If you want an easy example of disruptive technology we use everyday, look no further than search engines, such as Google. Google uses thousands of signals to rank web pages, and nobody can figure out what they are. These signals are ranking algorithms to determine which web page is most relevant to what it is you’re searching for. As ranking algorithms change almost constantly, we list the various types of search engine (SEO) success factors that can deliver big results for your marketing strategy.
SEO Success Factors
SEO success factors are elements that improve search engine rankings and website traffic. When you type a search query in Google, it uses a variety of factors to determine what will be most helpful for you. Take a look at the following Google SEO success factors that can improve your traffic and rankings, according to a study conducted by Zyppy.
These factors are categorized by:
- Critical Factors
- Important Factors
- Influential Factors
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Critical Factors
1. Target User Search Queries with Your Content
SEO grows your website’s and webpage’s online visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. An effective technique to improve your chances of getting found in search results is by strategically sprinkling SEO keywords across your website. Keywords are relevant terms people search for while trying to find their answer in Google. Your goal is to make sure your content ranks high on the first page.
This Forbes article gives you great tips on how to balance creativity and SEO in your content.
2. Ensure Your Content is ‘Crawlable’ in Search Engines
Here's an interesting fact. Search engines use search bots to collect data from websites, a process called crawling, which helps users find your pages. You need to make sure search bots have no trouble finding and indexing your web pages. A developer or system administrator can take care of your site’s crawlability or you can follow these 10 great tips to increase Google’s crawl rate on your site.
Important Factors
3. Layout and Design
A good website matters for every business. These factors contribute to page layout, smooth navigation, and a savvy design, while focusing on increasing engagement, leads and conversions.
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4. Social Sharing
Social engagement on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn builds stronger relationships with your prospects and customers. Consider these other ways social media is critical to your marketing strategy:
- It boosts your brand’s reputation
- It drives more traffic to your website
- It increase sales
- It’s cost-effective
Influential Factors
5. Use Successful Link Building Strategy
Be sure to link your content to trusted sites. For instance, the higher quality the link is, the more authority it will have to get ranked higher in search engine results. Google, for example, will weed out a website if it believes it’s not trustworthy.
6. User-friendly URLs
You need to use best practices for user-friendly URLs to improve your Google ranking and have an advantage over your competitors. Here’s a checklist to ensure your URL structure is up to code:
- Use short URLs
- Include one or two keywords in your URL to give you a slight ranking boost
- Make it easy to read
- Using HTTPs instead of HTTP is better for SEO
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