This is part of the rank refining where Google will try to return the most relevant results to a query. It also allows Google to return results for queries with no previous record of searches. Launched in 2015, RankBrain is one of Google’s machine learning systems that can connect words to concepts and helps Google understand the intent of a search query. The easiest way to define between system and signal is to say Google’s ranking systems can be thought of as the machine learning layers that are applied to refine search results. Start by really understanding Google’s motivation and how it works, so you can shape your approach to content and SEO strategy in order to rank.

Transactional Search Intent

As ranking signals become more complex and reliant on user-submitted information, it makes sense that behavioral signals are made more important as they cannot be nearly as easily manipulated. On-page signals are, of course, incredibly important for SEO – both traditional, and local. These elements align with other search engines and their ranking factors, like Google. Next to content, backlinks are often considered to be the second most important SEO ranking factor. To attract search engines to your content, you also need to consider on-page SEO factors. On-page SEO is the process of optimizing each individual page on your site for a target keyword.

Most audiences do not scroll past the first page of search results. Therefore, websites that rank on the first page capture the majority of search traffic. One final aspect that you shouldn’t forget about is your business listings. Make sure these are accurate on your Google Business Profile and other websites that are relevant to your business. The reason that so many (big) companies heavily invest in SEO is the high impact that it can have when done right. To give you an idea, Google, the most-used search engine got around 8.3 billion searches per day in 2024.

Finding Diamonds in the Google Rough

That’s because it’s one of the most important search ranking factors (right up there with user experience, links, and RankBrain, which we’ll get to in a while). A local rank tracker tool is a specialized software designed to monitor and analyze the search engine rankings of local keywords for local businesses. It works by allowing businesses to SEO Anomaly input their targeted local keywords, which are phrases or terms that include location-specific information relevant to their products or services. Once the local keywords are entered into the tool, it continuously tracks the search engine rankings of the business’s website for those keywords in Google. Each contributes to the broader picture of your local SEO efforts. A significant aspect of the local search ranking factors that Google considers is the proximity of your business to the searcher’s location.

And when they search for what you offer, they’re seeing your competitors first — even if your business is the better choice. Rote SEO is highly focused on feeding the machine but the machine itself is emulating human judgment. Ordinarily such judgment calls of whether a site is useful or not are highly subjective (a matter of personal opinion).

Mobile Optimized Site

All software tools that provide domain authority scores use proprietary formulas. The backlink profile of the domain is prominent in these calculations. Social media shares, comments, and interactions are not Google ranking factors either.

• That’s because Google prioritizes content that fully responds to users’ needs and provides detailed solutions.
• As explained, the algorithm is constantly changing – by using a YouTube SEO tool you can stay on top and track your results.
• As they crawl, they gather information about each page’s content and structure.
• That’s right — just because your site can be discovered and crawled by a search engine doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be stored in their index.
• Use a variety of formats, such as articles, infographics, videos, and podcasts, to cater to different learning styles.

Search engines look at your social media activity to gauge brand relevance and authority. SEO is critical for small businesses in 2025, where online visibility can make or break success. Search engines like Google are the gateway to most online experiences, with 68% of all website traffic coming from searches.