance of location and distance as SEO ranking factors.

RankBrain

RankBrain is a machine-learning algorithm that helps Google better understand the meaning behind search queries, particularly ambiguous or complex ones.