The Complete List of Google’s 200 Ranking Factors

A complete breakdown of Google’s 200 ranking factors every SEO expert should know. Viet SEO prioritizes them by importance and explains each in simple terms — helping you focus on what really matters.

Updated 2025 – Compiled & analyzed by [Viet SEO]

Introduction: Why Are Google’s 200 Ranking Factors Important for SEO?

Google is the most popular search engine in the world — and the “gatekeeper” of billions of search queries every day. According to VietSEO agency, to decide which pages show up first when a user types in a query, Google relies on more than 200 different ranking factors in its algorithm.

Understanding these ranking signals is a foundational step in any effective SEO Google strategy. But do you really need to optimize for all 200? Not necessarily. Some factors have a major impact on search performance, while others act more as supporting signals.

The goal of this guide is to help you understand each factor — from the most critical to the least impactful — so you can focus on what truly matters, save time, and maximize your SEO Google efforts for long-term success.

Let’s dive in! 👇

The Ranking Table of 200 Factors Used by Google to Evaluate and Rank Websites

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 1–20 (Core and Most Important)

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
1	Content quality	★★★★★	Original, in-depth, and useful content for users.
2	Backlinks from authoritative websites	★★★★★	Links from high-authority domains boost credibility.
3	Search intent match	★★★★★	Content aligns with what users are actually looking for.
4	Page load speed (especially mobile)	★★★★★	Faster pages improve user experience and rankings.
5	HTTPS – SSL security	★★★★☆	Secure sites are prioritized by Google.
6	Optimized title tag	★★★★☆	Including main keywords in the title helps Google understand content.
7	Backlinks from multiple domains	★★★★☆	Links from different referring domains signal trustworthiness.
8	User experience (UX)	★★★★☆	Google evaluates how users interact with your site.
9	Image optimization (Alt, size...)	★★★★☆	Lightweight, well-tagged images help with SEO and accessibility.
10	Internal linking structure	★★★★☆	Helps Google crawl and understand your site better.
11	Natural click-through rate (CTR)	★★★★☆	Higher CTRs signal relevance and improve rankings.
12	Freshness & content updates	★★★★☆	Updated content stays relevant and gains favor with Google.
13	Optimized headings (H1, H2…)	★★★★☆	Organizing with proper headings improves readability and structure.
14	Short, keyword-rich URLs	★★★★☆	Clear URLs improve relevance and user trust.
15	Bounce rate	★★★☆☆	High bounce rates may suggest poor content quality.
16	Exact match domain (EMD)	★★★☆☆	Still helps somewhat, but no longer a major factor.
17	Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS)	★★★☆☆	Measures site performance and user experience metrics.
18	Schema Markup	★★★☆☆	Enhances how Google displays your content in search.
19	Total number of backlinks	★★★☆☆	Still relevant, though quality matters more than quantity.
20	Outbound links to authoritative sources	★★★☆☆	Citing trustworthy sources increases your content’s credibility.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 21–40

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
21	Keyword in the opening paragraph	★★★★☆	Confirms the main topic of the content early.
22	Topic relevance across site	★★★★☆	Websites with related content clusters are ranked higher.
23	Presence on authoritative sites	★★★★☆	Mentions on Wikipedia, major publications, etc.
24	Organic traffic volume	★★★★☆	High organic traffic reflects credibility.
25	Average time on page	★★★★☆	Longer user sessions signal engaging content.
26	Mobile-friendly design	★★★★☆	Mobile-first indexing gives priority to responsive sites.
27	Expertise (E in E-E-A-T)	★★★★☆	Demonstrated through author bio and depth of content.
28	Trustworthiness (T in E-E-A-T)	★★★★☆	Privacy policy, contact info, and transparency.
29	Clear content structure (bullets, sections…)	★★★★☆	Well-organized content improves readability and SEO.
30	Long-form content (when relevant)	★★★★☆	Comprehensive articles cover more search intent.
31	Image SEO (filename, alt text, format)	★★★☆☆	Proper image optimization improves visibility in image search.
32	XML Sitemap	★★★☆☆	Helps Google crawl and index your site efficiently.
33	Proper robots.txt file	★★★☆☆	Controls crawler access to content.
34	No 404 errors	★★★☆☆	Broken pages harm user experience and SEO.
35	Breadcrumb navigation	★★★☆☆	Helps with internal linking and Google understanding site hierarchy.
36	Article schema markup	★★★☆☆	Enables enhanced search results (rich snippets).
37	Domain age	★★★☆☆	Older domains tend to be more trusted.
38	Domain history (ownership, penalties)	★★★☆☆	Past spam or penalties may still impact SEO.
39	Internationalization (multilingual setup)	★★★☆☆	Using hreflang properly improves global visibility.
40	No duplicate content	★★★☆☆	Google penalizes copied or highly similar content.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 41–60

