SEO is always changing, so it’s advisable to keep up with the latest trends. For 2018, here are some important factors that influence ranking:
Bounce rate
A rank-1 site’s bounce rate is generally 8.7% lower than a rank-10 site’s bounce rate. A low bounce rate means people are staying on the site longer.
Backlink profile
Sites with higher ranking have almost six times more backlinks compared to sites with a lower ranking. More backlinks imply the site is seen as an authority within its niche.
Click-through rate
Higher CTR translates to higher rankings. A good CTR is proof that a site’s ads are relevant and helpful.
Content quality
Google favors long-form content (think almost 2000 words) over shorter articles. Informative content without the fluff wins over keyword stuffing, an old and outdated SEO tactic.
Page speed
Top-ranking sites have an average speed of 1900 ms, which is 17% faster than other sites. People tend to abandon slow sites, resulting in a higher bounce rate.
Photo usage
Websites on the first page of results have at least one image featured on their page. Visual appeal attracts and retains more visitors.
SSL security
Around 27% of the top 10 search results use HTTP Secure (HTTPS). Security matters to people and search engines.
Who knows what 2019 will bring, but for now, paying attention to these influencing factors will keep your site competitive.
Thanks to our friends at seotribunal.com for this interesting infographic on SEO Stats in 2018!
Additional Resources:
- Authority Hacker – Analyzing 1.1 million SERP results for SEO Trends
