Google’s Evolving Approach to Ranking Factors
Google recently revealed that 30 percent of search queries are determined by an algorithm that maps queries to concepts, using these concepts to find and match relevant webpages. Artificial Intelligence ranks webpages in various ways.
This raises an important question: Is the concept of 200 ranking factors still relevant? What qualifies as a ranking factor today? The answers to these questions may help shape the future direction of SEO.
The History of 200 Ranking Factors
Around 2006, Google referred to over 200 ranking signals in use, making it easy for the SEO community to understand, as it fit the recipe for ranking factors: links, title tags, headings, and more. However, things have changed significantly. Nearly 20 years ago, ranking a webpage was straightforward, much like following a recipe. The ingredients included links, title tags, headings, and other elements.
Today’s focus is on satisfying users, and SEO must adapt to this shift. Google’s algorithms now rank pages that may not even contain the specific keywords in the content itself. This marks a significant change from earlier SEO tactics focused heavily on keywords and anchor text.
Insights from Industry Experts
Bill Slawski of Go Fish Digital shared his perspective on ranking factors. He highlighted how Microsoft, about a decade ago, mentioned using over 500 ranking factors. Slawski questioned whether Google ever truly had 200 distinct factors and suggested that many factors might be used only in specific contexts. He also pointed out the possibility that certain thresholds could activate particular ranking factors under specific circumstances.
Slawski further discussed algorithms like PageRank and mentioned how Google’s patents referenced relevance-based scores. The number of ranking signals used to calculate these scores could be vast.
Martin MacDonald, a search marketing expert, emphasized the importance of understanding and studying ranking factors for SEO practitioners. He noted that the idea of 200 ranking factors originated from a 2006 Google press release and has likely evolved significantly since then. According to MacDonald, there could be just three main ranking factors: on-site, off-site, and user metrics. Alternatively, there might be more than 40,000 factors if one considers the interplay between known metrics.
Implications for SEO
There’s a possibility that it’s time to retire the concept of 200 ranking factors. Doing so could lead to more innovative approaches to ranking webpages. For instance, complacency with content is a common oversight. Publishers might aim to rank for a popular keyword phrase even when their content is better tuned for a less popular phrase. This discrepancy highlights the need for a deeper understanding of user intent beyond traditional ranking factors.
In specialized niches like medical content, this disconnect can become apparent if a page fails to rank for key phrases because the content doesn’t align with the most popular user intent. Relying solely on old ranking factor strategies might not yield desired results.
Conclusion
Moving beyond the traditional "ranking factors mindset" could provide a clearer understanding of why a page doesn’t rank as expected and what can be done to improve its performance. A fresh approach to content and SEO may be necessary as the digital landscape continues to evolve, echoing MacDonald’s sentiment that there’s more nuance to ranking factors than typically discussed.