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
41	Keyword in meta description	★★★☆☆	Doesn’t affect ranking directly, but improves CTR.
42	No hidden content	★★★☆☆	Hidden elements may be flagged as cloaking.
43	Easy-to-read layout	★★★☆☆	Clean fonts and spacing improve user engagement.
44	Use of LSI keywords	★★★☆☆	Helps Google better understand content context.
45	Rich media (images, videos, etc.)	★★★☆☆	Boosts engagement and time on site.
46	Internal linking to pillar content	★★★☆☆	Strengthens authority of main pages.
47	Social shares	★★★☆☆	Not a direct signal, but reflects content value.
48	Number of comments/engagements	★★★☆☆	Shows active audience and interest.
49	Server response time	★★★☆☆	Faster servers contribute to better UX and SEO.
50	Google News approval (for news sites)	★★★☆☆	Increases visibility on Google News and Discover.
51	AMP usage	★★☆☆☆	Less critical now, but still useful in some cases.
52	No broken external/internal links	★★☆☆☆	Broken links reduce trust and crawl efficiency.
53	Keywords in internal anchor text	★★☆☆☆	Helps Google understand page relationships.
54	Keyword in subdomain	★★☆☆☆	Minor boost if relevant.
55	Frequent content updates	★★☆☆☆	Regular updates signal freshness.
56	List-style articles (listicles)	★★☆☆☆	Readers prefer lists → higher dwell time.
57	Print-friendly formatting	★★☆☆☆	Not directly SEO-related, but boosts UX in some niches.
58	Detailed contact page	★★☆☆☆	Transparency builds trust with Google.
59	Clear about page	★★☆☆☆	Helps confirm the legitimacy of the author or site.
60	Privacy policy & terms of service	★★☆☆☆	Especially important for YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) pages.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 61–80

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
61	Accessibility (for users with disabilities)	★★☆☆☆	Inclusive design improves usability and may impact SEO.
62	Avoid intrusive pop-ups	★★☆☆☆	Pop-ups hurt mobile UX and may lower rankings.
63	Product schema markup	★★☆☆☆	Enables product rich snippets (price, reviews…).
64	Internal links to low-performing pages	★★☆☆☆	Helps distribute PageRank within your site.
65	Content with credible sources/citations	★★☆☆☆	Boosts trust and authority.
66	Proper HTTPS setup	★★☆☆☆	Misconfigured HTTPS can do more harm than good.
67	Browser render speed	★★☆☆☆	Not just loading, but how fast content appears visually.
68	Short, clean URLs	★★☆☆☆	Easier to crawl, share, and remember.
69	Clean domain history	★★☆☆☆	Previously penalized/spammed domains may struggle to rank.
70	Balanced keyword density	★★☆☆☆	Natural usage of keywords, not stuffing.
71	Canonical tags used correctly	★★☆☆☆	Prevents duplicate content issues.
72	Clear formatting (F-pattern, bullets…)	★★☆☆☆	Improves user reading flow.
73	Unique title tags	★★☆☆☆	Avoids duplicate titles that confuse crawlers.
74	Alt text for featured images	★★☆☆☆	Helps SEO and image search visibility.
75	No major HTML errors	★☆☆☆☆	Clean code ensures smooth crawling.
76	Lazy loading for media	★☆☆☆☆	Speeds up initial page load.
77	Avoid excessive redirect chains (301s)	★☆☆☆☆	Multiple redirects slow down performance.
78	Use of favicon	★☆☆☆☆	Helps with brand recognition in browser tabs and search results.
79	Clear URL slugs (e.g. /seo/on-page/)	★☆☆☆☆	Indicates content hierarchy and improves readability.
80	Compatibility across major browsers	★☆☆☆☆	UX consistency across devices and platforms.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 81–100

