{"id":2524,"date":"2019-03-14T07:18:58","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T07:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=2524"},"modified":"2022-09-05T19:23:58","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T17:23:58","slug":"what-does-google-look-for-in-their-ranking-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/seo-blog\/what-does-google-look-for-in-their-ranking-factor\/","title":{"rendered":"What does Google look for in their Ranking Factor?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_3-1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-image align_center\"><div class=\"w-image-h\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"437\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/DSM_Infographic_SEO27-e1552547906410.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"DSM Ranking Factor\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/DSM_Infographic_SEO27-e1552547906410.jpg 620w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/DSM_Infographic_SEO27-e1552547906410-600x423.jpg 600w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/DSM_Infographic_SEO27-e1552547906410-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/DSM_Infographic_SEO27-e1552547906410-284x200.jpg 284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>It\u2019s the golden standard \u2013 for any SEO professional and small business owner \u2013 to be as close as possible to spot number one on the Google Search Engine Results Pages (<a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/why-aim-first-page-google-serps\/\">SERPs<\/a>). There are a couple of things that Google looks at when ranking websites. Here are some of them.<\/p>\n<h2>Ranking Factors<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Domain age<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The older your domain is, the more likely it could be ranked up the first page of the <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/why-aim-first-page-google-serps\/\">Google<\/a> SERPs. There are more than a couple of reason why this could be so. However, we would like to suggest that the reason why an older domain ranks more highly than a new one is that Google search bots have had more time to crawl an older site as opposed to a newer one. This means that the older site has received more opportunity to let Google know of their focus areas and is able to rank for them.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The first word in a domain is a targeted keyword<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>One of the factors which contributes to Google ranking a site highly is if the website\u2019s domain has a targeted keyword as their starting word. So, for example, if you are tying to rank for the keyword \u201ccopywriting\u201d if you have a domain entitled \u201ccopywritingservices.co.za\u201d you will get the edge over other domains which offer the same service.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Your title tag should start with your targeted keyword<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to Moz.com, if a website\u2019s title tag starts with one of its targeted keywords you have set out for your website, it\u2019s been shown that these websites will perform better than those sites which feature the targeted keyword features at the bend of the title tag.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The H1 tag must contain the targeted keyword<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The H1 tag is seen as the secondary title tag of a web page. This means that Google will take queues from your H1 tags in order to determine the subject matter of your site or blog post. So, in order to rank highly for your targeted keyword make sure that your H1 header contains it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Vimeo video player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/267588803?autoplay=0&loop=0&autopause=0&color=00adef&portrait=0&byline=1&title=1&controls=1&muted=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2><strong>Your metadescription should contain your targeted keyword<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to Google, the metadescription doesn\u2019t play a significant role in influencing the ranking factors of the SERPs. However, the metadescription of a particular <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/should-you-hire-full-time-website-developer\/\">website<\/a> does play a great role in convincing a reader to click through to a site or not. This is because the user will judge whether or not a site is relevant to them based on the metadescription.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Long-form copy wins over short-form copy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As we\u2019ve said in previous articles that we\u2019ve published on content marketing, this type of digital marketing will remain a constant in 2019. In fact, most digital marketers report that they will be increasing their spend exponentially, for content marketing, in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>To make the best out of the great opportunity that content marketing affords you, you need to publish long-form copy, as opposed to shorter copy, on your website. Long-form copy usually comes in at 700 \u2013 1000 words. This is as opposed to short copy which can be anything from 350 words upwards.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/seo-sometimes-more-important-than-ppc\/\">SEO<\/a> \u2013 or Search Engine Optimisation \u2013 is the way of the future which is being demonstrated in the present. It is a way for customers to find what they are looking for via a simple Google search and to get what they are looking for in a matter of seconds. However, to fully harness the power of SEO, it is necessary to do an <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/seo-and-web-analytics-course\/\">SEO course<\/a> so that you can learn how to use SEO to the best of your advantage in your business.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/contact-us\/\">Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>The Digital School of Marketing offers a comprehensive <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/seo-and-web-analytics-course\/\">SEO and Web Analytics Course<\/a> that will teach you the ins and outs of this specialised branch of digital marketing. For more information about this course and to register, follow this <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/seo-and-web-analytics-course\/\">link<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/seo-and-web-analytics-course\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-758 size-shop_single\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DSM_Footer03-600x96.jpg\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing SEO and Web Analytics course registration\" width=\"600\" height=\"96\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_justify\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_2\" href=\"#enquiry\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Enquire Today<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Blog Categories<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/cyber-security-blog\/\">Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/graphic-design-blog\/\">Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/blog\/public-relations\/\">Public Relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/blog\/seo\/\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/social-media-marketing\/\">Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/web-design-blog\/\">Web Design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">You might also like<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"w-html\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/zero-moment-of-truth-benefit-social-media-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Use the Zero Moment of Truth to Benefit your Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/your-complete-guide-to-ppc-marketing-basic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Your Complete Guide to PPC Marketing Basics. Find out more.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/you-can-convey-a-lot-of-meaning-with-just-one-graphic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">You Can Convey a Lot Of Meaning With Just One Graphic<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/would-you-make-a-great-marketing-manager\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Would you make a great marketing manager?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-with-bona-magazine-and-the-digital-school-of-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win with Bona Magazine and the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-a-digital-marketing-course-valued-at-r12-000\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win a Digital Marketing Course Valued at  R12 000<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Top Selling COurses<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-digital-marketing-course\/\">Advanced Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Social media marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-brand-management-course\/\">Brand Management<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/courses\/graphic-design-course\/\">Basic Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-6\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-graphic-design-course\/\">Advanced Graphic design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-7\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising\/\">National Certificate of Advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-8\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-diploma-of-copywriting-course\/\">National Diploma of Copyrighting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Youtube video player\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WyJsRLuvYQA?autoplay=0&controls=1&origin=https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za&loop=0&mute=0\" allowfullscreen=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2525,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[264],"tags":[305,306],"class_list":["post-2524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo-blog","tag-google-search-results","tag-ranking-factors"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}