Google Ranking Factors: Fact vs. Fiction

Google ranking factors are usually a hot topic of debate in the SEO industry. While Google has confirmed a few ranking factors and signals, there is a lot of speculation and bad information out there about what is, what might be, and what definitely is not a ranking factor. So the Search Engine Journal team set out to separate fact from fiction. Join Search Engine Journal’s Assistant Editor Anna Crowe and founder Loren Baker as they give you the facts, so you can aim your SEO strategy for the biggest impact on this special edition of the Search Engine Journal Show. Whether you’re attempting to understand the latest algorithm update, improve a site’s rankings, or boost conversions, understanding how the search engine works and where you fit in the ecosystem can result in a much better strategy, a smoother user experience, and more high-quality traffic. We're talking about a few key ranking factors from the ebook, how the book was put together, and what it means for you. This started back in November 2019, so this is how long this ebook has been in the works. The goal really was to become the SEO Mythbusters on what is and what isn't a ranking factor. We wanted to come up with something more defined by facts and not just based on opinion and commentary. –Anna Crowe [04:44] There are tons of studies out there, but whenever you actually get into the meat of those studies, a lot of it is opinion or cause and correlation types that don’t necessarily ring true to what Google's statements are, what's in their patents, or what's confirmed from the voice of John Mueller or Danny Sullivan. –Anna Crowe [07:51] A good chunk of our time, I’d probably say, maybe even 60 percent of it was spent researching before we actually began writing this piece. –Anna Crowe [09:32] ​​ [00:00] - What Anna does at SEJ and her digital marketing interests [02:33] - What Google Ranking Factors: Fact or Fiction covers [02:52] - Are there still only 200 Google ranking factors? [03:41]