Website ranking is the process by which search engines sort web resources and rank them in search results. When a user enters a query, the search engine analyzes thousands of pages and ranks them in a specific order — from the most relevant to the least.
When generating search results, not only the page’s relevance to the query is taken into account, but also a whole range of factors: the site’s technical condition, content quality, user behavior, external signals, and commercial parameters. It is the combination of these criteria that determines a resource’s ranking relative to competitors.
How website ranking works
Ranking is based on the concept of relevance—the degree to which a page matches a search query. The more accurately the content answers the user’s question, the higher the likelihood of a site reaching the top positions.
However, relevance alone is not enough. Search engines strive to show users not just relevant resources, but also convenient, useful, and reliable websites.
The ranking process is as follows:
- Search robots crawl websites and find new or updated pages.
- The found pages are indexed and added to the search engine database.
- Algorithms evaluate content, technical characteristics, and other parameters.
- After the user enters a query, the search engine generates results by sorting pages by overall relevance.
It’s important to keep in mind that search results are personalized. Search engines take into account a user’s geolocation, search history, device type, and other individual parameters. Therefore, search results may vary from person to person.
Ranking factors: what influences a website’s position
Experts estimate that search engines use over a thousand ranking factors. The exact list is not disclosed, but some criteria are known from official recommendations and the practices of SEO specialists. All factors can be roughly divided into several categories.
Technical ranking factors
Technical parameters show how correctly and stably the site operates.
Key technical factors include:
- Page load speed. The website should load quickly and without delays. A load time of 1 to 3 seconds is considered optimal. Both the homepage and internal pages are assessed.
- Secure connection. Using the HTTPS protocol increases the trust of search engines and users.
- Server response time. The faster the server starts returning data, the higher the resource’s rating. The desired value is up to 0,2 seconds.
- Mobile-friendly. The website must display correctly on smartphones and tablets. A lack of a responsive version will lower your rankings.
- Microdata. Structured data helps search engines better understand page content.
Also taken into account are: absence of duplicates, correct redirects, image optimization, presence of sitemap.xml and robots.txt, and correct page indexing.
Before starting promotion, it’s important to get the technical side of your site in order — without this, working with content and links will be less effective.
Host and domain factors
This group of factors is related to the history and characteristics of the domain:
- Domain age. It’s harder for new websites to immediately rank high — search engines need time to evaluate the resource.
- Domain history. Previous penalties can negatively impact rankings even after they are lifted.
- Domain name. Thematic keywords in a domain can increase a website’s credibility.
- Domain zone. Regional domains often receive priority in local search results.
The importance of these factors is relative and is assessed in comparison with competitors in a particular niche.
Textual ranking factors
Content remains one of the key elements of search engine promotion.
Key text factors:
- Content uniqueness. Search engines prioritize original content, but also consider the semantic value of the text.
- No duplication. Duplicate content on different pages hurts a website’s ranking.
- Semantic core. Algorithms analyze keywords, their density, location, and relevance to the query.
- LSI semantics. Not only the keyword is important, but also the semantic context around it.
- Relevance to user intent. Content must match the purpose of the request — informational, commercial, or navigational.
- Text structure. Headings, subheadings, and logical division into blocks improve readability.
Additionally, literacy, volume, completeness of topic coverage, relevance of information, and regularity of updates are assessed. The primary criterion is user benefit.
Referential factors
Links remain an important trust signal for search engines.
Referential factors include:
- number of incoming links;
- authority of donor sites;
- quality and context of link placement;
- internal linking;
- dynamics of changes in link mass.
Search engines pay more attention to the quality of links than their quantity. Sudden fluctuations in link mass can lead to penalties.
Behavioral factors
Behavioral signals show how users interact with a website.
Key indicators:
- snippet CTR is the click-through rate of a page in search results;
- time on site – duration of visit;
- bounce rate is the percentage of users who leave a site without interacting with it.
When analyzing behavioral factors, it’s important to consider the resource format. For example, for landing pages, a high bounce rate isn’t always a negative sign.
Social factors
Social networks have an indirect impact on ranking.
The following are taken into account:
- transitions from social networks;
- number of likes, reposts and comments;
- the speed of audience response to publications.
Social activity increases brand awareness and can improve behavioral metrics.
Commercial ranking factors
Commercial parameters are especially important for service websites and online stores.
These include:
- availability of contact information and company data;
- convenience of the catalogue and navigation;
- quality of product cards;
- indication of prices and availability;
- variety of payment methods;
- ease of ordering.
Commercial factors reflect the convenience and reliability of a resource, and therefore play a key role in the e-commerce niche.
Google and Yandex ranking algorithms
Although Google and Yandex use similar principles, their priorities differ.
Yandex emphasizes content usefulness, website usability, and user behavior. It’s more sensitive to fraud and performs better with Russian-language queries.
Google first evaluates the overall health of a site: technical quality, security, link mass, and then the expertise of the content. Technical factors and external links are especially important to Google.
Algorithms are constantly updated, so the impact of factors may change depending on the niche and time.
Website ranking is a complex and dynamic process based on the analysis of hundreds of parameters. To achieve high rankings, a comprehensive approach is required: improving the site’s technical condition, creating useful content, building a link profile, and enhancing user experience.
A systematic approach allows you to consistently maintain your search engine rankings and receive targeted traffic.
