In the wake of the ongoing Google lawsuit, valuable insights into Google SEO and Google’s inner workings have become clearer. While some of this information has long been suspected, Search Engine Land (SEL) has provided a comprehensive and somewhat technical overview in their article, ‘How Google Search and ranking works,’ according to Google’s Pandu Nayak.

What does this newly available (but mostly confirmed to highly suspected) information mean in practice? This article focuses on translating SEL’s overview of Pandu Nayak’s testimony into practical strategies for SEO professionals and others seeking high visibility on search engines. With that in mind, I’ll highlight how to apply the key insights from Google’s ranking process.

Prioritize Quality Content

Google has been asking for quality content for many years. Content quality is mentioned several times in Google’s Search Essentials. Google’s ranking process values quality over quantity. Let me say that again for the people in the back… Google’s ranking process values quality over quantity.

To succeed, prioritize creating high-quality, unique content that stands out in the vast digital landscape. Valuable content not only attracts users but is also favored by Google.

Here’s a checklist I recommend running through when creating new or optimizing existing content:

1. Does it provide value?
2. Is it unique?
3. Is it relevant to your business and to the needs and interests of your audience?
4. Is it well-researched, factual, and supported by reliable sources?
5. Is it well-written, free from grammatical errors, and easy to read?
6. Is it engaging?
7. Is it optimized for SEO without overdoing it?
8. Does it have a clear purpose whether to inform, persuade, or entertain?
9. Is it visually appealing and includes relevant images, videos, or infographics that enhance the message?
10. Is it updated regularly to keep current and relevant?

Whatever you do, please don’t go to Chat GPT or another LLM and start churning out content just for content’s sake. It’s not going to help you in the long run.

For a deeper understanding of what constitutes quality in the eyes of Google, read more at Key SEO Ranking Factors: Confirmed for 2023.

Understand the Intricacies of Google’s Ranking Process

How in the heck does Google actually work? Here’s a very high-level and over-simplified view:

1. Web Crawling: Google’s bots, aka “spiders,” browse the internet, indexing web pages they find through sitemaps and links.
2. Google’s Index: A massive digital library containing indexed pages.
3. Ranking Algorithms: Complex algorithms analyze pages for relevance, quality, and user engagement.
4. User Interaction: User behavior, clicks, and engagement play a pivotal role in refining rankings.
5. Deep Learning Systems: Systems like RankBrain and DeepRank adjust rankings based on evolving user trends.
6. Resulting SERP: The final output, the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), displays the ranked pages.

There’s a heck of a lot more to it than that but this overview hopefully gets you thinking about the processes involved in search. For a more in-depth understanding, I highly recommend reading this Search Engine Journal article.

At a base level, you need to make sure you’re page is crawlable. That it isn’t blocked in your robots.txt. file. It needs to be indexable. For example, to ensure your page can be indexed, if you use Yoast in WordPress, make sure you haven’t mistakenly selected ‘no’ under this ‘Should search engines follow links on this content?.’ That option will prevent indexing of the page and out of search results.

Elevate Content Relevance

I know I mentioned this briefly above but it’s important enough to repeat. Please, make sure whatever content you provide (blogs, videos, infographics, etc) is relevant to your business AND your audience.

For example, if your business specializes in car accessories, posting content about unrelated topics like gardening tips or travel advice would be considered irrelevant.

You can improve the relevance of your content by catering to user needs, answering their questions, and addressing what concerns and interests them. Going back to the car accessory business, relevant content would include accessory reviews, DIY installation guides, and car maintenance tips. Always keep in mind, that quality and relevance go hand in hand.

Harness User Interaction

User behavior is an important factor in Google SEO. User clicks, engagement, and behavior play a role in Google’s rankings. Google, rightly so, does not put a huge focus on clicks. Why? Because it would encourage spammy headlines, irrelevant content, and potentially….how do I politely put this…. “adult” content.

Focus on creating content that not only ranks well but also resonates with your target users. Content that encourages them to click and engage. Again, make sure that the content is relevant. Tricking people to click with irrelevant content leads to a bad experience for the user which Google will take notice of.

To learn more about separating fact from fiction in SEO practices, read about SEO factors that don’t influence your rank.

Stay Adaptable

If you’ve ever worked with an SEO, whether in-house or an agency for a long time, you might feel like you’ve received conflicting information. That’s probably pretty true because Google continually changes.

For the uninitiated, several times a year, Google unleashes core updates. These updates often change the algorithms Google uses to create its search results. They don’t often tell what those changes are because they don’t want people trying to game the search results. In SEO, you will always be playing a game of catch-up.

To succeed, adapt your SEO strategies to stay in sync with Google’s ever-changing algorithms. Flexibility is key to SEO longevity.

Speaking of adapting, are you preparing for AI search? Google will be releasing its AI-enhanced Google Search Generative Experience this year which will have a major impact on organic search visibility.

For a deeper understanding of adapting to these changes, particularly in the realm of AI, read more in this detailed article: Generative Engine Optimization: Maximizing Visibility in AI.

Prioritize User Experience

Overall, focus on delivering a great user experience. Offering quality content and a user- and mobile-friendly website are must-haves in the ever-changing SEO landscape. That’s probably too many hyphenated compounds in one sentence, but I’m going to keep them because I like them! Keep users top of mind when engaging in your SEO efforts.

Conclusion

Mastering Google SEO requires a good understanding of Google’s ranking process and focusing on quality and relevance. By prioritizing user experience and adapting to whatever changes Google throws at you, you can navigate the ever-evolving world of SEO.

One last thing I would like to point out is that SEL’s article, while very informative, does not delve into the importance of links, both internal and backlinks. It doesn’t appear that Pandu mentioned them in his testimony. Internal links play a very important role in SEO as they facilitate the discoverability of your content and help prioritize it. External links pointing at your site, backlinks, are like votes of confidence in what your content offers.

For a list of SEO tools that can help in these areas and more, be sure to visit my SEO Toolbox page.