71. Presence of Sitemap
What it means: An XML sitemap is a file that lists important pages on your website, helping search engines discover, crawl, and index your content more efficiently. While Google can find pages through links, a sitemap ensures no important pages are missed, particularly for large sites, new sites with few backlinks, or sites with poor internal linking. The sitemap helps with discovery and indexing but doesn’t directly improve rankings. Google has stated that XML sitemaps are useful, but HTML sitemaps (designed for users) are not particularly valuable for SEO.
Example: Two e-commerce sites with 5,000 products.
Site A – Proper sitemap:
- Well-structured XML sitemap submitted to Search Console
- Automatically updates when products added
- Listed in robots.txt
- 98% of pages successfully indexed
- New products appear in search within 24-48 hours
Site B – No sitemap:
- Relies only on internal linking for discovery
- 30 products have weak internal links and aren’t indexed
- New products take 2-3 weeks to appear in search
- Only 380 of 550 pages indexed (31% missing)
- No easy way to monitor indexing coverage
Result: Site A ensures comprehensive indexing and faster discovery of new content. Site B loses potential rankings because valuable pages aren’t even in Google’s index.
72. Site Uptime
What it means: Site uptime refers to how consistently your website is accessible and functioning properly without downtime, errors, or server failures. Excessive downtime from maintenance, server issues, or technical problems can hurt rankings and may even result in deindexing if severe and prolonged. When Googlebot attempts to crawl your site and repeatedly encounters server errors (503 errors), timeouts, or unavailable pages, it signals potential site abandonment or poor technical management. Temporary downtime (few hours for maintenance) typically won’t cause lasting harm, but consistent unavailability or prolonged outages signal serious problems. Users searching for your content who land on error pages have terrible experiences, creating negative engagement signals. Beyond ranking impacts, downtime directly loses traffic and revenue during outage periods.
Example: Three websites with different uptime profiles.
Site A – Excellent uptime (99.9%):
- Reliable hosting infrastructure
- Scheduled maintenance during low-traffic hours with advance notice
- Downtime limited to brief planned maintenance (maybe 1 hour quarterly)
- Monitoring alerts catch issues before they impact users
- Fast response to any technical problems
Result: Google crawls reliably, all pages indexed properly, no negative signals. Users always find site accessible, building trust.
Site B – Frequent downtime (90% uptime):
- Unreliable cheap hosting
- Site goes down multiple times per week
- Each outage lasts 30 minutes to several hours
- No monitoring, owner unaware until users complain
- Googlebot encounters repeated errors when crawling
Result: Google reduces crawl frequency due to repeated failures. Some pages drop from index. Rankings decline as site appears unreliable. Users lose trust and go to competitors.
Site C – Extended outage:
- Site completely down for 72 hours due to server failure
- No status page or communication
- Returns 503 errors continuously
Result: If outage is truly temporary and resolved, Google may hold pages in index temporarily. If outage extends weeks, pages begin dropping from index entirely. Requires recovery period to rebuild rankings even after site returns.
Key insight: Reliable hosting and uptime monitoring are fundamental technical requirements. Consistent downtime signals poor site quality and management.
73. Server Location
What it means: The physical geographic location of your web server can influence where your site ranks in different geographical regions. Google uses server location as one signal for geographic targeting, particularly for sites without explicit country targeting through ccTLDs (.uk, .de, etc.) or geographic settings in Search Console. A server located in France may get preference in French search results, while one in Japan may perform better in Japanese results. This is especially important for geo-specific searches where users want local results. However, server location is just one signal among many, and modern CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) that serve content from multiple global locations can mitigate any negative effects of distant server locations. For sites targeting global audiences, CDNs are often more important than specific server location.
Example: A restaurant review website targeting UK audiences.