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
81	No Flash used	★☆☆☆☆	Flash is outdated and unsupported by most browsers.
82	No iFrames for main content	★☆☆☆☆	Content inside iFrames may not be indexed.
83	Silo site structure	★★☆☆☆	Organizes content into clear topic groups.
84	Topic consistency	★★☆☆☆	Google favors websites with a focused niche.
85	Micro-interactions for user engagement	★★☆☆☆	Subtle animations can enhance UX and keep users engaged.
86	Integration with Google Search Console	★★☆☆☆	Doesn’t affect ranking directly but aids technical optimization.
87	No unmoderated sensitive or controversial content	★☆☆☆☆	Harmful or offensive content may face penalties.
88	Custom 404 page	★☆☆☆☆	Keeps users on site even when they hit a broken link.
89	Easy social sharing	★☆☆☆☆	Encourages viral reach and referral traffic.
90	Optimized for large screens (desktop UX)	★☆☆☆☆	Desktop experience still matters.
91	Web font load speed	★☆☆☆☆	Slow-loading fonts delay visual rendering.
92	No spam backlinks	★★☆☆☆	Toxic backlinks can result in penalties.
93	Embedded video within content	★★☆☆☆	Increases dwell time and content richness.
94	Engaging subheadings	★★☆☆☆	Helps break down content and keep readers engaged.
95	FAQ section	★★☆☆☆	Can be featured in search as rich results.
96	Voice search optimization	★★☆☆☆	Use natural language and Q&A format.
97	Domain localization (ccTLD or hreflang)	★★☆☆☆	Improves local targeting (e.g., .vn for Vietnam).
98	“How-to” or FAQ structured data	★★☆☆☆	Increases chances of getting featured snippets.
99	HTTPS applied site-wide	★★☆☆☆	Not just homepage — all pages should be secured.
100	Sitemap submitted in Google Search Console	★★☆☆☆	Helps Google index your site more effectively.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 101–120

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
101	No internal duplicate content	★★☆☆☆	Prevents confusion and dilution of SEO signals.
102	Clear, hierarchical URL structure	★★☆☆☆	Example: domain.com/seo/on-page/ — easy for Google and users to follow.
103	Optimized external anchor text	★★☆☆☆	Relevant anchor text boosts link value.
104	Proper meta robots tags	★★☆☆☆	Avoid accidentally blocking important pages.
105	Clean HTML structure	★★☆☆☆	Makes content easier for crawlers to read.
106	Limit disruptive ads	★☆☆☆☆	Excessive ads degrade UX and harm SEO.
107	Print-friendly article version	★☆☆☆☆	Improves user experience for long-form content.
108	Avoid keyword stuffing in titles	★☆☆☆☆	Over-optimized titles may trigger penalties.
109	Internal links to other relevant posts	★★☆☆☆	Encourages deeper navigation and helps indexing.
110	Domain not listed on blacklists	★★☆☆☆	Blacklisted domains may be deindexed or penalized.
111	Product pages with detailed descriptions	★★☆☆☆	Helps Google understand and serve product info better.
112	Star ratings in search results	★★☆☆☆	Increases credibility and click-through rate.
113	Optimized for featured snippets	★★☆☆☆	Use concise definitions, bullet points, and FAQs.
114	Important content not hidden in JavaScript	★★☆☆☆	Hidden JS content may not be crawled or indexed.
115	Proper use of canonical tags	★★☆☆☆	Prevents duplicate content across versions.
116	Senior-friendly UI	★☆☆☆☆	Large fonts, high contrast — better UX for older audiences.
117	Q&A format content	★★☆☆☆	Ideal for voice search and rich results.
118	“Organization” or “Local Business” schema	★★☆☆☆	Helps define your business and improve visibility.
119	Consistent NAP info (Name, Address, Phone)	★★☆☆☆	Critical for local SEO trust and citations.
120	Active, updated Google Business Profile	★★★☆☆	Boosts local search visibility and trustworthiness.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 121–140

