As SEOs, we often come across the weirdest things ranking in the SERPs:
Why is Reddit ranking for a purely commercial keyword that usually returns ecommerce URLs?
Why is The Verge ranking high with a spammy, sarcastic and seemingly AI-generated article stuffed with keywords like “best printer 2024”?
The Verge article was doing well when it was first published in April 2024 but started dropping in rank by mid-May. It’s still a high ranking that boggles me , but at least now we know it’s not worthy of a top 10 spot (or do we?).
People often have outdated ideas about how Google ranks pages. We stick to old methods because they’re familiar, even though we don’t fully understand how Google’s current system works.
For instance, we still emphasize keywords as a key factor for ranking. But do they really matter as much as we think? And if they don’t, what should we focus on instead?
‘Best printer 2024’: What’s ranking?
Before we discuss what actually impacts rankings, let’s analyze the content types of the top 10 results and look at the keyword density for “best printer 2024.”
Analyzing the type of results
The type of results is interesting. There are three UGC URLs in the top 10.
Then, the other type of result is publishers ranking with listicles. No ecommerce stores in the result, including big names like Amazon.
Analyzing the number of keyword occurrences on a page
Some URLs have only one mention of “best printer” on the page, and eight results have less than five mentions of the keyword.
The Verge – which is now in Position 17 – has six mentions. It’s not a number game anymore.
What does that mean for us?
This is just one example. But this is enough to prove that more keywords on a page don’t necessarily mean anything or that keywords aren’t a strong ranking signal.
All pages had at least one occurrence of the keyword “best printer,” and it seems there’s no direct correlation between the number of times a keyword is listed on a page and its rankings.
The focus on keywords is just something we inherited from SEO in the old days before entities came to the scene.
If you’re surprised that Google ranks a URL you think shouldn’t be on Page 1, it might be because our understanding of ranking is outdated.
Why is this ranking on Google?
Here are some reasons, or call them ranking signals if you’d like, that I believe are inherently more important than keywords for rankings.
1. Authority
Google favors established brands. Whether we like it or not, well-known brands have a better chance of ranking higher in search results than lesser-known websites.
Here are things that are often associated with authoritative well-branded websites in SERPs:
Brands people know because this means users are more likely to click and trust their URLs when they see them in SERPs. Better branding simply means better CTR.
Naturally cited/linked to websites from other websites in relevant contexts. Yes, backlinks still matter.
Websites with social media presence.
Websites that have been recognized as entities in SERPs and have their own knowledge panel.
Secure websites with clear purpose and transparent editorial policies, shipping and return policies, good legal and privacy pages and information about their team and who wrote/reviewed the content. Remember that EEAT importance varies depending on the niche, but applying best practices is always good.
Takeaway
Brand matters, and SEO is no longer a standalone marketing channel. As SEOs, we need to work with other marketing functions to find opportunities to build a strong brand in SERPs.
Dig deeper: Top 10 SEO benefits of building a brand that people trust
2. User behavior
Some in the SEO community resist focusing on user behavior because there aren’t clear tactics for improving it.
It often feels easier to stick with familiar tactics, even if they no longer work, rather than explore new, uncertain approaches.
We now know that Google uses “user interaction” data in their rankings, as stated in this Google document from the antitrust trial: “This dialogue is the source of magic.”
We also know from the Google Data Warehouse API leaks that Google collects data about “goodClicks,” “badClicks,” “lastLongestClicks,” etc.
The DOJ testimony also references to:
NavBoost, which is one of the core systems signals that refers to user behavior in search results.
Glue which refers to user behavior on the page itself (the URL that’s ranking in SERPs).
Both are important factors in narrowing down the results to several hundred URLs that will be passed on to the next phase in ranking (which includes machine learning).
We also know from the leaks that Google uses Chrome browser clickstreams to power Google Search.
For example, this can impact what URLs Google chooses to show in site links in search results.
Takeaway
All these point to the same conclusion: user behavior matters a lot more than we are giving it weight right now.
As SEOs, we should analyze user behavior on a page using tools like Hotjar and Lucky Orange. These tools help us understand how users interact with the page.
These insights allow us to test ideas to improve user experience and boost rankings. Additionally, testing click-through rates (CTR) is also crucial for SEO.
3. Machine learning
The best way to explain this is using a 2013 Facebook study.
“A study by Cambridge University in collaboration with Microsoft found that by using the Like data, which is available publicly by default, they could make accurate predictions about personal attributes – the most surprising being an apparent link between Liking “Curly Fries” and having a high IQ”
– “Liking curly fries on Facebook reveals your high IQ,” WIRED
How does that make any sense? It does not. This is a pattern that the machine identified.
For some reason, people with higher IQs have liked photos of “curly fries” on Facebook, and a machine learning algorithm picked that pattern.
Same in search, there has to be some patterns identified by machine learning that may not make sense to us, but make sense from a machine standpoint.
For example, if a page has blue buttons, users might like the page more. (This is just an example to explain the idea; it is not based on actual research.)
Takeaway
There’s little we can do in this “man against the machine” war, but it’s worth analyzing, looking at pages and trying to find patterns.
While I don’t see a lot of practical tips for us here as SEOs, I see an explanation for why some things rank.
4. User intent
User intent is arguably the most important ranking signal, at least when it comes to signals we can control.
Recently, I’ve noticed that Reddit and blogs often appear in the SERPs. They rank for what we thought to be a purely commercial/transactional keyword.
Here’s an example of a New York Times article ranking in Position 5 for the keyword “school bags”:
Takeaway
Analyze search intent and make sure your pages cover different intents.
If there are blogs in the SERPs you’re targeting, your content should include more information, even if it’s a product category page.
You can create a supporting blog without the fear of cannibalization because that’s what users are looking for.
If there is user-generated content (UGC) in the results, you may want to have reviews on your pages or enable comments for blogs, for example. There’s no one established way to go about this.
My advice? Keep testing.
Dig deeper: How to optimize for search intent: 19 practical tips
5. Bugs and tests
Many factors come into play when something ranks on Google. Sometimes, it’s just a bug from their side, and they will fix it.
For example, Google recently confirmed a search ranking bug on Aug. 16 and confirmed it was resolved on Aug. 20.
The Verge article ranked high at first, but its position dropped after less than two months.
This shows that a high ranking doesn’t always mean it’s permanent; Google might be testing the URL and gathering user data before making a final decision.
Takeaway
As SEOs, we should not jump to conclusions when we see movement. We should be patient and monitor before reaching a verdict or a ranking theory.
Decoding Google’s unexpected search results
What I want to say is that there’s more to SEO than meets the eye.
Things are changing, and SEO today is way more than keywords and traditional tactics.
We need to be open to more creative approaches; times in search have changed, and we need to do the same. Let’s embrace an era of “new SEO.”
