How does google search actually work? How does it decide where we appear in search rankings?

A recent client request prompted me checkup on Googles current criteria for search results and indexing. I'll do my best to simplify the whole story into a 5 minute read. (For anyone who wants to dep dive here is the url: https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/ )

So Google's search engine is a complex animal. There are billions of web pages for it to choose from when delivering a search result and it uses a number of indicators to try and deliver credible, trustworthy search results. Knowing some of these criteria is an advantage when making decisions about our company websites.

Here are just a few to be aware of from the perspective of the company advertising:

1. Relevance of content:

Google Says: "The most basic signal that information is relevant (to a users search) is when content contains the same keywords as your search query. For example, with webpages, if those keywords appear on the page, or if they appear in the headings or body of the text, the information might be more relevant."

How to apply this:

Imagine what people would search for when they ask for your product. Now Imagine the wrong way to ask for your product and include both options in your copy. Say what you do in as many ways possible and include those words on your site.

Examples of this for a florist:

Florist

Flowers for sale

Bouquets

Valentines day flowers

Mothers day flowers

Birthday flowers

Flowers for events

Wedding bouquets

Corporate events

Exotic flowers

Seasonal flower arrangements

2. Quality of content:

Google Says: "After identifying relevant content, our systems aim to prioritize those that seem most helpful. To do this, they identify signals that can help determine which content demonstrates expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness."

An easy take from this:

In a very simplified statement, Google takes trust as an indicator of search result worthiness. The more sites and platforms that have linked to your content, the more it thinks the info has been vetted and is credible. It may sound strange but bear in mind Google is trying to manage billions of webpages.

So link back to you company page wherever you can, via partner companies, social pages and blogs. Every link helps Google decide youre the real deal.

3. Usability of webpages:

Google Says: "For example, our systems would look at page experience aspects, such as if content is mobile-friendly, so that those on mobile devices can easily view it. Similarly, they look to see if content loads quickly, also important to mobile users.

What can we take from this:

So to gain Google's favor and compete for that golden first page position in the search results, our sites need to perform well on mobile and desktop. They need to be optimised and fast. Security and malware protection need to be up to date. Broken links, non-displaying pictures and a lack of mobile optimisation will negatively affect how visible we are online.

4. Context and settings:

Google Says: "Information such as your location, past Search history, and Search settings all help us to ensure your results are what is most useful and relevant for you in that moment.

We use your country and location to deliver content relevant for your area. For instance, if you’re in Chicago and you search “football”, Google will most likely show you results about American football and the Chicago Bears first. Whereas if you search “football” in London, Google will show results about soccer and the Premier League.

A practical take from this:

Make sure your location is included on your site. Include your areas of operation too. Take advantage of local free listings like Google My Business to supplement this data and link back to your site. This will help with searches like: 'Florist near me'

So with a little adjustment on a regular basis, we can keep up to date with search terms by adding valuable keywords and optimisations to our sites. Increasing our organic search ranking results.

If you enjoyed this article and have anything to add I'm keen to connect and explore ideas.

If you loved this article and would like to hire us to manage your online presence, message me or connect and lets start a conversation.

Power to you!

Regards,

Matt.