This year, Google has brought a lot of changes to their algorithm. And these changes have caused a lot of websites to lose their traffic and ranking. Fortunately for us digital marketers, we can always work our way back on top.
Here are the top five ranking factors to work on in case your website’s ranking and traffic dropped:
Mobile-first indexing
With the latest Core Update that Google rolled out this year, it was clear that the company has prioritized mobile-first indexing in the updated algorithm of their search engine. It also means that Google now uses the mobile version of your website for indexing and ranking your web pages. Since the start of March 2018, Google has already started the process of migrating each site to mobile-index first. So if you experienced a sudden drop in your site’s ranking in the past months, then you might want to check its mobile-friendliness.
Page Speed
Did you know that most online visitors quickly exit a website when its page doesn’t load for at least three seconds? And when it comes to Google, they give utmost importance to sites that can deliver the best user experience, especially those that can load as fast as 1.5 seconds. Desktop page loading time has been one of the most critical factors in Google search ranking algorithm. However, in July this year, Google confirmed that they also now include the mobile page speed as a ranking factor.
Brand as Ranking Signal
Remember the time when a website only needs a lot of content and backlinks to rank high on Google? Well, things have changed. Today, an online e-commerce store or content site can now use its brand as a ranking signal. Brand refers to the number of good reviews, high-quality content, and vlogs of customers or social media influencers which talk about a website’s product. These types of content are great for building brand reputation, and also one of the most effective ways to build the trust of your customers.
Image Search
Before, digital marketers only optimize content and web pages for SEO. But this year, you might want to pay more attention to optimizing your images for Google Search. Many sites have lost their traffic because users no longer have to leave Google to view photos on their website. This is why the best digital marketing companies in Los Angeles suggest the importance of putting keywords on the “alt text” and file name of your images. This is effective, especially for product images.
Data Privacy
Google has continuously reminded websites about the importance of data privacy, especially for online e-commerce stores. Buyers often need to input their credit card details on these sites to buy products. This is why it’s important to give online customers a sense of security by making sure that their private information is safe. One way to do this is by installing or buying “https”/Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure for your website. This guarantees that the site only uses secure communication when sending files or detailed information.