There have been significant changes in the world of search over the past year, making the concept of ranking factors increasingly difficult to categorize. Not only has Google changed how it describes several previously documented “ranking systems” – rolling a series of technical signals into one “page experience” evaluation – but it also doubled down … Read more
Inbound links, ordinarily considered a positive thing for SEO, may cause problems if too many come from the same domain. But are sitewide links to other domains a negative ranking factor? That’s what some people believe in SEO. Is there cause for concern if you are on the receiving end of sitewide links? We’ll answer … Read more
Meta keywords is a tag that allows you to tell search engines what topics are covered on the page. But can meta keywords affect your organic search rankings? Read on to learn whether there is any connection between meta keywords and improved Google rankings. The Claim: Meta Keywords Are A Ranking Factor What are meta … Read more
If your target audience speaks different languages, offering your website content in multiple languages would make sense to provide a better user experience. But does offering different languages on your website affect organic search rankings? Can the way you organize your localized pages affect organic search rankings? The Claim: Language As A Ranking Factor Your … Read more
Core Web Vitals measure page experience signals to ensure an engaging user experience for search users. But can Core Web Vitals affect your organic search rankings? Read on to learn whether there is any connection between Core Web Vitals and improved Google rankings. The Claim: Core Web Vitals Are A Ranking Factor What are Core … Read more
Building a diverse portfolio of links is part of a successful link building strategy. But can the ratio of homepage links you acquire vs. links to other pages impact rankings? To start off, you should know that this idea is so obsolete that Google uses the words “deep link” to describe something completely different from … Read more
Google has confirmed its algorithms contain signals that align toward ranking websites that express qualities represented by E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). This article is focused on the topic of E-E-A-T in the context of ranking factors. For a deeper dive on E-E-A-T context, please read: What is Google E-E-A-T? How To Demonstrate First-Hand … Read more
Alt text is used to help computers read images. But can alt tags affect your organic search rankings? Read on to learn whether there is any connection between alt text and improved rankings in Google Image Search results. The Claim: Alt Text Is A Ranking Factor What is alt text? Alt text is an HTML … Read more
Microsoft announced a new conversational question answering model that outperforms other methods, answering questions faster and accurately while using significantly less resources. What is proposed is a new way to rank passages from content using what they call Generative Retrieval For Conversational Question Answering, which they named GCoQA. The researchers write that the next direction … Read more
In the most recent episode of Google’s podcast “Search Off the Record,” Search Liaison Danny Sullivan joins the show to discuss a timely topic. Coinciding with the rollout of Google’s August 2023 core algorithm update, Sullivan addresses common questions and misconceptions about ranking systems. This article overviews the 34-minute episode, highlighting the most relevant insights. … Read more
![Can AI-Generated Content Hurt Your Search Ranking? [Insights from HubSpot, Litmus, Casted & 500+ Marketers]](https://nicheplrnewsletter.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AI-Content-SEO-FI.pngkeepProtocol.png "Can AI-Generated Content Hurt Your Search Ranking? [Insights from HubSpot,")
AI is giving marketers a newer, faster, and easier way to create content. But will the convenience of AI come at the expense of your search ranking? After all, if everyone can use AI to create high-quality content at lightning-fast speeds, what will be the great differentiator in search results? Here, we’ll explore everything you … Read more
Google announced a remarkable ranking framework called Term Weighting BERT (TW-BERT) that improves search results and is easy to deploy in existing ranking systems. Although Google has not confirmed that it is using TW-BERT, this new framework is a breakthrough that improves ranking processes across the board, including in query expansion. It’s also easy to … Read more
In a recent video, Google’s John Mueller answered a question about how semantic HTML helps search engines understand website content. Mueller discussed how semantic HTML affects a site’s SEO, accessibility, and search rankings. But first, let’s define semantic HTML and how it works. Semantic HTML 101 Semantic HTML elements provide meaning and structure to web … Read more
A recent Google SEO Office Hours featured a question about whether a security header conferred a ranking influence. It’s not as far out a question as it first appears because a security header like the HSTS header plays an important role in assuring a secure HTTPS connection and HTTPS is a light-weight Google ranking signal. … Read more
Location landing pages don’t get enough respect. You set them up with your name, address, phone number & hours. Maybe you embed a Google Map for driving directions. Perhaps you write some copy that no one will read, and if you have multiple locations, you repeat the same copy on each page and just change … Read more
Google has revealed new information about a ranking system called ‘Topic Authority.’ This system aims to deliver more relevant, expert, and knowledgeable content in Google Search and News for queries on specialized topics. Why Topic Authority? The inception of Topic Authority is an attempt to address a common challenge Google users face when seeking authoritative … Read more
Learning to be the best in town at the top seven elements experts feel impact your rankings in Google’s local packs is a smart strategic foundation. Thanks to Darren Shaw who has been running the Local Search Ranking Factors survey since 2017, we all benefit from this respected annual report in which local SEO professionals … Read more
Google’s John Mueller answered a question about how many product listings on a page are recommended as optimal for ranking purposes. John Mueller suggested that the best answer could be found in considering the question from a different angle. The person asked the question on the Mastodon social website. He asked: “@johnmu do you prefer … Read more
