Google Algorithm Ranking Factors For The Year 2020

Every day Google changes its algorithm for retrieving the data and instantly delivering the best possible results for a query. Some of these changes are huge, and quite a few go unnoticed.

Google uses nearly 200 combinations of algorithms and ranking signals to deliver web pages ranked by relevance on Search Engine Relevance Pages (SERP).

Now you might be wondering what these algorithms are and how you can get past them successfully for better search visibility and audience engagement. So we have compiled a list of Google Algorithm Ranking Factors that will help you in 2020.

#1. Content Quality

Content with rich quality is the most certain clause of Google and it is the most essential thing to consider in 2020. Content must provide real value to the reader and should incorporate visual content along with written content.

What Should You Consider?

Content-Length

Having said that, it is equally important to maintain decent content length. A study conducted by SERPIQ found that the length of content had a direct correlation to search rankings or positions. It was concluded that longer articles perform better than short ones, and 1500 words is a good target for articles.

Keywords

You should include keywords you wish to rank in your title tags. While it seems like an easy job to do, selecting the right keyword for every page is a time-consuming task, and very few companies do it effectively. According to a study conducted by Moz, title tags that start with the keyword tend to have better rankings as compared to others.

#2. Backlinks

Along with the content, backlinks remain one of the most reliable ranking signals. When your website is associated with some trustworthy site via a backlink, it makes your site look genuine and trustworthy.

The more links you have from multiple high-authority domains, the better your chances are to rank well as it is one of the significant factors assessed by Google. Google does this task of determining quality backlinks through PageRank.

One of the handy ways in which you can search these backlinks is through Google Search Console (Google Webmaster Tools), where you can find a list of websites that link to your site. Having some good backlinks can considerably improve your SEO.

In 2016, Google announced mobile-first indexing, which had a massive impact on the rankings of various websites. Now, a website’s mobile compatibility directly affects its search rankings on Google. With mobile usage surpassed desktop, web designers are prioritizing mobile versions to provide a better user experience.

To improve Google Rankings, your website should be mobile friendly i.e., and it should look the same on mobile and desktop and site navigation optimized for mobile user experience.

#4. Page Speed

With mobile-first-indexing introduced by Google, page speed is now becoming more crucial than ever. So, if you have a website with slow page speed, you might find it harder to rank well on search results. The primary aim of these updates is to provide users with such sites that offer the best browsing experience.

So you want your pages to load as quickly as possible because with each additional second your site takes for loading, your ranking ability is lost. You can test your page speed on PageSpeed Insights Tool.

#5. Schema Markup Code

It is a type of structured data that is added to websites that helps search engines to get a better understanding of specific texts such as an address, contact number, reviews, etc. It is one of the important ranking factors, especially for small businesses, as structured data can improve click-through-rate by 30 percent.

 #6. Domain Factors

Various domain factors that will affect your Google rankings are listed below –

• Keywords in Domain – A domain name that starts with the target keyword has definitely an edge over other sites that don’t have a keyword in their domain name.

• Domain Age – Domain age is yet another ranking factor. New domains find it hard to rank on top, while domains with an extended track record have better search visibility. It can be difficult to get visitors if you have a new website.

#7. Secured Sites (HTTPS)

Google has shifted its ranking strategy by giving priority to the sites that are fast and secure. So if you wish to convey the message that your site is encrypted and is secured, it should have an additional ‘s’ at the end of the ‘Http’ part of URL.

Google took this effort in order to protect the sites from malicious intruders.

Secured sites protect users’ connections and ensure that the users’ activity can not be tracked or the information is not stolen by any chance. So if you are targeting better search ranking in 2020, make your site secure.

#8. Branded Searches

The more traffic your website gets from other reliable brands, the more you will be recognized by the Google algorithm. So branded searches provide a high signal to Google search algorithm and will improve your search rankings. Additionally, your rankings can improve if you have the right online presence on other platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

#9. Freshness

Google Freshness Algorithm was introduced in 2010 and was a real game-changer. Google seems to prioritize the new content to make sure that the users are getting links that are updated.

The key intention of this update is to provide greater emphasis on the updated content tied explicitly to areas such as news, events, politics, etc. and more precisely where the user is expected to know most current information.

#10. Visitor Time

Visitor time on the website is becoming one of the significant parts of the Google ranking algorithm. This is to make sure that the actual experience of the visitors is taken into consideration. If a user spends more time on a website, it is considered a good signal of the site content quality.

So you now have to be more conscious of providing a great user experience as this will improve your rankings considerably.

Final Word

All the Google updates in 2020 are paving the way for sites with good content quality that provide real value to the users and result in a pleasant experience. Google is also rolling out new algorithms to measure how users interact with your content. So, understanding these 10 Google Algorithm Ranking Factors can give your website a considerable hit in 2020.