Scenario A – UK server:
- Website hosted on servers in London
- Fast loading times for UK visitors
- Strong preference in Google.co.uk results
- Ranks well for “best restaurants London”
Scenario B – US server:
- Same content but hosted in California
- Slightly slower for UK visitors
- May rank lower in UK results due to geographic signal
- Still possible to rank well but needs other strong geo-targeting signals
Scenario C – CDN implementation:
- Uses global CDN with servers worldwide
- Content served from closest server to each user
- Fast everywhere
- Combines speed benefits with ability to target multiple regions
- Can set primary location in Search Console for targeting preference
Result: Server location matters most for sites targeting specific regions. Global sites benefit most from CDNs that provide speed everywhere while allowing geographic targeting control.
74. SSL Certificate
What it means: Google has explicitly confirmed that HTTPS (SSL/TLS encryption) is a ranking signal, though they’ve characterized it as a “tiebreaker” rather than a major factor. Websites using HTTPS (indicated by the padlock icon in browsers) encrypt data between the user and server, providing security and privacy. Google began favoring HTTPS sites in 2014 and has gradually increased its importance, with Chrome browsers now flagging HTTP sites as “Not Secure,” which damages user trust. Beyond the minor direct ranking benefit, HTTPS provides indirect SEO benefits through improved user trust, reduced bounce rates from security warnings, and referrer data preservation. Sites handling sensitive information (e-commerce, login systems, personal data) absolutely require HTTPS for both security and trust.
Example: Two e-commerce sites selling similar products.
Site A – HTTPS:
- Full SSL certificate properly implemented
- Green padlock shows in browser
- “Secure” indicator visible to users
- Checkout process encrypted
- Users trust site with credit card information
- No browser security warnings
- Lower bounce rate because no scary warnings
Site B – HTTP only:
- No encryption
- Chrome shows “Not Secure” warning in address bar
- Users hesitant to enter payment information
- Modern browsers warn users about security risk
- Many users immediately leave when they see warning
- Higher bounce rate from security concerns
- Direct ranking disadvantage vs Site A
Result: Site A gets minor ranking boost from HTTPS signal plus major indirect benefits from user trust. Site B faces ranking penalty plus severe user trust issues that hurt conversions and engagement. In competitive queries where both sites are similar quality, Site A wins the “tiebreaker.”
75. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
What it means: E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, representing core quality concepts emphasized in Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines. While E-A-T isn’t a single direct ranking algorithm, it represents principles that Google’s algorithms attempt to measure and reward through various signals. Sites with high E-A-T demonstrate clear expertise in their topic area (qualified creators with relevant credentials), authoritativeness (recognized as go-to sources by others in the field), and trustworthiness (accurate information, transparent practices, positive reputation). E-A-T is particularly critical for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content covering health, finance, legal matters, or safety, where inaccurate information could cause serious harm. Google evaluates E-A-T through content creator credentials, site reputation research, quality of backlinks, content accuracy, and numerous other signals.
Example: Three websites publishing health information about diabetes management.
Site A – High E-A-T:
- Published by Mayo Clinic (mayo clinic(.)org)
- Content written by endocrinologists with MD credentials clearly displayed
- Medical information reviewed by editorial board
- Cites peer-reviewed research studies
- Recognized medical institution with 150-year history
- Backlinks from NIH, CDC, medical universities
- Clear editorial policies and fact-checking processes
- Transparent about organizational mission and funding
- Author biographies with verifiable credentials
E-A-T signals:
- Expertise: Medical doctors with specialization
- Authoritativeness: Mayo Clinic is recognized authority
- Trustworthiness: Institutional reputation, transparent practices, accurate information
Result: Dominates rankings for diabetes health queries. Google’s algorithms recognize multiple strong E-A-T signals. Users trust medical advice from credible institution.
Site B – Moderate E-A-T:
- Personal health blog by registered dietitian
- Author has RD credentials (verifiable)
- Based on professional experience but not medical doctor
- Good content quality with some citations
- Small but legitimate following
- Few backlinks from other health professionals
- Clear about credentials but limited institutional backing
E-A-T signals:
- Expertise: Professional credentials in related field
- Authoritativeness: Personal authority, not institutional
- Trustworthiness: Transparent about qualifications, accurate content
Result: Ranks for less competitive health queries. Can compete for nutrition-specific topics where RD credentials are sufficient. Struggles against major medical institutions for medical diagnosis/treatment queries.
