How Google Ranks Websites and How Your Business Can Leverage This Knowledge

So you’ve poured your heart and soul into creating the perfect website for your small business. You’ve got a sleek design, compelling copy, and a product or service that’s sure to wow your target audience. But there’s just one problem – your website is nowhere to be found in Google search results.

You might be wondering, “What’s the deal? Why are my competitors’ web pages ranking higher than mine?” The truth is, you can’t really know how to rank higher than your competitors until you understand how Google ranks websites.

As a small business owner, understanding how search engines like Google rank search results is absolutely essential if you want to improve your online visibility and attract more customers. Think about it – when was the last time you clicked past the first page of Google search results? Probably never, right? In fact, studies show that the top 3 organic search results account for almost 70% of all clicks.

So, if you want to get in front of your target audience and drive more traffic to your website, you need to crack the code on Google’s algorithm.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about how Google interprets search queries, ranks websites, and displays search results. We’ll also share some practical tips and strategies that you can start implementing immediately to boost your Google rankings and get more eyes on your business.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of what it takes to rank high on Google and how you can leverage this knowledge to take your small business to the next level.

How Google Interprets Search Queries

Before we can talk about how Google ranks websites, we need to understand how it interprets the searches that people type into the search bar. After all, Google’s ultimate goal is to provide users with the most relevant results for their specific query.

So, how exactly does Google make sense of the jumble of words and phrases that we type into the search bar? Let’s break it down.

Cleaning Up Queries

First things first – Google starts by cleaning up the search query by removing any unnecessary words, known as “stop words.” These are words like “a,” “and,” “the,” “of,” etc. that appear frequently in the English language but don’t really add any meaning to the search.

For example, if someone types in “the best way to cook spaghetti,” Google will remove the words “the” and “to” to simplify the query to “best way cook spaghetti.”

Should You Remove Stop Words from Page Titles and Headings?

Now that we understand how Google cleans up search queries by removing stop words, you might be wondering if you should do the same for your page titles and headings. In other words, should you use the keyword phrase “medical clinic chicago” instead of “medical clinic in chicago” on your website?

While it’s true that Google removes stop words from search queries, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should remove them from your page titles and headings. In fact, sometimes including stop words can make your titles and headings sound more natural and readable for users.

Using the example above, if you’re a medical clinic in Chicago, using the title “Medical Clinic in Chicago” sounds natural whereas “Medical Clinic Chicago” just sounds weird and is clearly a blatant SEO tactic. The stop word “in” helps to clarify the location and makes the title easier to read.

So use your target keywords naturally and strategically, but also make sure your titles and headings are clear, descriptive, and easy to read for users. Simply using common sense will help you create titles and headings that are both SEO-friendly and user-friendly.

Identifying Entities

Next, Google looks for entities within the search query. Entities are essentially people, places, or things that have a specific meaning and context. Google has become incredibly adept at recognizing these entities and understanding how they relate to each other, thanks to natural language processing and machine learning.

For example, if someone searches for “best restaurants near the Space Needle,” Google would recognize “Space Needle” as an entity and understand that the user is looking for dining options in close proximity to this famous landmark.

However, sometimes stop words are necessary to properly identify an entity. Consider the query “MacBook Pro with M2 chip”. The stop words “with” and “chip” clarify the type of MacBook Pro being searched for.

Expanding Queries

The final step in interpreting search queries is known as “query expansion.” This is where Google looks for synonyms and related words to expand the scope of the search and provide more relevant results.

For instance, if someone searches for “sneakers,” Google will also include results for “athletic shoes,” “running shoes,” and “trainers” because it understands that these terms are often used interchangeably.

By expanding the query, Google can cast a wider net and provide users with more comprehensive results that align with their intent, even if they didn’t use the exact terminology in their original search.

To sum up, Google’s process for interpreting search queries involves cleaning up the query by removing stop words, identifying entities within the query, and expanding the query to include related terms. All of this happens in a matter of milliseconds, resulting in a list of relevant web pages that Google believes will best answer the user’s question or query.

