Search engines use numerous factors to rank a website and it’s pages in order to place it within their search results. At FIJ Design we regularly network with key individuals and utilise various resources in order to follow the latest rules and trends outlined by the search engines.
Obviously we can’t share all our knowledge on the subject, but we can give you an insight into the more commonly known factors to give you an idea of what’s involved in our SEO services.
The Four Main Ranking Factor Areas:
- 1. Visible On-Page Factors
- 2. Invisible On-Page Factors
- 3. Time-Based Factors
- 4. External Factors
1. Visible On-Page Factors
Visible on-page factors are those that outlined from the website and web pages themselves, that are clearly visible to the end user. They are deemed less important in current times due to the fact they are open to manipulation.
- Page Title / Meta Title
- Page Headings
- Page Copy/Content Updates/Changes
- Outbound Links
- Keywords In URL’s And Domain Name
- Internal Link Structure & Anchor Text
- Overall Site Topicality
2. Invisible On-Page Factors
Invisible on-page factors are those that are hidden to the end user and are typically added for use with search engines or for accessibility. The search engines soon realised these areas were being manipulated and some now hold hardly any value. In particular Meta Keywords, which most now even ignore.
- Meta Description
- Meta Keywords
- Alt And Title Tags
- Page Structure
3. Time-Based Factors
Time based factors are those geared around (you guessed it!) time, the longer something has been around the less chance it has of disappearing and search engines look for this as part of their analysis.
- Site Age
- Document Inception Date
- Link Age
- Domain Registration Length
4. External Factors
External factors are those factors that are outside the website / web page that contribute value for the search engines. Signs of continuous (natural) growth are held highly, with particular emphasis on quality.
- Quantity, Quality And Relevance Of Inbound Links
- Link Churn
- Link Acquisition Rate
- Link Anchor Text And Surrounding Copy
- Reciprocal Links
- Number Of Links On A Page
- Semantic Relationships Among Links On A Page
- IP Addresses Of Cross-Linked Sites
- TLD Of Domain Name For A Link
- Link Location
- Web Standards Compliance
