Your Cheat Sheet to Google's 200 (Known) Ranking Factors

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If you’re an SEO, I know you can relate to the following scenario.

You do thorough keyword research and create super awesome content that ends up performing well — score!

You are riding the waves of growth in SERPs and feel like you’re on top of the world.

And the next day, there’s an algorithm update that comes along … and just like that, your rankings have tanked.

Regardless of whether an algorithm update rocks or destroys your world, they’re an inevitable occurrence. So it’s time to face the facts, and take the changes in stride.

As difficult as ranking in the coveted number one spot may seem, there is a list that’ll help you get there: Google’s 200 known ranking factors.

This list serves as our guide in a field that’s constantly evolving.

In 2006, Google declared that it was using over 200 ranking factors. While that’s certainly the most comprehensive perspective, I’ve pulled all the known ranking factors together in one post and shared my personal top 10 to make it a bit more tactical.

But before you jump in, understand that everything is arguable in SEO, and there have been some controversies concerning these “200 known ranking factors”. SEO’s often differ in their perspective on which ranking factors matter the most — or whether they’re important at all.

Nevertheless, user experience is one thing Google continually improves for their users. If you want to create more helpful content for your ideal audience, it’s worth referring to these ranking factors to improve both your SEO and your overall marketing strategy.

What is a ranking factor on Google?

Ranking factors are the criteria applied by Google (and other search engines) when evaluating pages to decide the best order of relevant results to return for a search query.

Understanding ranking factors is necessary for effective SEO. All marketers, content creators, and SEO strategists should be familiar with them — not because they’re the end-all, be-all of SEO (they’re not), but because they help create a better user experience, which ensures more leads and conversions for your business. So I would strongly recommend using these factors as a guide.

How many Google ranking factors are there?

There are over 200 ranking factors that are generally considered correct (but again, it’s debatable). Since 2006, there have been thousands of algorithm updates.

With each update, SEOs test to see what’s changed. So, some of these factors are proven, but others are just speculation.

All 200 (Known) Ranking Factors

I’ll start with a rundown of all 200 ranking factors, then go in-depth into the top ten ranking factors that, based on my experience as an SEO consultant for B2B and B2C companies, have the most impact.

Here are the top categories: