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The Two Most Important Google SEO Ranking Factors
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The Google Algorithm takes the search terms inputted by the user and 'matches' them with its internal database to produce a list of the 'best' results. The 'best' results occupy the top places - such as Page 1 Positions 1, 2, 3. The question then is can we infer what the factors are that propel a page to the top? And, if so, what are these factors and which ones are most important?
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By Jason McDonald
Senior SEO Instructor - JM Internet Group.
Posted: September 20, 2010
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Contents:
Google's Search Algorithm: Become a Google Detective
How does Google determine which sites to list and in which order for a given search? Isn't that the $64,000 question? People search for things on Google - searches such as 'Best Herbal Remedy for the Cold' or 'Dog Boarding in San Francisco' or 'Personal Injury Attorney Memphis.' How does Google interpret these searches and then figure out which of its zillion+ websites to return first, and in which order?
Somewhere deep in a bunker in Mountain View, California, there lies a vault. And in that vault is the secret Google algorithm, which tells Google how to interpret a search query and which results to display in which order... Can we find it? Can we infer how it works?
Perfectly: no. Imperfectly: yes. People are often skeptical and think of Google as if it were magic, mysterious, or all powerful. But using common sense and a few tests, you can indeed infer what factors matter and thereby begin to understand how to change your pages so that they show up on Google.
Being a Google Detective means first and foremost doing searches and comparing pages that are on Page 1 with those that are on Page 5 or Page 20 or not at all. What are they doing right, vs. what are they doing wrong.
For the search - 'Personal Injury Attorney Memphis' compare -
http://www.calljmb.com/ (Position 1) vs. http://www.beasleylawfirm.org/ (Not in top 64)
Compare -
The tag structure
The prevalence (or not) of the target keywords
The inbound links
The site organization
etc... All the factors we teach in our SEO classes...
The Top Google Algorithm Factors for SEO / Search Results
There is a great post about ALL the factors at http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/internet/google-ranking-factors.htm. It's not well written, but it does list many of the most important factors.
From my experience and research, here is my list of the most important (on page) factors -
- Keyword in the HOME PAGE title tag.
- Keyword DENSITY on the HOME PAGE.
- Keyword in A HREF links on the HOME PAGE leading to LANDING PAGES that specifically target that keyword (i.e., if the keywords is 'motorcycle insurance' the home page has the key phrase 'motorcycle insurance' AND links to a landing page targeting that specific phrase.
- Use of H1 / H2 tag family. Does the keyword exist inside an H1 / H2 tag on the home page?
- ALT attribute for images. Are there images that have the keyword in their ALT attribute?
- Site density - does the site have the keyword throughout it, with many pages, etc.
- Site structure - does the keyword exist in the site domain name, major directories, major URL's.
The factors are NOT created equal. The Home Page TITLE tag has probably 50% of the power of the entire website, especially for small business websites. A really good free tool that looks at all the factors in order is Woorank. Also, Google rewards BIG sites. Sites with hundreds of pages outperform those with just ten.
Links and Link Building - the Hidden 'X' Factor
Having determined the main factors, our on page strategy is clear. First, determine our keywords and rank them in priority order. Second, weave those keywords into the tag structure of our website beginning with the home page TITLE tag, and home page tags / content. Create landing pages that target our priority keywords. Third, create a 'Google Friendly' website that has keyword friendly file names, robots.txt, sitemap.xml, etc.
But... Google likes links. How do links work with SEO? Links of course are the SEO 'x factor.' Like references on your resume, links can turbocharge your SEO. Having amazing, powerful, high PageRank links pointing to your site can propel you over the competition. So don't forget links. Are links more important than a good TITLE? No, but the two TOGETHER are a powerful force to propel you to the top of Google. You need great ON PAGE SEO beginning with the home page TITLE tag... but you also need great OFF PAGE SEO beginning with inbound links.
In sum, therefore, the two most important Google / SEO factors are -
- Home page title tag and
- Inbound links
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