Google just came out with its list of 200 top-ranking factors, but you’re here to figure out which are the most important and what everyone else may have missed.
Here’s the boring stuff – in case you’re new to SEO
Skip on down below to get to what you’re really here for
Well whether you’re a business, a marketing professional or just an average enthusiast trying to get the word on your latest hobby, everybody wants to be the big fish. That being said Google is a big pond and competing for top spot on the world’s most dominant search engine is no easy feat. The engine has over 8.5 billion searches per day—meaning whoever ranks at the top of search results has a direct impact on brand visibility, website traffic, and revenue.
Google Ranking Factors directly affect SEO strategies, if the rankings aren’t taken into account the SEO performance will be poor. The two have a symbiotic relationship, relying on and adapting to each other as Google updates its ranking criteria.
Google’s algorithm for ranking has changed significantly, favouring content that provides real value, meets user intent and offers a great user experience. If your content doesn’t reflect that you may find yourself falling behind in the search results, reducing visibility and potential customers to your competitors.
So in order to stay ahead, we will have a look at the top 5 well-established Google ranking factors and introduce four newly identified ranking signals that will shape SEO in 2025.
The Constant Google Ranking Factors (That We Keep On Hearing About)
1. High-Quality Content
Anyone in the field of Marketing may have heard the notion “Content is King”, and that’s true for Google as well. The Search Engine has always emphasised the importance of having quality content. In today’s modern world the E-E-A-T Framework helps determine whether your content is worthy of being ranked number one.
With the rise of AI-generated content, industries such as health, finance, and law require expert-backed information to rank effectively.
To stay competitive, your businesses, no matter the industry, should focus on creating long-form, well-structured content that fully satisfies user queries. You should also ensure that your content is unique and not easily replicated in order to rank well.
2. Backlinks
Google’s view on backlinks has recently preferred reputable, industry-specific sources over high volumes of low-quality or irrelevant links. Having high-quality backlinks is like having a vote of confidence that your content is in fact the best available, leading them to choose you over your competitors.
Google also now scrutinises unnatural link-building tactics, penalising those who rely on spammy link networks. So if you want to improve your page’s searchability, focus on earning backlinks through high-quality content, industry partnerships, and PR campaigns.
3. Search Intent Matters
Google’s recent AI integration can now read into intent and prioritises that over keyword matching. In other words, simply using relevant keywords isn’t enough and any content you generate must deliver exactly what searches expect to have answered.
There are four main types of search intent:
- Informational – Users are looking for answers or knowledge
- Navigational – Users are searching for a specific website or brand
- Transactional – Users intend to make a purchase
- Commercial – Users compare options before deciding
Matching content with the right search intent leads to better rankings and improved engagement, as users need to find exactly what they queried.
4. Website load speed
A website that takes a while to load isn’t just frustrating for users, but also harmful to your business. Google’s Core Web Vitals measure how quickly pages load and how smoothly they interact with users. The truth of the matter is if your webpage takes more than a few seconds to load people will just click off and move to a different source to get their questions answered. More often than not this means a big hit to potential sales as well as dampening your business’s long-term growth.
The key speed-related ranking factors are,
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – How fast the largest visible content loads (should be under 2.5 seconds).
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – Stability of page elements (minimising unexpected shifts).
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP) – Measures how responsive a website is to user interactions.
It is also important to note that since 2019 Google has prioritised mobile search and as such it is of the utmost importance that your website is responsive and optimised for multiple screen sizes.
5. Keywords, Keywords, Keywords
While keyword stuffing much like backlink spamming is a thing of the past, using keywords is still important. The keywords searched for by the user should align with the content mentioned on your page.
Some key ways to optimise this include,
- Title Tags – Including the target keyword at the start of the SEO title tag helps Google understand the page’s focus immediately.
- Image Alt Text – Since Google cannot “see” images, adding keywords in image alt text provides context about what the image represents. This also improves the page’s accessibility for differently abled individuals.
- Meta Descriptions – Writing compelling, click-worthy meta descriptions and including the focus keyword encourages users to engage.
Google analyses content contextually and as such the search engine understands the meaning of synonyms and related terms, and no longer relies on exact-match keywords.
Now For The Good Stuff Not Everyone Knows
So, what exactly are the “hidden” ranking signals of SEO optimisation in 2025 that you can use to get ahead of the competition?
Consensus Scoring
When surfing the web, credibility is a huge factor when it comes to what consumers want. Google knowing this has made evaluating whether your content aligns with widely accepted facts a priority and aims to punish websites that state misleading or contradictory information.
However, it is important to note that if the subject of the query is subjective, Google intentionally displays a mix of sources that either agree, disagree or remain neutral as it pertains to the subject matter.
Query Classification
Google has categorised its search queries into eight classifications and ranks content differently based on query type. These include,
- Consequence: Content that explains the potential outcome of an action
- Comparison: Comparison or evaluation of different options
- Instruction: Step-by-step guides or how-to videos with instructional queries
- Short Fact: Google usually displays featured snippets for quick, direct answers
- Bool (Yes/No): When users want a confirmation or denial
- Definition: When users search for the meaning of a word or concept
- Reason: Content that explains causes and provides solutions
- Other: Queries that require flexible content formats that cover multiple aspects of the topic.
Formatting content to match query classification using FAQs, structured data, and lists can improve visibility in People Also Ask (PAA) and featured snippets.
Site Quality Scores
Google assigns a hidden quality score to websites, which influences their ranking potential. Factors that contribute to higher site quality scores include:
- Brand mentions across the web.
- Positive user engagement metrics (CTR, time on page, and bounce rate).
- Strong backlink profiles with relevant sources.
Sites with low-quality scores may be ineligible for featured snippets, top rankings, and People Also Ask results, which translates to even lower clicks and search traffic.
Click Probability Models
Instead of just tracking click-through rates (CTR), Google can now predict which search results users are most likely to click based on historical patterns.
If your search result consistently underperforms in clicks, Google may reduce your visibility in rankings. But this can be avoided by writing compelling, emotionally driven meta titles and descriptions that can increase click probability and improve rankings over time.
Staying Ahead In 2025
Google’s ranking factors are continuously evolving, and SEO professionals, businesses, and content creators must adapt their strategies to stay ahead.
To maintain a competitive edge, businesses need to focus on credibility, user engagement, and structured content strategies. As Google’s AI-driven search algorithm becomes more sophisticated, simply following outdated SEO tactics is no longer enough. This means that success in 2025 requires understanding and implementing ranking factors that enhance both user experience and search engine visibility.
If you want to dominate search results, now is the time to refine your content strategy, optimise your site for engagement, and ensure your brand is seen as an authoritative and trustworthy source in this increasingly competitive digital landscape.