Interesting ranking factors

There are the main ranking signals like links, linking domains, etc. However, there are also other ranking factors which can affect your ranking. Here we look at the some of them:

Click through rates

While there is no direct confirmation from anyone at Google, tests show that click through rates does impact search rankings. However, there are two sides to this. When a user clicks on your link in the search results, it sends a positive signal about your content. On the other hand, if the user finds your site and content unsatisfactory and hits the back button, that can work against your ranking and any satisfaction metric Google uses. Logic would dictate that for two pages that have almost identical ranking scores, click-through-rates could make all the difference.

Hidden content

We classify hidden content as any content that is not visible for the purpose of modifying the display. A good example of that would be the mobile interface menu which only appears below certain resolutions. Avoid cramming this content with keywords, but make sure to keep the text that is hidden descriptive. The debut of the mobile-first index will give the hidden text added importance.

Time on site

Although Google does not use the bounce rate as a ranking factor. Just as it does with the click through rates, the time spent on site is another indication of visitor satisfaction. The better the content, the longer a person will stay. Also, longer form content tends to keep users on site longer.