Google SEO Guidelines

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Definition

Imagine billions of users searching for information every day. To navigate this vast sea of queries, Google, the world’s leading search engine, relies on sophisticated algorithms.

But how can you ensure your website surfaces on Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP) when someone types in a relevant question?

Google crafted Search Engine Optimization (SEO) guidelines, detailing how they evaluate which pages are shown in search results. By understanding what Google finds valuable, you can optimize your content to connect with users searching for what you offer.

This is a win-win: users find the information they need, and your website gains valuable exposure on Google’s search results.

Quick Access

Guidelines For Search Engine Quality Raters

Google employs a vast and intricate algorithm to deliver search results. To ensure effectiveness, a global team of Quality Raters brings a human touch to the evaluation process. They assess search results to ensure they’re effective, aligning with the algorithm’s goals of delivering the best possible answers for users.

Quality Raters need to understand how the algorithm works. They have extensive training with a lot of content on all aspects of search engines.

While intended for Quality Raters, the guidelines hold valuable insights for everyone. Understanding how search engines work and what practices can benefit a website is very useful for any website owner, as they can apply these SEO strategies to their site.

Google Search Center Guidelines

The Google guidelines document is extensive and can be overwhelming for beginners. Thankfully, the Google Search Center (formerly Webmasters) platform provides thousands of resources to improve your website’s SEO.

These range from basic guidelines to more technical, advanced practices. Additionally, you can discover new updates to Google’s performance and explore SEO success stories, among other things.

Below are some of the best practices recommended in Google’s guidelines for reaching your target audience.

First Steps of SEO: Indexing

Google is like a massive library. However, instead of books, it stores web pages. Before diving into the world of SEO, ensure your website’s pages are indexed by Google.

Indexing is the process where search engines send out automated programs called “crawlers” to discover and analyze web pages. They read your website’s content, including text, titles, and images, to understand what your page is about. Once this analysis is complete, if deemed relevant, the page is added to the search engine’s index (library). The web page is discoverable through search queries.

Essentially, it is like having your book properly shelved in a library. If your website isn’t indexed, it’s invisible to search engines and potential visitors. Indexing is the first step for your website to rank in search results.

Website Architecture

How you structure your website, is key to a good SEO performance. A logical and intuitive hierarchy of a website benefits both the user and the search engine.

Descriptive URLs

The web address, or URL (Uniform Resource Locator), often gets relegated to a technical afterthought. But a well-crafted URL acts like a signpost, guiding both users and search engines to your content. Your website’s URLs should have easily identifiable names that represent the
subject of the page’s content.
Here is why:

For readers: Using words related to the page’s content makes it easier for users to read and get a general idea of what they will find. It also makes the URL more memorable.
For search engines: Similarly, search engines will have a clearer idea of the content of a page thanks to the URL.
For ranking: If search engines understand the type of content you are creating, they will identify your audience more effectively and rank you higher in relevant search results.

Group Pages By Topic

Organizing your website’s content effectively is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience (UX). One key aspect of this organization is grouping pages by topic.

Flat Architecture: A flat website architecture is characterized by a minimal number of clicks required to reach any page on the site. This structure is generally recommended for websites with limited content. It facilitates quick exploration for search engines and users.
Deep Architecture: Deep website architecture involves a hierarchical organization of pages into levels and sublevels. This structure can pose challenges for user navigation and search engine crawling, but it is good for websites with a lot of content and diverse topics.

Clear navigation tools like menus and breadcrumbs further enhance user experience. Google even generates breadcrumbs automatically, making site exploration a breeze. By embracing thematic organization and user-friendly navigation, you build a website that’s both informative and easy to navigate.

Reduce Duplicated Content

You may have content that is very similar or the same on different pages of your website. Whether due to technical errors or poor site architecture, making sure to remove it is essential for good SEO.

If Google detects that your content is duplicated, this can hurt your ranking. How can we spot it?

Manually checking for similar content on a small website might seem manageable. However, this method has its limitations. It is inefficient and human error is unavoidable. Also, hidden content or code might have duplicated content which is difficult to find.
Use Google to uncover replicated content. Copy and paste some of your content into Google and hit search. If you get different results for your website, that means that the content is on more than one page.
Some tools detect duplicate content on your site, such as SEMrush’s Site Audit Tool or Site Liner.

Content Is King

High-quality content is the cornerstone of attracting and retaining users, ultimately influencing your website’s search engine ranking.

Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients for crafting content that captivates users and search engines alike:

Original: Do not copy content from other sources. Invest time in researching your chosen topic thoroughly. Add your perspective and information to create something unique. Your text cannot be similar to others.
Relevant: Often, information can quickly become outdated. Take a blog post about the latest iPhone from 2016, for instance. It’s no longer relevant in today’s tech landscape. Regularly review and update your content to ensure it reflects the latest trends, information, and user interests.
Trustworthy: The reader should trust the information you are providing. Establish credibility by citing reliable and reputable sources, from experts within your field

Include relevant links

Including relevant links in your content offers a double benefit: it improves both SEO and user experience on your website.

Internal linking can help searchers discover more insightful information on your website. Strategic linking can increase traffic to your other pages, keeping users engaged for longer.
External links are useful for users looking to discover more about the topic. They demonstrate your commitment to providing a comprehensive user experience.

Both internal and external links offer valuable context to search engines. They can analyze the subject and better understand your website’s content and target audience.

