Every year, Google comes up with a new ranking factor. SEO requirements keeps changing and believe you me at times it can be hectic keeping u with every new development.
If you’ve done your homework well, you’ll note that back in 2014, HTTPS became a ranking factor.
In 2015 Mobile usability became a ranking signal & in content development came into the scene.
With Google being very keen on evaluating sites based on thousands of ranking factors, knowing exactly where to aim with your SEO strategy in 2021 is almost impossible.
In this guide, I’ll share all the
SEO ranking factor that will aid you in dominating search results in 2021.
1. High quality optimized cotent
We all know that content is king. Content that has keenly been optimized for keywords reigns.
Always ensure your content is valuable. Pages that are of no values will definitely come back to haunt you when it come to Google algorithm update.
Keywords
Google’s search algorithm relies on keywords.
What are keywords?
These are the words and phrases searchers use when they’re looking for information. They’re also the words and phrases that describe the topics your site is about.
Through competitor research and data mining, you can uncover keyword gems that have average search volume, but a high click-through rate for your audience.
So, as the industry continues to whisper about the negative impact of keyword research, you need to identify your primary keywords and bucket them into topics suited for your searcher.
For SEO, fresh & original content is always best. Just incase you have content that’s similar, inform Google which one should be ranked as most authoritative by use of canonical URLs.
Search intent
Search intent (user intent, audience intent) is the term used to describe the purpose of an online search.
Is someone searching because they have a question and want an answer to that question? Are they looking to visit a specific website? Or, are they searching because they want to buy something? Many of these different types of searches form parts of the users journey.
There are a few distinct types of commonly used search intent:
- Informational intent
- Navigational intent
- Transactional intent
- Navigational intent
It’s crucial to ensure that the content you’re writing fits both the terms people are searching for, as well as the search intent of your audience.
Voice search
Voice search may have started as a small concept, but it is now one of the most important topics in the search industry.
With the nearly quantum rise in voice search that is forecast, it is crucial that we create content that is optimized for voice search.
Rich snippets
Rich snippets are used to optimize your listing and grab more space and attention on the page so that your listing stands out.
Rich snippets are the extra bits of information that can appear on a search listing below the meta title or description.
Rich snippets could mean photos or ratings on your result (which is standard for
recipes).
2. Make your site mobile friendly
Smartphones quickly went from expensive, exciting new technology, to a regular part of everyday life. For website owners, that means it’s past time for your website to provide a good mobile experience.
Google provides a mobile-friendly testing tool. Drop your URL into the search box. You’ll not only get a quick answer on whether or not your website is mobile friendly, but also a screenshot of how the page looks on a smartphone screen and a list of recommendations to make the mobile experience better.
3. Create a Secure Website (HTTPS)
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an internet communication protocol that protects the integrity and confidentiality of data between the user’s computer and the site.
It provides three key layers of protection:
- Encryption: Encrypting the exchanged data to keep it secure from eavesdroppers.
- Data integrity: Data cannot be modified or corrupted during transfer, intentionally or otherwise, without being detected.
- Authentication: Proves that your users communicate with the intended website.
4. Improve user experience
Better user experience is critical to almost every business. It’s important to get it right so that the customer has a positive experience.
Google’s been using artificial intelligence to better rank web pages.
- Click-through rate: the percentage of people who click to visit your site after an entry comes up in search results
- Bounce rate : the number of people who click on your page and quickly go back to the search results
- Dwell time: how long visitors stay on your site after they’ve arrived
If people land on your site, don’t like it, and bounce away, then Google will think it’s not relevant to their needs. If enough people do this, then you might find it more difficult for your site to rank higher in search results.
5. Page speed
Your website needs to be fast enough for your visitors. The slower your sites load, the more visitors and revenue you’ll lose out on.
Faster loading pages lead to a better overall website experience, hence
Google’s move toward making it a mobile ranking factor
