More than meets the eye
http://backlinko.com/google-ranking-factors
Great. We’ve learned about page-rank. Always wondered how Google did its thing. Sounds easy enough. Just do some simple map-reduce, on each iteration divide the rank, spread the love, and get a new one. So what’s the big deal? Hey, maybe I’ll even go start my own search engine. Actually, before you and I get too hasty, let’s actually take a look. According to Brian Dean, there is actually far more than just the simple page-rank algorithm at work behind Google. It’s true that this ubiquitous algorithm was the core of Google’s search engine in its infancy, but it has grown significantly since then.
This article provides an in-depth look at all of the different factors that Google looks into before returning your search results. Although the article shows only about 200 different aspects, it claims that there’s actually even more, hidden behind Google’s intellectual property rights. They can’t tell us everything, right? To name a few, Google explores the following to gauge website quality
Domain age: how long have you been around?
Country extension: if you end in your country’s extension, you’ll get a little boost;
Keyword in title, first section, domain, etc.?
Duplicate content: you don’t want a lot of this, it’s a red flag;
Recent content update: how often do you update content, and how much is updated?
Outbound link: are your out-bound links good and abundant? Make sure not too much!
References and sources: crediting references is always good;
Google product preferential: You got a Youtube or Google+ link? Great, +1!
Social Network: Any facebook likes? How about Pinterest pins? Are you shared a lot?
So many aspects control the quality of a site, and it’s amazing that Google is able to test these factors within fractions of a second. Sure, the page-rank algorithm we just learned is powerful and at the core of Google technology, but don’t forget that Google does far more than meets the eye.