When including links, keep in mind:

Relevancy: Do not overwhelm the reader with unnecessary or excessive links. Ensure they are necessary and complement the content of the page.
Anchor text: The clickable text (anchor text) associated with a link should be clear and concise, providing users with a glimpse of the content they’ll find on the linked page.
Sources: When linking to external sources, ensure they are trustworthy and provide accurate information.

Backlinking

Another type of link you may encounter is links from other websites that point to your site. These links are called backlinks and are a cornerstone of SEO. Google considers high-quality backlinks a sign of your website’s value and trustworthiness, ultimately influencing your search engine ranking. Not all backlinks are created equal. Here are some important things to consider, when evaluating a backlink:

Domain authority: Think of a website with a stellar reputation and reliable content. This website likely boasts a high domain authority. A backlink from such a powerhouse carries immense weight compared to one from a website with minimal traffic and questionable information. Earning backlinks from high-authority websites can be challenging, but highly rewarding.
Relevant topics: Backlinks need topical relevance to be truly valuable. Imagine you run a website dedicated to your restaurant’s culinary delights. A backlink from a food review website carries far more weight than one from a car enthusiast blog. Search engines prioritize backlinks that demonstrate a connection between your content and the linking website.
Dofollow Tag: Backlinks can be categorized as either “dofollow” or “nofollow.” Dofollow backlinks pass on “link juice,” a term used to describe the SEO value transferred through the link. Nofollow links don’t influence ranking through link juice. For those coveted high-quality backlinks, aim for the dofollow tag.

How do we secure these good-quality links?

Create exceptional quality: This is the cornerstone of inspiring users to link to your website. It’s akin to recommending a fantastic book to others – you do so because the book is engaging, informative, and leaves a lasting impression.
Contact authoritative websites: Identify reputable websites within your niche that boast high domain authority. Write compelling email outreach messages introducing yourself, highlighting your best content relevant to their audience, and suggesting potential collaboration opportunities.
Look for broken backlinks: If you find broken links on relevant websites within your niche, contact the webmaster. Suggest your high-quality content as a replacement. This “win-win” approach benefits both parties: you get a valuable backlink, and they improve their website by fixing the broken link.

These are some strategies to obtain backlinks, but it is important to remember: quality over quantity!

Your Website's Appearance in Google Search

How your website appears in Google search results is crucial. Here’s how to optimize your website’s meta titles and meta descriptions to grab user attention and encourage clicks:

Meta title

The webpage’s meta title (title tag) is the first thing users see on the SERP. Make it attractive and direct. To make effective titles:

Include the company name
Include the main keywords
Create a unique title for every page
Keep it short (less than 60 characters)
Avoid filler information.

Meta description

Found just below the title, the meta description offers more information about the page. It is not only necessary for SEO purposes, but also to persuade the users to click on your website. When writing a meta description, consider:

It should be between 150 and 160 characters in length. Descriptions exceeding this limit may be shortened by search engines, potentially cutting off essential information and reducing user appeal.
Make a distinct meta description for each webpage on your site. This ensures each page accurately reflects its content and targets relevant search queries.
Include key information about the page’s content. This could be a summary of the page’s topic, a list of featured products, or a description of the service offered.
Tailor a call to action (CTA) that aligns with the user’s intent. A relevant and persuasive CTA that encourages them to click.

Here is a good example of a meta title and description. You can see the company name and the keyword, SEO Glossary. Both have a correct length and set the right expectations for potential visitors.

Optimize Multimedia: Images and Videos

Do not overlook the importance of images and videos on your website. Some users find sites by searching in Google Images or clicking on videos. If the image or video quality is blurry or poor, who would be interested in seeing what else the website has to offer?

Images

Include an alt text, a short description including the main keyword, for each image. This helps users discover relevant pictures for their searches and Google understand the page’s content. Compress the image to reduce the weight, helping with loading speed. Optimally, reduce the image size enough, so the image loads quickly, but the quality is not affected.

Videos

The same strategies for images should be used for videos on your website. Additionally, write a title and short description. Keep it short and relevant, and include the main keywords.

Other SEO Recommendations

SEO is not an exact science. There are a lot of varying factors like user behavior and competitors that we cannot influence. While the core principles of SEO remain constant, here’s how to adapt your strategy for optimal results:

Avoid keyword stuffing. Although Keywords are important to include in your text, don’t overdo it. Your content has to be written by people for people. If it doesn’t seem natural, Google may penalize you for it.
There is no fixed amount of words to write. Focus on creating informative and engaging content. While in-depth content often performs well, shorter pieces can also be valuable depending on the user’s search intent.
The decision between subdomains and subdirectories hinges on your website’s structure and content organization. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Choose the best structure for your business.

Final Conclusions

As we have seen, several SEO techniques based on Google’s guidelines exist. However, the optimal application of these strategies is multifaceted. Knowing your target audience and specific goals is paramount for effective SEO implementation.

SEO is an ongoing process. Regularly review and refine your strategies. Ensure your website maintains its prime position in search results.

Relevant Links

This information is only a part of all the Google SEO Guidelines. Check out the summarized guide for beginners provided by Google.

Intrigued by the Quality Raters program? Understanding how Google evaluates search results is key. Here’s how it works.

If you want to go deeper, the official Google SEO Guidelines PDF provides an extensive guide on how its search engine works.

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