Understanding search engine optimization and trying to determine what causes pages to rank high in search engines can be puzzling. There are many queries in which Reddit and other user-generated content (UGC) rank surprisingly high, sometimes even for commercial keywords. Posts that are keyword stuffed or AI-generated sometimes rise to the top of the search engine results page (SERP).
How does this happen? The way Google ranks pages is still a mystery. Keywords are usually emphasized as a factor in SEO, but they might not be as important as people think. If it’s not super important to focus on keywords, what should marketers focus on instead?
Other Factors That Affect Rankings
Established brands tend to rank higher in search engines than smaller businesses. Google recognizes that big brands have established reputations and search engine users are more comfortable clicking on familiar URLs than links to an unknown business. Backlinks and social media presence reinforce these established reputations. Marketers need to focus on building a strong brand.
When you’re competing with other blogs, your content needs to provide more information than your competitors. Evaluate user interaction data which refers to how users behave on a page after clicking on a link. Test click-through rates and analyze user behavior. Dialog and engagement matter and improved user experience helps lead to better rankings.
Machine learning makes it possible to recognize patterns of behavior that marketers may not otherwise notice. Patterns that are picked up by machine learning don’t always make sense to us, but they can still affect rankings.
Analyzing Data
Improving your rankings depends on continually analyzing data to find out what’s working and what’s not working. It’s important to make sure your content addresses different aspects of user intent. If user generated content is ranking high on SERPs, consider enabling blog comments or posting reviews on your website.
Sites at the top of SERPs that don’t seem to make sense may have attained their ranking because of a search engine bug. When a site attains high ranking, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will stay at the top of the SERPs. Google is continually testing URLs and user data, and they aim to deliver the most relevant results.
Traditional tactics and keywords aren’t all that’s involved in attaining better search engine rankings. Ranking factors are continuing to evolve so it’s important to be open to using more creative strategies. Don’t jump to conclusions about sites that rank high. Keep paying attention to user behavior and keep testing and analyzing. The only way to know for sure if changes are effective is by continually testing, analyzing and making tweaks.
Working with experts in the field of SEO gives you the best chance of obtaining the best possible results on SERPs. The team at Softline Solutions is committed to keeping up with changes in SEO as they happen. We have helped hundreds of companies to succeed online and we want to help your business to grow and thrive. Contact Softline Solutions today.
