Of course, the Google algorithm is a tightly guarded secret, much like the 11 secret herbs and spices in KFC chicken. And besides, I don’t think that if you knew the recipe and made the chicken at home yourself that it would taste the same, anyway! So, even though some things are meant to remain unknown, today we attempt to map out the Google algorithm for web marketing success … just a little!
Shhh! Don't tell Google!
I’ve broken down each of the elements that would go into scoring a website with the Google algorithm, and then listed the factors that come under each element.
1. Keyphrase usage
The factors that would go towards the overall ‘keyphrase usage’ score in the Google algorithm for your site would include some combination of positioning (is the keyword in the title tags, the header tags and the URL?), is the keyword used in the content of the page, and is it used in anchor text for inbound links?
2. Domain trust/authority
This element is related to the age of the domain and its inferred authority that comes from its extension – .edu and .gov domains rank better, as we know. It also includes factors like its registration history (has it changed hands), the conceptual neighbourhood of the domain (is it about buying prespcription pharma online, or about getting a university degree?), and the links pointing to the domain.
3. Link popularity
It isn’t just about sheer numbers when it comes to link popularity! We’re fairly sure that Google considers factors like the age of the links, the quality of the domains and the pages that the links reside on, the anchor text used, Pagerank, and whether the subject matter is related to yours somehow.
4. Visitor Data
If our page shows up a lot in search results but few people click on it, that may erode your ranking. Factors like search requests for your particular URL or domain, the time that users spend on your pages and the number of pages they visit would probably all factor in the algo.
5. Quality of content
There are machine algorithms for rating text readability – the Flesch-Kincaid readability test may be one of them – and they probably influence your Google rank. If you wanted another reason why its better to hire out your website copywriting, there it is!
6. Penalties
And of course, any penalties must be factored into the equation.
There’s a lot of holes in this run down of what the Google algorithm potentially entails … but also a lot of illumination!