Search engine optimization (SEO) experts are constantly looking analyzing how major internet search providers such as Google and Bing rank the results of search queries.
Internet search providers are extremely secretive about their algorithms; this is the type of secrecy that prompts seasoned SEO professionals at a digital advertising agency to learn about the ranking factors that search engine providers program into their algorithms.
Here are three of the most significant SEO ranking factors for websites these days:
1 – Keyword Targeting
Google recently introduced RankBrain, an artificial intelligence component, to augment its search algorithm. RankBrain will ostensibly learn about natural language processing (NLP) for the purpose of ranking by topic instead of ranking by keyword. Notwithstanding this NLP approach, keyword targeting is still very significant because topics will always be written using keywords. If anything, RankBrain will make content creation less rigid; for example, an article about an online marketing agency should rank the same as an article about a digital agency because those are semantically similar terms.
2 – Mobile-Friendly Websites
In 2015, Google took the unusual step of actually announcing an algorithm update prior to its application. The Mobile Search Update specifically rewarded mobile-friendly websites with higher placement on the search engine results page (SERP) for queries coming from smartphones and tablets.
3 – Page Loading Speed
One of the best pieces of advice a digital ad agency can give to its clients is to improve website speed by means of proper HTML coding and adequate hosting. Google made page load times a ranking factor in 2010, and this is something it continues to recommend as a best SEO practice.
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