In my last article, Key SEO Ranking Factors: Confirmed for 2023, we discussed Google’s confirmed ranking factors. Now, we will discuss the SEO myths. Factors that don’t influence ranking. While these aren’t ranking factors, it does not mean that they aren’t important for SEO. For many of them, the effects are indirect. For example, schema markup is immensely important for SEO. It helps search engines better understand your content. And, it helps to improve your search result page appearance by improving your result and making it eligible for search features. This can help encourage searchers to click on your result through a better understanding of your offer.

Follow along as I dive into the confirmed non-ranking factors identified in Search Engine Journal’s recent E-book.

What are SEO Non-Ranking Factors, the SEO Myths?

Contrary to popular belief, SEO non-ranking factors are elements that search engines like Google do not use to rank web pages in search results. While these aspects may play a role in enhancing the overall SEO strategy or improving user engagement, they do not directly impact a page’s position in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This differentiation helps in focusing efforts on what truly drives search rankings.

SEO Myths: Content and On-Page Factors

While these content-related factors are confirmed to not be ranking factors, several of them I would not overlook. Particularly, schema markup, EEAT, and to a lesser degree meta descriptions, are incredibly important for SEO.

Confirmed non-ranking factors:

• Keyword Density. Once a cornerstone of SEO, keyword density no longer matters. Modern search engines prioritize natural, engaging content over rigid keyword repetition.
• Meta Descriptions. Meta descriptions can impact click-through rates by providing more relevant information in search results, but they don’t directly influence search engine rankings.
• Meta Keywords. A while back, these were used for keyword targeting. They lost their relevance in SEO rankings due to abuse and overuse.
• Content Length. The in-depth content can be quite valuable to your readers. But, there’s no direct relationship between content length and higher SEO rankings.
• Image Quantity. Google does not consider the number of images on a page for its rankings. However, well-optimized images can improve user experience.
• Keyword Stemming. Variations of keywords (for example stem, stemmed, stemming) don’t improve rankings, but they can help create more natural content.
• Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI). LSI involves utilizing related keywords. Although useful for content relevance, it’s not a standalone ranking factor.
• Reading Level. The complexity of content, measured by reading level, isn’t a direct ranking factor. Content should be tailored to the target audience.
• Schema Markup. Schema markup aids in structuring data for search engines, improving clarity, but doesn’t directly boost search rankings.
• EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). EEAT contributes to overall content quality and credibility but isn’t quantified as a direct ranking factor in search algorithms.

SEO Myths: User Interaction Metrics

There’s a strong belief in some corners of the interwebs in the SEO myth that user interaction metrics like click-through rate and bounce rate play a direct role in ranking websites. This is not the case.

Confirmed non-ranking factors:

• Bounce Rate. This metric, which indicates visitors who leave after viewing one page, doesn’t directly impact search rankings. It’s more about user engagement than SEO.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR). While important for assessing how relevant your search snippet is, CTR doesn’t directly influence where your site ranks in search results.
• Dwell Time. The time spent on a page before returning to SERP is not a confirmed ranking factor. It reflects content engagement, not search position.
• Direct Traffic. Often misinterpreted as a ranking booster, direct traffic actually measures brand recognition and loyalty, not SEO effectiveness.

SEO Myths: Link-Related Factors

Several of the following link-related aspects offer insights into website management and integrity but do not directly contribute to improving a site’s position in search engine results pages.

Confirmed non-ranking factors:

• .edu and .gov Links, It’s a common myth that links from .edu or .gov domains carry more weight. However, search engines do not give these domains special treatment in terms of ranking.
• Link Stability. The idea that the age or stability of a link enhances SEO is misleading. Search engines focus more on the relevance and quality of links rather than how long they have existed.
• Link Velocity. How fast a website gains links doesn’t have a direct impact on rankings. Sudden spikes in link velocity, on the other hand, may not be advantageous for SEO.
• Nofollow Links. Previously, nofollow links were thought to have no impact on SEO. While they don’t pass on link equity, search engines now use them as a hint for understanding and crawling websites, but they don’t directly influence rankings.
• Manual Actions (Related to Links). Manual actions taken by webmasters for unnatural linking practices affect site evaluation but are not a ranking factor themselves. They are more about maintaining the quality and credibility of a site.
• Disavow Tool. Using the disavow tool to reject links doesn’t directly improve rankings. It’s intended to help sites distance themselves from harmful links, not as a means to manipulate search rankings.

SEO Myths: External Evaluations and Tools

While external evaluations and tools are invaluable for improving website performance and understanding user engagement, they are not search engine ranking factors. Their primary role is to provide insights and data for informed decision-making in SEO strategies.