Pretty impressive, isn’t it? But the true magic lies in the next step – ranking those results using intricate search algorithms. In the following section, we’ll look into the various factors Google considers when determining which pages should appear at the top of the search results in Google search.

How Does Google Rank Websites and Content?

Now that we know how Google interprets search queries, let’s discuss what you really came here to learn: how it actually ranks the bazillions of web pages out there to determine which ones show up first in the search results.

In a recent video, Google Engineer Gary Illyes gave us a glimpse behind the curtain of Google’s ranking process. And to SEO nerds like us, it’s fascinating stuff.

Relevance Is King

The most important factor in Google’s ranking algorithm is relevance. Google’s entire purpose is to provide users with the most relevant results for their query, so it makes sense that relevance would be king.

But what exactly does “relevance” mean? According to Gary, it’s determined by hundreds of factors, but the actual content of the web page is the most important one. In other words, if your page contains the keywords and information that the user is searching for, you’re already ahead of the game.

However, relevance goes beyond just keywords. Google also takes into account the user’s location, language, and device type to provide the most relevant results. So, if someone in Chicago searches for “best pizza restaurant,” they’re going to get different results than someone in New York searching for the same thing.

Quality Matters

In addition to relevance, Google also looks at the overall quality of the web page and the website as a whole. This includes factors like the uniqueness of the content, the relative importance of the page within the site’s structure, and the number and quality of external links pointing to the page. Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines also emphasize the importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) when evaluating the overall quality of a web page or website.

Essentially, Google wants to make sure that it’s serving up the cream of the crop – pages that are well-written, informative, and trustworthy, written by people who have a level of expertise on the topic.

Search Intent Is Everything

Another key factor in Google’s ranking algorithm is search intent. In other words, what does the user actually want to find when they type in a particular query into Google search? Google has gotten really good at understanding search intent and tailoring the search results accordingly. The search engine’s helpful content system, rolled out in 2023, is designed to better reward content that provides a satisfying experience to users, rather than content that is written primarily for search engines.

For example, if someone searches for “how to change a tire,” they’re probably looking for a step-by-step guide or a video tutorial. On the other hand, if someone searches for “best tires for SUVs,” they’re likely in the market to buy new tires and are looking for product recommendations and reviews.

Google has gotten really good at understanding search intent and tailoring the search results accordingly. So, if you want to rank well for a particular query, you need to make sure that your page’s content aligns with what users are actually looking for.

If you want to rank well for a particular query, you need to make sure that your page’s content aligns with what users are actually looking for.

The Role of Backlinks

Finally, we can’t talk about Google’s ranking factors without mentioning backlinks. In a nutshell, backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. Google sees these links as a vote of confidence – if other reputable sites are linking to your content, it must be pretty darn good.

However, not all backlinks are created equal. Google places more value on links from high-quality, relevant websites than it does on links from spammy or low-quality sites. So, if you’re looking to boost your rankings through link building, focus on getting links from authoritative sites in your niche.

Guest posting on other websites in your industry can be a great way to build high-quality backlinks. By contributing valuable, informative content to reputable sites, you can earn links back to your own website while also establishing yourself as a thought leader and expanding your audience reach. But once again, focus on writing for high-quality, highly-relevant websites.

Anonymized Interaction Data

In addition to the factors we’ve already discussed, Google also uses anonymized interaction data as a ranking signal. This includes metrics like click-through rate, bounce rate, and dwell time, which give Google insight into how users are interacting with the search results and individual web pages. Pages that have high engagement metrics may be seen as more relevant and useful, and could potentially rank higher as a result.

That was a lot of information to unpack! But don’t worry, we’re going to circle back to all of these ranking factors later on and give you some concrete tips about using them for optimizing your own site.

For now, just remember that relevance, quality, search intent, backlinks, and anonymized interaction data are the key factors in Google’s ranking algorithm. Master these, and you’ll be well on your way to that coveted first-page spot in the Google search results.

How Google Displays Search Results

So, we’ve covered how Google interprets search queries and ranks web pages, but what about the actual search results that users see in Google Search Console or Google Analytics? How does Google decide which features to display, and why do the search result pages look different for different queries?