Site C – Low/No E-A-T:
- Anonymous health blog with no author information
- No credentials displayed or verifiable
- Generic advice without citations
- Makes questionable health claims
- No institutional backing
- Backlinks only from other low-quality health blogs
- Heavy affiliate marketing for supplements
- No clear editorial standards
E-A-T signals:
- Expertise: None demonstrated
- Authoritativeness: Unknown source
- Trustworthiness: Questionable due to anonymity and commercial focus
Result: Filtered from rankings for health queries. Google’s algorithms detect absence of E-A-T signals, particularly problematic for YMYL content. Even if technically well-optimized, lack of demonstrated expertise prevents ranking.
Building E-A-T:
Expertise:
- Display author credentials and qualifications
- Hire or feature recognized experts
- Show relevant experience and specialization
- Create content that demonstrates deep knowledge
Authoritativeness:
- Earn recognition from others in your field
- Get featured in reputable publications
- Build backlinks from authoritative sources
- Become cited as a reference by others
- Develop brand recognition
Trustworthiness:
- Accurate, well-researched information
- Transparent about who you are
- Clear contact information
- Positive online reputation
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Secure website (HTTPS)
- Clear editorial policies
- Cite credible sources
76. Duplicate Meta Information On-Site
What it means: Having identical or very similar title tags and meta descriptions across multiple pages on your website can harm search visibility by making it difficult for Google to distinguish between pages and understand their unique purposes. Each page should have unique meta information that accurately describes its specific content. Duplicate meta information suggests low-quality site management, lazy SEO practices, or automatically generated pages without proper customization. It confuses both search engines (which page should rank for what?) and users (all pages look the same in search results). This is particularly problematic for large e-commerce sites or blogs where template-based page creation might accidentally create duplicate meta tags across thousands of pages.
Example: An e-commerce site with 1,000 products.
Site A – Unique meta information: Each product has customized meta tags:
- Product 1: “Premium Leather Hiking Boots – Waterproof, Size 8-13 | BrandName”
- Product 2: “Lightweight Trail Running Shoes – Breathable Mesh | BrandName”
- Product 3: “Winter Insulated Boots – 200g Thinsulate, -20°F Rated | BrandName”
Result: Each page clearly distinct in search results. Google understands what makes each product unique. Users can differentiate between products when multiple appear in results. Click-through rates improve because descriptions are specific and relevant.
Site B – Duplicate meta information: All products share same template:
- Product 1: “Buy Shoes Online | BrandName”
- Product 2: “Buy Shoes Online | BrandName”
- Product 3: “Buy Shoes Online | BrandName” [… same for all 1,000 products]
Result: Google struggles to determine which page to show for queries. Search visibility reduced across all pages. Search results look repetitive and unprofessional if multiple pages appear. Click-through rates suffer because generic descriptions don’t entice clicks. Google Search Console shows “Duplicate meta descriptions” warning for 1,000 pages.
Key insight: Invest time in creating unique, descriptive meta information for each important page. Use dynamic insertion for templates but include unique product/page-specific details.
77. Breadcrumb Navigation
What it means: Breadcrumb navigation is a secondary navigation system that shows users their location within a site’s hierarchy, typically displayed as “Home > Category > Subcategory > Current Page.” Google has explicitly stated that it uses breadcrumb markup in the body of webpages to categorize information and can display breadcrumbs in search results, making listings more informative and attractive. Breadcrumbs help both users (understand site structure, easily navigate back to parent pages) and search engines (understand site hierarchy and relationships between pages). When properly implemented with structured data markup, breadcrumbs can appear in search results, taking up more space and providing additional context that may improve click-through rates.
Example: Two e-commerce product pages.
