We already know that a search engine first collects the list of pages on the web and then orders it according to its algorithm, but what does it depend on if we appear first in Google?
There are more than 200 positioning factors that, as the name suggests, make our page appear in one position or another on the pages of Google results. These factors are constantly changing and are divided into two types: internal factors (on-site) and external factors (off-site).
1. External factors
External factors (SEO Off-site) are those that we cannot directly control. They indicate to the search engines the authority that a website has, that is, if it is trusted or not. Nobody knows exactly how the authority of a website is established, although it is likely that there are many factors that define it. User behavior, the quality of external links and social signals are some of the most important:
- The quality of external links This works just like in real life: suppose you have that long-awaited dinner tonight and you need to bring a good dessert. Where would you go to buy it? At the store recommended to you by 4 expert tasters or to the one recommended by 40 people who you have asked randomly on the street? If you have decided on the first option, you have chosen the correct one. Well, exactly the same thing happens to Google, instead of taking into account the number of external links that lead to a website, it gives more importance to the quality of the websites that lead to that link.
- User behavior Depending on the behavior of a user, such as the pages they have previously visited and how often, search engines may show one or the other results. The location of the user also influences. The results shown for the same term will be different depending on the place from which the search is carried out. We can optimize files in Google my Business, but never control where they search for us from.
- Social signals In search engines, mentions in social networks influence when it comes to designating the authority of a domain. Both links shared on Twitter and pages shared on Facebook can decide whether a page appears higher or lower in search results.
2. Internal factors
The internal factors (SEO On-site) are those related to a website, that is, those that we can control directly. Its main objective is to make life easier for search engines when they access our pages. The quality of the content, the web architecture and the HTML code are the most relevant factors of a web.
- The content of our website is the most important factor for positioning in Google. If we offer original and interesting content for the user that we appear in the first positions will be a breeze. Google Panda is the one in charge of establishing whether a content is original or not. The content must be at least 300 words. However, it is being observed that texts whose length is between 1000 or 1200 words position more easily. Before generating content, it is important to carry out a previous keyword research and choose which keyword we are going to focus on, include said keyword (naturally)
- Structure Once Google's bots or spiders access our website, they send all the information they track to their servers. That is why it is important to make tracking as easy as possible. Having a good URL structure not only favors this but also helps usability and favors user navigation. Charging time is of the essence too. We must bear in mind that the loading time factor not only worsens the user experience but also influences the ability of search engines to index all the pages of your website.
- The HTML code The bots that access a website mainly read its HTML code, so it is essential to have it well structured and optimized. Search engines use certain HTML tags to display content information in their search results. We explain some of these tags that influence SEO positioning: Title tag: It is only visible in the HTML code of the page. It is the blue title that Google shows in its results. Search engines use it to be able to more easily identify what the page in question is about. Meta-description tag:Like the title, it is only visible in search results. Search engines do not take it into account when ranking. However, a good meta description can make your page receive more or fewer clicks. Header tags : These are the <h1>, <h2>, <h3> tags, etc. that show in a hierarchical way the different titles that can be found in a content. It is recommended that there be a single <h1> that defines the main title of the text. Structured data:Structured data is becoming increasingly important in search results. They offer search engines more detailed information about the content of a website and show additional information that does not show the title or meta description, such as the average rating in the form of stars or the number of opinions of an article.
In the image:
1. Title.
2. Structured data.
3. Meta description.
And what about the User Experience?
User experience (UX) plays a very important role in SEO positioning of a page. Although Google has confirmed that it does not influence the rankings of results , at least in searches carried out from the desktop, they constantly mention it in their guide on how to evaluate the quality of a website.
However, on mobile it is different: since the user experience is the basis of the latest search engine update, the results offered on mobile devices do take into account the user experience of a page. This was stated by Gary IIlyes, Webmaster at Google:
A design that shows false content (cloacking) , suspicious links, malicious downloads, a massive generation of content (posts or comments) or a low quality of content will cause Google to consider whether the experience ratio of a page is optimal or not. .
conclusion
Although there are many factors that affect the SEO positioning of our website, having the technical aspects well optimized will help search engines to identify a result sooner or later.
However, having unique and original content is a key factor for SEO positioning. In the end, it will be this content that will decide if a page appears in some results or others.