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
121	Listed in trusted local directories	★★☆☆☆	Strengthens local trust signals (citations).
122	Positive Google reviews	★★☆☆☆	Quality and quantity of reviews affect local rankings.
123	High-quality photos on Google Business	★★☆☆☆	Engaging visuals increase clicks and interest.
124	Business responds to reviews	★★☆☆☆	Interaction builds trust and shows activeness.
125	Unlinked brand mentions	★★☆☆☆	Google recognizes mentions even without links.
126	Social signals from Facebook, Twitter, etc.	★☆☆☆☆	Not direct ranking signals, but reflect authority.
127	Branded searches	★★☆☆☆	Indicates real demand for your brand.
128	Team/author profile pages	★★☆☆☆	Enhances E-E-A-T and transparency.
129	Official social media profile links	★★☆☆☆	Validates brand identity.
130	Viral content	★☆☆☆☆	Indirectly boosts visibility and backlink potential.
131	Returning visitors	★★☆☆☆	High return rate shows lasting value.
132	Branded + product search queries	★★☆☆☆	e.g. “Nike running shoes” — blends brand and intent.
133	Featured in media (articles, interviews)	★★☆☆☆	Increases trust and authority from external sources.
134	Mentioned in reputable forums	★★☆☆☆	Reddit, Quora, niche communities help build recognition.
135	Page bookmarked by users	★☆☆☆☆	May be a weak behavioral signal, but still valuable.
136	Content shared via email/chat	★☆☆☆☆	Drives indirect traffic and engagement.
137	Business info in website footer	★★☆☆☆	Adds legitimacy, especially for commercial sites.
138	Age of specific page	★★☆☆☆	Long-standing content is often more trusted.
139	Company intro videos	★★☆☆☆	Video builds familiarity and trust.
140	Featured on Google Discover or News tab	★★☆☆☆	Big traffic driver and possible trust signal.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 141–160

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
141	Abnormally high bounce rate	★★☆☆☆	Suggests low value or mismatch in user intent.
142	Long average session duration	★★☆☆☆	Indicates engaging, useful content.
143	Multiple pageviews per session	★★☆☆☆	Signals deep interest and strong internal linking.
144	Image search optimization	★★☆☆☆	Boosts traffic from Google Images.
145	Video search optimization	★★☆☆☆	Includes captions, titles, descriptions.
146	Branded favicon	★☆☆☆☆	Improves brand recognition in search tabs.
147	Open Graph & Twitter Card tags	★☆☆☆☆	Enhances link previews when shared on social media.
148	Use of rich result snippets (FAQ, Reviews…)	★★☆☆☆	Increases CTR and SERP visibility.
149	Linked author bio	★★☆☆☆	Essential for E-E-A-T and author credibility.
150	Expert-written content	★★★☆☆	Major trust signal for Google.
151	Optimizing content based on GSC data	★★☆☆☆	Improve CTR and relevance using real data.
152	Interactive tools (calculators, quizzes…)	★★☆☆☆	Enhance engagement and dwell time.
153	Smooth scrolling UX	★☆☆☆☆	Minor UX signal, but adds polish.
154	Table of contents (TOC)	★★☆☆☆	Aids navigation, especially for long-form articles.
155	Noindex unnecessary pages	★★☆☆☆	Focus crawl budget on valuable content.
156	Avoid repeated 302 redirects	★☆☆☆☆	May confuse crawlers and dilute link equity.
157	Proper hreflang for multilingual sites	★★★☆☆	Ensures correct content appears in local SERPs.
158	Static (not dynamic) URLs	★★☆☆☆	Clean URLs are easier to index and share.
159	Optimized OG:title and OG:description	★☆☆☆☆	Improves social sharing, though not a direct factor.
160	Separate sitemap for images/videos	★★☆☆☆	Helps Google index multimedia content effectively.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 161–180

