As the natures of search engines and search engine optimization continue to change, so have the tactics content creators, bloggers and store owners who wish to be featured prominently in search. The need for websites that perform well across a variety of search keywords and phrases is more important than ever, even with more solutions than ever before to purchase influence in search and social media. Google evaluates website quality in many different ways, but not everyone is aware of which broader concepts it assesses. Below, we’ll review a few of the metrics that Google uses to determine overall site quality so that you can act accordingly.

Poor Quality Content

It should be no secret by now that Google views thin, copied or otherwise poor content as the worst offender when assessing the overall quality of a website. People who are pinging search engines want to find information that is relevant and helpful to them; poor content provides the exact opposite experience. Content should be clear, detailed, well-organized and relevant to the keywords and phrases that are being targeted. As long as your website can be indexed, Google generally does a good job at indexing content for appropriate search engine results. Just be sure that your content is up-to-date, relevant and well-researched, and half the battle is already won.

Lack of Authority

Search engines like Google assess websites’ overall rankings for quality, authority and trustworthiness. In a variety of niches, authority content and contributors are necessary in order to perform well. This can consist of links to other high-authority websites, content contributions from those who are well-known in the industry, and well-documented and researched forms of content that provide plenty of citations and references. In addition, the website itself should be documented with information on how and why it is well-positioned to provide authority content that can be trusted by readers. As subtle and technical as Google’s algorithms are, these concepts can all be detected and assessed by the search engines.

Bad Reputation

Throughout the web, there may be mentions of your website or brand. These can be positive or negative, and each type of reputation can help or hurt your performance. Websites with bad reviews on prominent websites or forums – as well as general bad chatter – can cause substantial negative impact for your brand in search results. These indicators are pinging Google and the search engine can tell the difference between positive indicators and negative ones. The best way to counter such an approach is to be proactive with visitors and customers, and to also address any known problems when they arise. This can help prevent much of the negative chatter from ever manifesting in the first place. Concurrently, it is also necessary to promote the concept of positive chatter and reviews from those who visit and who are loyal to your website’s offerings. Sites with thin amounts of chatter and reputation can easily be taken down by a few negative comments in Google’s eyes.