What Does Google Want From Me?

If you’re a business owner or manager, this question may have popped into your head several times as you navigate through digital marketing and getting your company found online. Digital marketing is dominated by Google in many areas, especially search, which is the cornerstone of getting your brand noticed online. This means that you need to figure out what it is Google wants from you and work to consistently deliver that to stay on top.

In the past, you simply needed to use the right keywords and have a great website to get indexed by Google and served high in search rankings. As of 2023, Google has over 200 search criteria that it uses to assign authority to your pages, which ultimately determines where they are ranked in search results. To make matters even more complicated, you can rank in the regular search results, Maps, videos, images and more. This makes getting it right much more complex.

The core of what Google wants from you is to consistently create informative and engaging content that satisfies the needs of your audience, providing an excellent customer experience. Google wants to ensure that when a user types in a search query, they get the best possible options and information, so they are satisfied. Google uses your information to make their customers happy, so they rely heavily on an algorithm to determine what content and websites are the best.

The Google algorithm is constantly changing to include new aspects and adjusted criteria so they can provide the best user experience possible. The criteria used currently to assess what makes the best content, pages and websites are extensive, but some of the most important include:

• Tagging

• Keyword Usage

• Content Length & Helpfulness

• Page Load Speed

• Consistent Publishing Of Quality Content

• Mobile Optimization

• Site Usability

• Backlinks

• Click Through Rate

• Bounce Rate

• Time Spent On Site

• Localization

• Social Media Presence

*A full list of Google ranking factors can be found here from Backlink.io.

Essentially, Google wants you to create a great website that provides your users with the right information to meet their needs. They want you to have a consistent presence across the digital landscape and to be deemed an authority in your particular area. There are numerous details to address to get there in Google’s view, but this is the core of what it takes to rank high in search results, thus being found online by many potential customers.

Though we have simplified the overarching goal you need to achieve to rank well within the Google platforms, getting there is often not so simple. It requires training, knowledge and a lot of time put in each day, week and month to maintain high search rankings. This is the key reason that most businesses choose to hire an SEO company to provide them with expertise. An SEO company can take care of the highly technical aspects of SEO for you and provide expert advice on how you and your team can support their efforts. They can be a minimal support, or you can hand over the entire task to the SEO team and watch your rankings soar without having to do much!

If you need more information on how to get your business ranking high so your potential clients can find you, please reach out today!