Do you want to get your website to the top of Google’s search results? You can do it if you understand what it takes to rank in 2019. Although Google keeps its official list of ranking factors a secret, the key to get your business to rank higher on Google is not as mysterious as it may seem. In fact, we’ve cracked the code for Google ranking factors for Michigan in 2019, and have a bunch of SEO case studies to prove it.
At Timelinepages, we are search engine detectives, sleuthing out all the possible ranking factors Google uses. But we don’t do it alone! We collect tons of data and use industry leading SEO tools such as Moz as well as our own proprietary data platform to help unravel the great mystery of the digital age that is Google’s algorithm for ranking factors.
Understandably, business owners are determined to get their business to rank higher on Google, ideally in the first three organic listings. To do this, it’s important that you understand the uncovered Google ranking signals, and optimize your pages for the best chance of being displayed to potential customers.
How Does Google Ranking Work in 2019
Google uses a variety of factors in its algorithm to determine what results will be the most helpful for the user. It also uses latent semantic indexing, which uses search intent as an indicator of what results are the most relevant.
Google built its current algorithm around RankBrain, a machine learning (AI) algorithm Google uses to help sort and improve the search results. Backlinko condensed it pretty well: In short, RankBrain tweaks the algorithm on its own.
Depending on the keyword, RankBrain will increase or decrease the importance of backlinks, content freshness, content length, domain authority, etc.
Then, it looks at how Google searchers interact with the new search results. If users like the new algorithm better, it stays. If not, RankBrain rolls back the old algorithm.
We hate to break it to you, but if you’re not on the first page of Google, you’re losing sales to your competitors. A whopping 97 percent of people DON’T click past the first page of results. Can you think of the last time you did?
Google’s algorithm is smart; it is constantly changing and adapting to give users the best experience and to prevent black hat SEO tactics from manipulating search results. Part of the mystery of Google’s search algorithm is that it takes a LOT of ranking signals into account before displaying results.
The reason for this is because one search term can have hundreds of meanings. For example, if I conduct a search for the word “bathroom,” Google has no idea of what I’m really looking for. Possible results could range wildly, including:
- Finding the nearest public restroom
- Defining what a bathroom is
- Emergency plumbing
- Bathroom remodeling companies
- News stories
- Home decor websites
- Cleaning advice.
What Google is trying to do here is guess my intent and then tailor the results to what it thinks will be the most helpful result. Over time, Google’s algorithms have identified and adapted to the user’s search intent, and identified four main types.
Top 10 Google Ranking Factors for 2019
At Timelinepages, we’ve identified the top 10 Google ranking factors in 2019:
- Secured sites (HTTPS vs. HTTP)
- Websites that are mobile-friendly
- Page speed
- Schema markup
- Webpage content quality
- Webpage content length
- Social and local signals
- Quality backlinks
- Optimized images
- Domain age
CREATING QUALITY CONTENT
We’re sure you’ve heard this one before, but content is still the king of the SEO world this year. User experience is Google’s big priority; creating quality content that is easy for the user to find and understand is key.
The official tweaks that Google will make to their ranking algorithm may be a mystery, but these are a great forecast to adapt to the changes this year!
If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of Google’s ranking factors and still aren’t sure where to focus your SEO efforts on in 2019, Timelinepages can help. We have a data-driven process that brings measurable results. Start growing your business today! We take care of your online presence and digital marketing campaigns. Call us to schedule an appointment at (248) 909-9428