SEO myth-busting: What is NOT a Google search ranking factor

[djbaxter]

SEO myth-busting: What is not a Google search ranking factor
Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Land
Aug 6, 2020

While we know content and links are still important signals, there is always chatter about elements that Google has repeatedly stated don’t actually affect rankings.

Here are some of the signals that Google has said are not direct ranking signals in its Search algorithms:

• Search quality raters guidelines ratings (source)
• Google Ads (source)
• Social media mentions or likes (source)
• Click-through rates from search results (source)
• Pogosticking back to the search results page (source)
• Dwell time on a page (source)
• Bounce rates (source)
• User engagement data on your web pages (source)
• User behavior (source)
• Chrome data outside of core web vitals (source)
• Google Analytics data (source)
• Toolbar data (source)
• Traffic on a web site (source)
• Shopping cart abandonment (source)
• E-A-T (source)
• Responsive design (source)
• AMP (source)
• Content accuracy (source)
• Author bios (source)
• Structured data markup (source)
• Word count (source)
• Outbound links (source)
• Product prices (source)
• URL length (source)
• Accessibility (source)
• Stars, ratings and reviews (source)
• Better Business Bureau (source)
• Trust organizations and badges (source)
• Domain age (source)
• 3D & AR images (source)
• Email newsletter sign ups (source)
• Google+ 1s (source)
• Real life user signals (source)
• Higher page counts (source)
• Content frequency (source)
• Moz domain authority (source)

Read more...

 

[Eoghan_Aircam]

I think the reason why you haven't got many responses here is folks don't want to accept the truth!

As this is a LOCAL SEO forum, it's important to note the core organic blue link ranking algo isn't 100% aligned to the local ranking algo so they will have different signals/weighting (ie. reviews DEFINITELY have impact) but overall I agree with the notion to not get caught up in trying to track down the 200+ signals and attack all.

 

[Tim Kahlert]

Most of those headlines are confusing (and simply wrong if generalized) since the corresponding article does not say what the headline states. Especially the headlines about CTR, user behavior, dwell time, and user engagement are misleading. Also, some of them are 5+ years old. That´s literally 3,500 algorithm updates back.

 

[djbaxter]

Most of those headlines are confusing (and simply wrong if generalized) since the corresponding article does not say what the headline states. Especially the headlines about CTR, user behavior, dwell time, and user engagement are misleading. Also, some of them are 5+ years old. That´s literally 3,500 algorithm updates back.

And yet the myths persist, some for many years.