Site A – Breadcrumb implementation:
Home > Outdoor Gear > Camping > Tents > 4-Person Tents > Alpine Mountain Tent
Benefits:
- Users understand exactly where they are in site structure
- Can easily navigate back to “4-Person Tents” or “Tents” category
- Structured data markup makes breadcrumbs appear in Google results
- Search result shows: “example.com › outdoor-gear › camping › tents › alpine-mountain-tent”
- Takes up more visual space in search results
- Provides additional context and professionalism
Site B – No breadcrumbs:
- Only standard navigation menu
- Users unclear about page location in site hierarchy
- No breadcrumb display in search results
- Search result shows only: “example.com/products/alpine-mountain-ten…
- Less informative search appearance
- Users may need to use back button more often
Result: Site A provides better user experience through clear navigation and enhanced search appearance. Google better understands site structure through breadcrumb markup.
78. Mobile Optimized
What it means: Mobile optimization refers to ensuring your website works well on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) through responsive design, appropriate sizing, touch-friendly interfaces, and fast loading. With over half of all searches happening on mobile devices and Google’s shift to mobile-first indexing (primarily using mobile version for ranking), mobile optimization has evolved from optional to mandatory. Google explicitly penalizes websites that aren’t mobile-friendly and may not rank them at all in mobile search results. Sites that provide poor mobile experiences face both direct ranking penalties and indirect harm through poor user engagement metrics (high bounce rates, low time on site). Mobile optimization includes responsive design that adapts to screen sizes, readable text without zooming, appropriately sized tap targets, no horizontal scrolling, fast loading on mobile connections, and no use of incompatible technologies like Flash.
Example: Two local restaurants competing for “pizza near me” searches.
Site A – Fully mobile optimized:
- Responsive design adapts to any screen size
- Text readable without zooming (16px minimum)
- Tap-to-call phone number button (immediate action)
- Address links directly to maps
- Menu images sized appropriately for mobile
- Loads in under 2 seconds on 4G
- Order/reservation buttons large and easy to tap
- No pinch-to-zoom required
- Works perfectly on all devices
Mobile user experience:
- Lands on site, immediately sees menu and phone number
- Taps phone button to call for pickup order
- Easy, frictionless experience
- Stays on site, browses menu, makes decision
Result: Ranks well in mobile search results. Users have excellent experience leading to calls and orders. Low bounce rate and good engagement signal quality to Google.
Site B – Not mobile optimized:
- Desktop-only design from 2010
- Text tiny on mobile (requires zooming)
- Buttons too small to tap accurately (keeps hitting wrong things)
- Phone number is just text (can’t tap to call)
- Menu images huge and slow to load (30+ seconds)
- Requires horizontal scrolling
- Constantly accidentally clicking wrong elements
- Frustrating to use
Mobile user experience:
- Lands on site, can’t read anything
- Tries to pinch-zoom to read menu
- Gets frustrated with slow loading
- Can’t easily call restaurant
- Gives up and hits back button
- Goes to competitor’s site
Result: Google penalizes in mobile search results or doesn’t show at all. Users who do find it immediately leave (85%+ bounce rate). Lost business to mobile-friendly competitors. Restaurant loses potential customers searching on phones.
Key insight: Mobile-first indexing means your mobile version is what Google primarily evaluates. A great desktop site with poor mobile experience will rank poorly overall. Mobile optimization is no longer optional.
79. YouTube
What it means: YouTube videos receive preferential treatment in Google search results, likely because Google owns YouTube and because video content genuinely satisfies many user queries. Video results appear prominently in search results, often with thumbnail images, video carousels, and dedicated video sections that take up significant screen space. For certain queries (how-to, tutorials, reviews, entertainment), video results dominate the first page. Additionally, YouTube itself is the second-largest search engine, making YouTube optimization a valuable SEO strategy. Creating quality YouTube content and optimizing it properly can capture traffic both from YouTube search and from Google search results where videos appear. After Google acquired YouTube, traffic to youtube(.)com increased significantly, particularly following major algorithm updates, confirming that Google gives preference to its own video platform.
