Elements That Don’t Affect Your Google Ranking
August 26th, 2020
While we have a great inkling as to what elements Google looks for when ranking your website, you should be knowledgeable about what factors don’t count towards your ranking. Knowing what factors won’t impact your Google search ranking is important. It can help you concentrate on the areas of your website that you need to maintain, especially if you’re stretched for time.
Keep in mind that when we’re discussing what factors Google doesn’t take into account, we’re tackling myths. We are going to dispel some misinformation that many digital marketing agencies may believe matter when it comes to SEO.
Not a Google Search Ranking Factor
Google has said that when it comes to ranking, variables such as Google ads, social media mentions, and click-through rate rates have no impact on search results. While the search engine has ads, Google has gone on record that they don’t give them any preference. Google doesn’t use ad signals when determining its search results. These results are completely separate from ads.
No matter how many followers or likes you have, Google doesn’t use that metric in their algorithm when it factors search results. Google crawls the internet in order to find relevant information to your search query. However, for Google, the truth is if this factor was important to search results, Google would be sampling an imperfect web where identity would be an issue. Google is mindful that if they extracted data from followers and likes, and perhaps relationship status, that data is always going to be fluid, it can change in an instant. A reliable digital marketing agency will be able to go further into detail about why Google doesn’t rely on social media impact for its search results.
When it comes to interactions such as click-through rate, Google has stated that while they do use them in a variety of ways, for example when it comes to personalization, evaluation, and training data, they do not currently use them in their ranking algorithm.
While many have debated the issue, Google has stated that they don’t use Google Analytics data with regards to their search ranking algorithm. Other elements that are not Google search ranking factors are:
- responsive design
- word count
- bounce rates
- user-behavior
- URL length
- product prices
- outbound links
- shopping cart abandonment among others
An Important Distinction
It’s important to make this distinction so that you can focus on what will result in your business ranking high on Google. Any sound digital marketing agency would be aware that great content on your website is important for success. Also, factors such as mobile-first and page speed matter. As do domain factors, relevance, and usability of pages, how precise your information is, along with location and settings.
You need to make a distinction because at the end of the day if you build a great website Google will notice, and will rank your page well for relevant queries. Focus on the vitality of your web site as a whole and don’t dwell on factors that Google isn’t using in their search ranking algorithm. Hiring a digital marketing agency with a great track record of proven results can help bring your website up to speed in Google’s search results.