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
161	Custom “404 Not Found” page	★☆☆☆☆	Keeps users on-site with helpful navigation.
162	Short, user-friendly URLs	★☆☆☆☆	Easy to remember, type, and share.
163	HTML sitemap for users	★☆☆☆☆	Improves navigation and site accessibility.
164	Avoid too many outbound links	★☆☆☆☆	Excessive links dilute page authority.
165	Proper use of rel="nofollow"	★★☆☆☆	Tells Google not to pass link equity to certain URLs.
166	Link to privacy & legal pages	★☆☆☆☆	Improves transparency and trust.
167	One main topic per page	★★☆☆☆	Increases content clarity and SEO targeting.
168	Unique meta descriptions	★★☆☆☆	Prevents duplication and improves SERP visibility.
169	Keywords early in meta descriptions	★☆☆☆☆	Helps boost keyword relevance in SERPs.
170	Question-style titles (How, Why, What…)	★★☆☆☆	Attracts attention and matches search queries.
171	RSS feed or email subscription	★☆☆☆☆	Increases user retention and return visits.
172	Loads well on slow internet	★★☆☆☆	Crucial for mobile and emerging markets.
173	Favicon in mobile SERP	★☆☆☆☆	Adds visual branding in mobile results.
174	Links to evergreen content	★★☆☆☆	Timeless content builds long-term traffic.
175	Article comments enabled	★★☆☆☆	Encourages engagement and signals content value.
176	Simple, readable language	★★☆☆☆	Improves readability scores and accessibility.
177	AI-based content quality checker used	★☆☆☆☆	Helps maintain editorial quality.
178	Proper Google Tag Manager setup	★☆☆☆☆	Tracks user behavior without slowing site.
179	Lower TTFB (Time To First Byte)	★★☆☆☆	Core metric in page speed and UX.
180	Avoid blackhat SEO techniques	★★★★☆	Cloaking, hidden text, etc., will trigger penalties.

📊 Google Ranking Factors: 181–200

No.	Ranking Factor	Importance	Brief Explanation
181	Unedited AI-generated content	★☆☆☆☆	Must be reviewed or improved for quality.
182	Mass AI content generation (spam)	★★★★☆	May lead to deindexing or ranking loss.
183	Poor spelling and grammar	★★☆☆☆	Reduces content credibility and trust.
184	Fake news or misinformation	★★★★☆	Especially damaging in YMYL niches.
185	Clickbait titles with misleading content	★★★☆☆	Harms user trust and increases bounce rate.
186	DMCA or malware reports	★★★★☆	Can cause Google to penalize or block site.
187	Use of malware or malicious code	★★★★★	Leads to warnings or removal from Google.
188	Doorway pages	★★★★☆	Violates Google’s quality guidelines.
189	Cloaked content (visible only to Google)	★★★★☆	Considered deceptive and blackhat.
190	Overuse of internal linking	★★☆☆☆	Can be spammy if unnatural or excessive.
191	Outbound links to irrelevant or spam sites	★★☆☆☆	Lowers site credibility.
192	Keyword stuffing	★★★☆☆	Unnatural repetition can lead to penalties.
193	No GDPR/cookie policy for EU users	★★☆☆☆	May affect visibility in Europe.
194	Missing or incorrect canonical tags	★★★☆☆	Causes duplicate indexing issues.
195	Too many above-the-fold ads	★★☆☆☆	Hurts mobile UX and ranking.
196	Redirects to unrelated content	★★☆☆☆	Misleads users and breaks trust.
197	Schema markup abuse	★★★★☆	Manipulative markup can get penalized.
198	Hotlinking images from other servers	★☆☆☆☆	Slows loading and lacks control.
199	Outdated content not maintained	★★☆☆☆	Loses ranking over time if irrelevant.
200	No long-term SEO strategy	★★★★★	Optimizing individual pages isn’t enough without a full SEO plan.

🏁 Final Words

🎉 You’ve just gone through all 200 of Google’s Ranking Factors – from technical SEO, content optimization, UX, authority signals, to what to avoid.

This list is your holistic SEO roadmap, curated by Viet SEO, to help you and your team identify strengths, spot weaknesses, and improve rankings strategically and sustainably.