Eyes here! Google has recently released their new algorithm updates for March 2022 and it’s directed at product reviews.
Paying attention to Google’s algorithm updates will help you increase your chances of success. Yes, it’s that important! You should ask the 90% of the world’s population who use Google Search.
Find out the latest updates on Google’s algorithm and how they can affect your business.
But first, let’s define Google Algorithm.
What is Google Algorithm?
Google uses its algorithm known as PageRank (PR) to rank web pages in their search engine results. In simpler terms, they use it to measure how important a website page is. Larry Page, Google co-founder, has created a complex set of guidelines that filters through a web page’s content in order to provide each user with relevant results.
Page and Sergey Brin coded PageRank in 1997 as part of their research project at Stanford University. Since then, Google has updated the algorithm which constantly changes the way Google search works. It has impacted both site owners and users.
Facts About Google Algorithm
Before heading on to Google Algorithm’s newest updates, let’s look at some important facts you need to know about Google Algorithm.
1. Google Search constantly evolves and improves but their approach remains the same. These are:
a. To deliver the most relevant and reliable information to users
b. To maximize information access for all
c. To present information in the most useful way possible
d. To protect user privacy
e. To sell ads
f. And to help creators succeed online
2. Google Search continuously maps the web and other sources in order to connect users to the most relevant and reliable information.
a. Google’s Search index is the world’s largest digital library. Everyday, new information and data is being added to it and updated.
b. Google’s Search can sort and organize hundreds of billions of webpages in order to show the most relevant and useful information that matches your search.
c. Google Search consistently experiments and rigorously tests changes in order to improve their algorithm.
d. Google Search detects threats trying to pose as highly-relevant content to keep you safe by keeping them out of the top results.
3. Google Search provides various ways of presenting useful information for all users.
a. Google’s Knowledge Graph is a database that provides more than 500 billion facts on people, places, and things.
b. Google’s Directions and traffic contains maps with the best routes to help users get where they want to go and locate local businesses more conveniently.
c. Google partners with specialized information providers to provide the latest information on current weather forecasts, sports scores, movie showtimes, stock quotes, and many more!
d. Google has Featured Snippets which highlights the most helpful part in a content. This helps users find the information they’re looking for right away.
e. Google has content filters and supervision which allows the use of control over Google Search so that parents can monitor what their kids search on Google.
f. Google has a Discover feature which is a personalized feed that helps users explore content tailored to their interests. You can either see more or less of a particular topic according to your preference.
4. Google keeps your personal information private and secure.
What are the Google Algorithm Ranking Factors for 2022?
These are the ranking factors for the 2022 Google Algorithm:
1. Consistent Publication of Engaging Content
Google tests newly-published content to see if it responds well to the search intent of keywords. If the page’s content satisfies the users’ intent, Google then promotes the site.
2. Keywords in Meta Title Tags
The placement and concentration of keywords within a title tag are crucial to ranking. Other than your targeted keyword, add articles and adjectives around it for readability.
3. Backlinks
This has not been as important to ranking as of late. Despite it still being a major factor in Google’s decision where to rank websites in its search results, quality content should be prioritized.
4. Niche Expertise
Google favors websites that they perceive as niche experts. Sites considered as niche experts have greater authoritative pages than other sites that are not experts.
5. User Engagement
In the last five years, Google’s algorithm changes have been focusing on the importance of User Engagement. This includes bounce rate, time on page, and pages per session. All indicates whether the content is quality or not.
6. Internal Links
These are the secret weapon for ranking a site with a great concentration of pages with the same keyword in their title tags. As long as they’re all connected by internal links, expect a higher rank for that.
7. Mobile-Friendly / Mobile-First Website
Most users are on their mobile phones and tablets that’s why a mobile-friendly website would rank higher compared to those sites with complicated mobile layouts.
8. Page Speed
Google values user experience above all else, thus a website’s page speed plays a huge role in ranking pages. Your page should load as quickly as possible, no longer than 3 seconds, in order to rank for this factor.
