Local SEO Ranking Factors In 2024

Undoubtedly now more than ever before, local results are being influenced by real-world data. This interactivity is how searchers interact with and respond to local businesses, rather than purely static (and game-able) information like links and citations. SEO Anomaly SEO best practices also apply to local SEO, since Google also considers a website’s position in organic search results when determining local ranking. A search engine like Google has its own proprietary index of local business listings, from which it creates local search results. All those can play a role in how well a page performs in search, but the focus should be on the users who will be reading the content.

Core Web Vitals Effect on Income and Traffic

One final aspect that you shouldn’t forget about is your business listings. Make sure these are accurate on your Google Business Profile and other websites that are relevant to your business. The reason that so many (big) companies heavily invest in SEO is the high impact that it can have when done right.

• Crawling is the discovery process in which search engines send out a team of robots (known as crawlers or spiders) to find new and updated content.
• You can fix this issue by securing an SSL certificate for your site.
• The more established a brand appears online, the more likely it is that search engines will increase their search visibility.
• Identify opportunities within these features to increase your click-through rates.

If you’re curious to learn more about Google and its impact on SEO, check out our timeline of Google algorithm updates. So, make managing your local listings an integral part of your local SEO strategy. It’s about ensuring that your digital footprint accurately mirrors your real-world business operations.

This, in turn, increases the likelihood of your business featuring prominently in the local pack, improving its visibility for those using search location functions. While search engines use hundreds of ranking factors, some carry more weight than others. By focusing on the most influential factors, you can allocate your resources efficiently and create a targeted SEO plan that delivers results. By focusing on enhancing the overall user experience, websites can improve these UX signals, positively impacting their SEO performance and, ultimately, their visibility in search results. Understanding and catering to these intents can significantly boost your content’s relevance and value in the eyes of both users and search engines.

We try to show you the kind of nearby restaurant that you’d like to visit. In our research, we’ve found a correlation between Perplexity’s and Google’s rankings. It’s worth mentioning that Perplexity uses its crawler (PerplexityBot) and other unnamed third-party crawlers to generate its search results.

Improve your on-page SEO

With the introduction of mobile-first indexing, Google underscores the significance of mobile-friendly web design. Website owners should prioritize delivering a seamless and consistent experience across devices to cater to the diverse ways users access their content. It’s essential to understand that mobile-first doesn’t mean mobile-only. Google still indexes desktop sites, and there’s no separate “mobile-first index” distinct from the main index. Instead, the shift means that Google views the mobile version as the primary version of the site.

The 40 Most Important SEO Ranking Factors for Google

As we wrap up our exploration of the top SEO ranking factors for 2025, it’s clear that all these SEO ranking factors play a crucial role in determining your online visibility and success. The goal of ensuring your website is mobile-friendly should not be limited to ranking well in search engines. Mobile friendliness is also about making the website more flexible and accessible, to provide a positive user experience, reach a wider audience, and keep visitors engaged to reduce bounce rates. Recognizing and catering to the search intent behind target keywords is fundamental to connecting with your audience and enhancing your website’s visibility and relevance. Search intent refers to the reason why someone conducts a specific search. Understanding this intent can significantly impact your content strategy, keyword selection, and ultimately, your SEO success.

Google looks at over 200 factors to decide where a webpage appears in search results. Users often understand higher-ranking pages as more authoritative and reliable sources of information. The purpose of Core Web Vitals is to measure how good (or bad) is the experience for users on the webpage. It even became a stronger signal in 2016 when Google rolled out another update that put more emphasis on mobile optimization. Furthermore, including keywords unnaturally into your pages may lead to keyword stuffing. On the other hand, Google does use a specific algorithm as a signal that determines the relative importance of the web page in Google Search – PageRank.

A well-structured site can improve time on page and increase conversion rates. Establish a routine for checking keyword positions, such as weekly or monthly. This practice allows you to spot trends or shifts in performance, helping you adjust your strategies accordingly. Additionally, historical ranking data can reveal patterns that inform future keyword research and optimization efforts.