It’s All About the Query

As it turns out, the search features that Google displays are highly dependent on the specific query that the user types in. Google has a variety of search features at its disposal, including:

• Organic search results (the classic “10 blue links”)
• Paid search results (ads that appear at the top of the page)
• Featured snippets (a summary of the answer to the user’s query, pulled from a web page)
• Knowledge panels (information about a specific entity, like a person or place)
• Local packs (a map and list of local businesses related to the query)
• AI Overviews (a concise summary generated by Google’s AI to address the user’s query directly, incorporating information from various sources and providing links for further exploration)
• Images and videos
• News articles
• And more!

Google’s algorithms decide which features to display based on the user’s query and what it thinks will be most helpful and relevant.

For example, if someone searches for “restaurants near me,” Google will likely show a local pack with a map and a list of nearby restaurants. On the other hand, if someone searches for “how to tie a tie,” Google might show a featured snippet with step-by-step instructions and an image or video content.

Controlling Your Appearance in Search Results

As a website owner, you might be wondering how much control you have over how your web pages appear in the search rankings. The short answer is: some, but not complete control.

You can influence your appearance in the search rankings by optimizing your website’s content, structure, and metadata (like title tags and meta description tags). You can also use structured data markup to give Google more context about your content and help it understand the different elements on your page.

In addition to optimizing your on-page factors, it’s also important to have a strong internal linking structure. By linking to other relevant pages on your site using descriptive anchor text, you can help Google understand the hierarchy and context of your content, potentially boosting your search rankings for certain queries. Internal linking, by the way, is a very powerful low-hanging fruit opportunity for boosting SEO that most website owners overlook.

However, at the end of the day, Google’s algorithms decide which features to display and how to rank your website based on a variety of factors that are largely out of your control. The best thing you can do is focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that meets the needs of your target audience.

The best thing you can do is focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that meets the needs of your target audience.

The Impact of Search Features on Click-Through Rates

It’s worth noting that the search features that Google displays can have a big impact on click-through rates (CTR) and organic traffic to your website.

For example, if your web page is selected for a featured snippet, you might see a significant boost in traffic since users can get the answer to their query without even clicking through to your site. On the flip side, if a competitor’s website is featured in a local pack or knowledge panel, they might siphon off some of your potential traffic.

For all website owners, it’s important to keep an eye on the search features that are appearing for your target keywords and adjust your strategy accordingly. You might need to optimize your page’s content for featured snippets, or focus on building up your local SEO if you’re getting outranked by competitors in the local pack.

The key takeaway here is that the search results are constantly evolving, and what works today might not work tomorrow. The best way to stay ahead of the curve is to keep your finger on the pulse of Google’s algorithm updates and be willing to adapt your strategy as needed.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of how Google displays search results, let’s dive into some practical tips and strategies that you can use to leverage this knowledge for your business.

The key takeaway here is that the search results are constantly evolving, and what works today might not work tomorrow.

Leveraging This Knowledge for Your Small Business Website

Alright, now that we’ve covered the fundamentals of how Google ranks websites and displays search results, let’s talk about how you can use this knowledge to improve your own website’s visibility and attract more customers.

Focus on Quality Content

First and foremost, you need to focus on creating unique, high-quality content that provides value to your target audience. This means going beyond 500-word articles or just stuffing your pages with keywords and instead creating content that is informative, engaging, and solves a specific problem or answers a specific query.

Think about the kinds of content that your ideal customer would find helpful or interesting, and then create that content consistently over time. This could include blog posts, videos, “how-to” content, infographics, case studies, or any other type of content that showcases your expertise and helps establish trust with potential customers.

Think about the kinds of content that your ideal customer would find helpful or interesting, and then create that content consistently over time.

Optimize for Relevant Keywords

While keyword stuffing will be detrimental to your SEO efforts, you still need to optimize your content for relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. This means conducting thorough keyword research to identify both high-volume keywords and low-competition keywords, even if they have low search volume, that are relevant to your business and then incorporating those keywords naturally into your content.

You should also optimize your website’s meta tags, header tags, and alt text to include your target keywords and give Google more context about what your pages are about. But again, don’t overdo it – keep it natural and focus on providing value first and foremost.

Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly and Fast

With more and more mobile users searching the web, it’s absolutely essential that your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. Google has stated that mobile-friendliness and page speed are both important ranking factors, so if your site is slow or difficult to navigate on a mobile device, you could be missing out on a lot of potential traffic and customers.

To optimize your site for mobile devices, make sure that your design is responsive and adapts to different screen sizes, your text is easy to read, and your buttons and links are easy to tap with a finger. You should also use a tool like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to test your site’s loading speed and get recommendations for how to improve it.

Build Quality Backlinks

As we mentioned earlier, backlinks are a key factor in Google’s ranking algorithm. The more high-quality, relevant websites that link back to your site, the more authoritative and trustworthy your site will appear to Google.

To build links, focus on creating link-worthy content and promote it to other websites and influencers in your industry. You can also reach out to other reputable websites and offer to write a guest post or contribute a valuable resource in exchange for a link back to your site. Another effective strategy for building high-quality backlinks is guest posting. By contributing valuable, informative content to other reputable websites in your industry, you can earn links back to your own site while also establishing yourself as a thought leader and expanding your audience reach.

Just be sure to avoid any spammy or manipulative link building tactics, as these can actually hurt your rankings and get your site penalized by Google.

Utilize Schema Markup

Finally, consider utilizing schema markup to help Google better understand your website’s content and display rich snippets in the search results. Schema markup is essentially a special code that you can add to your website’s HTML to provide additional context and information about your pages.

For example, if you have a recipe website, you can use schema markup to specify the ingredients, cooking time, and nutrition information for each recipe. This can help your recipes show up in Google’s rich results with additional information like star ratings, cooking time, and calorie count.

If you have an e-commerce website, you can use product schema markup to provide information about your products, such as the product name, description, price, availability, and image. This can help your products show up in Google’s rich results with additional details like pricing, availability, and reviews.

If you have a website for an event or organization that hosts events, you can use event schema markup to provide details about your events, such as the event name, date, time, location, description, and image. This can help your events show up in Google’s rich results with additional information like dates, times, locations, and images.

Not only can schema markup help draw attention to your webpages but by helping search engines better understand your content and entities, it can also help improve your SEO.

Google Ranking Tips for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner, there are a few specific tips and strategies that you can use to improve your local SEO and attract more customers from your community.

First, make sure that you have claimed and optimized your Google Business listing with accurate and up-to-date information about your business, including your address, phone number, hours of operation, and website URL. This will give your business a chance to show up in Google’s local map pack when people search for relevant keywords in your area.

You should also encourage your satisfied customers to leave online reviews on your Google Business listing and other relevant local directories. Positive reviews can help improve your visibility in local search rankings (aim for at least 10) and attract more customers to your business.

Finally, consider partnering with other local businesses or organizations in your community to build links and increase your visibility in the local search results. For example, you could sponsor a local event or charity, or offer to write a guest post for a local blog or newspaper. If any local websites mention your business, ask them for a link to your website.

By following these tips and strategies, you can start to leverage your knowledge of Google ranking works to improve your website rankings and attract more customers to your small business. It may take some time and effort, but the payoff in terms of increased traffic, leads, and revenue will be well worth it.

Positive reviews can help improve your visibility in local search rankings (aim for at least 10) and attract more customers to your business.

 

Putting Your SEO Knowledge Into Action

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of our comprehensive guide on how Google ranks websites and how your small business can leverage this knowledge to improve your online visibility and attract more customers.

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article, from how Google interprets search queries and ranks content using search algorithms, to the various factors that influence your website’s visibility in search results, to practical tips and strategies for optimizing your site and building high-quality backlinks.

As a small business owner, it’s important to remember that search engine optimization is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving, and what works today may not work tomorrow. That’s why it’s so important to stay up-to-date with the latest best practices and be willing to adapt your strategy as needed.

But by focusing on creating high-quality, relevant content, optimizing your site for mobile devices and speed, building quality backlinks, and utilizing schema markup and local SEO techniques, you’ll be well on your way to improving your website rankings and attracting more customers to your business.