9. Site Security / SSL Certificate
Secure your website with an SSL certificate. It’s totally free and can be obtained quite easily. This will help protect you and your searchers from online threats.
10. Schema Markup / Structured Data
This refers to a code that can be added to your website’s pages to help Google serve more visual search results such as snippets.
11. Keywords in URL
Putting your target keyword in the page’s URL is still considered as one of SEO’s best practices.
12. Keywords in Header Tags
Be consistent in adding your target keyword in a page’s H1, H2, and H3 tags.
13. Keywords in Meta Description Tags
Include your target keyword in the meta description of the page also.
14. Other Factors
There are a whole lot more other factors that could make a difference to a site’s ranking ability. This includes off site mentions of your business, anchor text, and keyword density.
What are the Updates to Google's Algorithm in 2022?
Google’s recent Algorithm update centers around content. This month, it highlights product reviews. Google designed this to help ensure that the reviews searchers get are from people who have expert knowledge and first-hand experience about the products.
This means that templated reviews are out of the picture. Google now considers them as something that will not interest the searchers. In order for a review to be considered by Google as authentic, here are the criteria:
a. It must include both the benefits of the product and its drawbacks when compared to its previous version.
b. Evidence of reviewers who have personally used the product. Show and tell what the product looks like and how to use it.
c. Additional information about the product that the reviewer has perceived other than the info that’s already provided by the manufacturer
d. Compare the product to other products and explain what makes it stand out from the rest.
Now, let’s go through the significant Google Algorithm updates this year so far.
Consistent Publication of Engaging Content
stays on top carrying 26% of the weighted importance in Google’s algorithm. Google highly favors websites with high quality information being published regularly.
What this means for you:
Consider writing blogs and articles and posting it to your site every week. Don’t forget to include targeted keywords and placing them within the blog post following SEO’s best practices.
Keywords in Meta Titles
remain the 2nd ranking factor in Google’s algorithm despite decreasing from 22% to 17%. This means that choosing the correct keywords for the pages of your website is still critical to ranking.
What this means for you:
Make sure to include your targeted keywords in the Meta Titles of all your webpages. Choosing the correct keywords is vital for ranking.
Backlinks
Backlinks‘ weight of importance slightly dropped from 16% to 15% but still remains the 3rd ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. Google still considers backlinks as a major factor in ranking sites but what bags the prize is still the quality of content.
What this means for you:
Work on your content while building backlinks to relevant niches. It will attract link organically that way.
Niche Expertise
increased significantly in its importance in Google’s algorithm. Google favors and ranks to the top those websites that they see as niche experts.
What this means for you:
Build high-level pages that target major keywords and link them to a cluster of other pages targeting related keywords. This, however, will take time but the results are worth it!
User Engagement
became the 5th most important factor in Google’s algorithm in 2022 but increased its importance from 5% to 11%. This means that creating the most satisfying experience for users based on the intent of their searches will be favored most by Google and cause them to rank on top of SERPs.
What this means for you:
Consider your users bounce rate, time on page, and pages per session and adjust your strategy according to the data gathered. The more user-friendly your website is, especially on mobile phones, the better the ranking.
Conclusion
Google Algorithm’s top 5 ranking factors for 2022 are Consistent publication of engaging content, keywords in meta title tags, backlinks, expert niches, and user engagement.
Publishing high quality and engaging content 1-2 times per week will give your site the boost it needs for ranking.
Organize and optimize your SEO efforts accordingly in order to hit the ranking factors right.
Need a team of SEO experts to help you optimize your website for better ranking and higher traffic? Schedule a discovery call with us and we’ll give you a free website audit!
Bea Manzano
Bea have always been passionate about writing even at a young age. What started out as a hobby soon became her career. She has written blogs and articles for different industries such as Real Estate, Lumber Companies, Home Decors, Cat Hotels, Travel Industry, and many more. When she's not writing, you can find her either at home watching her favorite TV series while sipping milk tea or outdoors going on roadtrips with her family.