Confirmed non-ranking factors:

• Better Business Bureau (BBB) Ratings. While BBB ratings are a marker of trust and credibility for consumers, they do not directly influence search engine rankings. Google and other search engines do not use these ratings as a ranking signal.
• Review Sentiment. The overall sentiment of online reviews, whether positive or negative, is not a direct ranking factor. While positive reviews can enhance a brand’s reputation and indirectly influence user behavior, they do not automatically boost SEO rankings.
• Google Ads. Participation in Google Ads has no direct impact on organic search rankings. The misconception that paying for ads can improve organic search performance is unfounded. Organic and paid search results operate independently.
• Google Analytics. Utilizing Google Analytics is crucial for understanding website traffic and user behavior, but the data from this tool does not influence your site’s search ranking. It’s a measurement tool, not a ranking tool.
• Google Search Console. While Google Search Console provides valuable insights into website performance and can help identify issues, its use does not directly affect a website’s ranking. It’s a diagnostic tool rather than a ranking enhancer.
• Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. These guidelines help human evaluators assess the quality of search results but do not directly impact algorithms. Understanding these guidelines can inform SEO strategies, but they are not ranking factors themselves.

SEO Myths: Technical Aspects and Site Structure

In SEO, technical elements and site structure play an important role, but not all aspects directly impact search engine rankings. It’s important to differentiate between critical technical SEO practices and those often misunderstood as ranking factors.

Confirmed non-ranking factors:

• Domain Name. The choice of domain name, while important for branding and recognition, doesn’t directly impact search rankings. Keywords in domain names are less influential than they once were.
• IP Address. The IP address of a website, contrary to some beliefs, does not have a direct effect on search rankings. Factors like server location may influence site speed, but the IP address itself isn’t a ranking factor.
• Canonicalization. While canonical tags help prevent duplicate content issues, they are not a ranking factor. They guide search engines to the preferred version of a webpage but don’t boost rankings directly.
• Code to Text Ratio. The ratio of HTML code to text content on a page is not a direct ranking factor. Search engines focus more on the quality and relevance of content than on technical metrics like this.
• Crawl Errors and Budget. While it’s crucial to fix crawl errors for a better user experience, they are not direct ranking factors. A well-managed crawl budget ensures efficient indexing but doesn’t automatically elevate rankings.
• Deep Link Ratio. The ratio of deep links (links to inner pages) to total links doesn’t directly affect rankings. The focus should be on the quality and relevance of inbound links rather than their distribution within the site.
• Domain Age. The age of a domain is a minor factor in ranking. Older domains may have more authority but it’s the quality of content and links that truly matters. John Mueller had this to say when asked recently, “No, domain age helps nothing.”
• Domain Authority. While a useful metric for gauging a website’s potential to rank, domain authority itself is not a Google ranking factor. It’s more a predictor than an influencer.
• XML Sitemaps. Sitemaps are crucial for search engines to crawl and index a website efficiently, but having an XML sitemap itself doesn’t improve rankings. It’s a tool for visibility, not a ranking booster.
• AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). AMP can improve mobile user experience and page speed, which are important, but AMP itself is not a ranking factor. The emphasis should be on mobile-friendliness and page speed, not AMP specifically.
• Whois Information. The information in a website’s Whois record, including domain registration length or owner details, does not impact search rankings. Privacy concerns often keep this information hidden without any SEO consequence.

Miscellaneous Factors

Lastly, let’s address some random factors that are often thought to influence SEO but have been confirmed not to have a direct impact on search engine rankings.

Confirmed non-ranking factors:

• AdSense. Having Google AdSense ads on your website does not improve nor harm your search rankings. The presence of ads is separate from how search engines evaluate and rank content.
• Chrome Bookmarks. The number of times a site is bookmarked in Chrome doesn’t affect its SEO. While a popular site might have more bookmarks, this is a result of its popularity, not a cause of it.
• First Link Priority. The idea that search engines only consider the first link to a page on any given webpage (first link priority) is outdated. Modern search algorithms are sophisticated enough to evaluate multiple links and their context.
• Reconsideration Requests. Submitting a reconsideration request after fixing issues that led to a manual action can lift penalties, but it doesn’t directly boost rankings. It just removes the impediments to ranking normally.
• Social Signals and Shares. The number of shares or likes on social media platforms isn’t a direct ranking factor. Social signals can indicate content popularity and might indirectly influence SEO through content dissemination and increased visibility, but they don’t directly affect search rankings.

Conclusion

Overall, while many of the SEO myths identified above play significant roles in SEO, they do not directly influence search engine rankings. Having said that, just because they don’t impact rankings doesn’t mean they should be ignored in your SEO practice.

To learn how to apply the factors that influence SEO rankings, read Google SEO Ranking Insights Guide for Success, which offers a detailed exploration of effective and practical SEO strategies.