Ranking Factors

Ranking factors or ranking signals are the criteria that search engines use to determine the order of search results.

Classically, we refer to Google’s 200 ranking factors, a set of more than 200 signals, parameters or indicators that Google’s algorithm uses for ranking, that is, to determine the order of search results (SERPs) in response to a user query.

These can include content relevance to the search query, quality and quantity of inbound links, keyword usage, user experience on the site, and many others, including some signals assumed or only hypothesized by SEO professionals.

Understanding ranking factors can help optimize a site for search engines and improve online visibility.