How does Google rank their websites?

Google ranks websites in search results using a complex algorithm that considers hundreds of factors to determine the relevance and quality of web pages for a given query. While the exact workings of the algorithm (often referred to as Google’s PageRank and related systems) are proprietary, some of the key factors that influence ranking include

How do you determine the relevance of a search query?

This can be based on a number of factors, such as search intent, business priorities, textual relevance, spelling accuracy, geolocation of the user, or proximity of the keywords in the content searched.

Google matches the search query's keywords with content on a web page, considering how well the page answers the user’s intent. This includes both direct keyword matches and understanding of related terms using natural language processing (NLP).

What do you mean by content quality?

Definition. Content quality is how well your content achieves its goal(s). It refers to the depth of information and insight contained within a piece of content. Content quality goes beyond information to include formatting, readability, and grammatical correctness.

Depth of Content: Pages that provide comprehensive, in-depth information on a topic tend to rank higher.
Originality: Unique content, not duplicated or plagiarized, performs better.
Authority and Expertise: Google uses signals to assess whether the content is created by experts or is trustworthy on the topic. Websites that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) tend to rank higher.

What are backlinks or inbound links

, occur when another website links back to your site. Google views inbound links as an indicator that your site has high-quality content, making these links one of the most important elements in search engine optimization (SEO)

Google views backlinks (links from other websites pointing to your site) as votes of confidence. High-quality backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites improve rankings. However, the quality of backlinks is more important than the sheer number of links.

What does UX mean user experience?

Mobile-friendliness: Websites optimized for mobile devices tend to rank better since Google switched to mobile-first indexing.
Page Speed: Fast-loading websites rank higher, as Google prioritizes user experience.
User Engagement Metrics: Google looks at how users interact with search results (e.g., click-through rate, time spent on site, bounce rate). Pages that engage users and keep them from immediately returning to the search page rank better.
Core Web Vitals: These are specific metrics for user experience, including load time, interactivity, and visual stability.

What is an on-page optimization?

Onpage optimization (AKA on-page SEO) refers to all measures that can be taken directly within the website in order to improve its position in the search rankings. Examples of this include measures to optimize the content or improve the meta description and title tags

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: These elements help Google and users understand what the page is about. Keywords in title tags are especially important for ranking.
Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.): These help structure content and signal the importance of different sections.
Alt Text for Images: This helps Google understand images and contributes to accessibility

6. What is DA and PA in SEO?

DA means Domain Authority and PA means Page Authority. DA is a strength of a whole website and PA is the strength of a particular page. But Authority is not a ranking factor and that is why we consider DR (Domain Rating) while building links as that results in ranking improvement in SERP and not the DA

Established, authoritative websites tend to rank higher. However, even new websites can rank well if they offer high-quality, relevant content and earn trust over time.

7. What do you mean by internal linking?

What are internal links? An internal link is any link from one page on your website to another page on your website. Your users and search engines use links to find content on your website. Your users use links to navigate through your site and to find the content they want to find.

Effective internal linking can help Google better understand the structure of your website and the relative importance of different pages. It also helps distribute page authority throughout the site.

8. What is the importance of fresh content?

People are naturally drawn to new and relevant information. If visitors know your website frequently updates its content or adds new insights, they're more likely to return for more. This repeat traffic can improve user engagement metrics, such as time on site, which can indirectly influence SEO rankings

Frequently updated content may rank higher for certain types of queries where up-to-date information is crucial (e.g., news, trends, technology).

9. What is the best local SEO factor?

If we go by expert opinions, the top three local SEO ranking factors are keywords in the anchor text of inbound links, the quality of inbound links, and the volume of quality content. The critical local pack ranking factors are the GMB category, keywords used in the GMB title, and the local searcher's proximity

For location-based queries, Google considers the proximity of the business to the user and reviews, citations, and Google My Business (GMB) listings.

What is a secure and unsecure website?

SSL sites guard personal data from hackers and breaches, while non-SSL sites leave users exposed to potential attacks. Faiza Sandhu.

HTTPS: Websites with secure connections (HTTPS) have an advantage over non-secure (HTTP) sites.
Structured Data: Using schema markup can help Google understand the content better, especially for rich snippets.

By combining these and many other factors, Google strives to present the most useful, relevant, and authoritative results for users' searches.