Example: Search results for “how to change a car tire.”
Page 1 results typically show:
- Video carousel at top with 3-4 YouTube videos (massive visibility)
- Several YouTube video results within standard results
- Maybe 2-3 traditional article results
- Featured snippet might include video
Site A – Has YouTube video:
- Published comprehensive “How to Change a Tire” video on YouTube
- Optimized title, description, and tags
- Video appears in Google’s video carousel at top of results
- Also ranks in YouTube search
- Video gets views from both Google and YouTube traffic
- Can embed video on website article for additional value
Traffic sources:
- Google search (video carousel)
- YouTube search
- YouTube suggested videos
- Embedded on website
Result: Captures significant traffic through video format. Video format is ideal for “how-to” query, making it highly engaging. Can dominate search results with both video and article if done well.
Site B – Text article only:
- Comprehensive written guide
- No video content
- Competes for limited text result spots
- Pushed below video results
- Ranks on page 1 but below videos (position 6-7)
Result: Receives less visibility due to videos dominating top of results. For visual/procedural queries, users prefer video content, so even if text article ranks, it may get fewer clicks than videos.
Strategic insight: For topics where video content makes sense, creating YouTube videos provides additional ranking opportunities and preferential visibility in search results. Combining written content with video provides comprehensive coverage across multiple search result types.
80. Site Usability
What it means: Site usability encompasses the overall ease of use, navigation intuitiveness, and user experience quality of a website. A site that’s difficult to use or navigate can indirectly hurt rankings by reducing time on site, increasing bounce rates, and lowering pages per session, all of which are user engagement metrics that influence rankings through RankBrain and other machine learning algorithms. Usability issues include confusing navigation, broken functionality, unclear calls-to-action, difficult-to-find information, slow interactive elements, frustrating checkout processes, or any friction that prevents users from easily accomplishing their goals. While Google doesn’t have a simple “usability score” that directly affects rankings, poor usability manifests in negative user behavior signals that algorithms detect and penalize. Conversely, excellent usability keeps users engaged, encourages exploration, and signals that the site provides value, supporting better rankings.
Example: Two e-commerce sites selling electronics.
Site A – Excellent usability:
- Clear, intuitive navigation (categories easy to understand)
- Search function works well with autocomplete
- Product filters (price, brand, features) easy to use
- Product information well-organized and complete
- High-quality images with zoom functionality
- Clear “Add to Cart” buttons
- Simple, streamlined checkout (5 steps, progress indicator)
- Guest checkout option
- Multiple payment methods
- Clear shipping information
- Easy to find customer service
User behavior:
- Average session: 7 minutes
- Pages per session: 5.2
- Bounce rate: 32%
- Users browse multiple products
- Many complete purchases
- Positive reviews mention easy shopping experience
Result: Strong engagement signals tell Google users find value. Rankings improve over time. User satisfaction leads to repeat visits and recommendations.
Site B – Poor usability:
- Confusing navigation (unclear categories)
- Search function broken or returns irrelevant results
- Filters don’t work properly
- Product information scattered and incomplete
- Small, low-quality images
- “Buy Now” button hard to find
- Complex checkout (12 steps, confusing)
- Must create account (no guest checkout)
- Limited payment options
- Hidden shipping costs
- Customer service contact information buried
User behavior:
- Average session: 45 seconds
- Pages per session: 1.3
- Bounce rate: 76%
- Users struggle to find products
- Cart abandonment extremely high
- Frustration leads to immediate exit
- Negative reviews mention difficult website
Result: Terrible engagement signals harm rankings. Google’s algorithms detect users aren’t satisfied. Rankings decline. Business loses sales to competitors with better usability.
Key insight: Usability doesn’t directly affect rankings but dramatically impacts user behavior metrics that do influence rankings. Invest in user experience testing, identify friction points, and create smooth, intuitive experiences that keep users engaged.