Jordan Koene

Chief Evangelist Searchmetrics

2014 Edition

10 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

The relationship between two variables - namely the ranking on the one hand and the occurrence / existence of each factor on the other

• 30 search results for 10,000 keywords = 300k URLS• Keyword sets from consecutive years (90 percent from the

previous year)• Searchmetrics database is always current• Line charts: y-axis indicates the average value for all

10,000 URLs studied at position (ranking) X (x-axis).• Bar charts: Calculated on the basis of all available data

per feature

What is a Ranking Factors Study?

RANKING FACTORS 2014

RANKING FACTORS 2014vs 2013

Content/Techniques

Social

CONTENT ELEMENTSRANKING FACTORS

2014

vs 2013CONTENT ELEMENTS

RANKING FACTORS

2014

15 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

~98%𝜌2014 = 0.05

Description existing

16 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

~95%𝜌2013 = 0.06

𝜌2014 = 0.05

Description existingvs 2013

~98%

17 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

Keyword in Description

~7.500𝜌2014 = 0.13

Brand Factor

~55%𝜌2014 = 0.01

18 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

𝜌2013 = 0.02

Keyword in Descriptionvs 2013

~55%𝜌2014 = 0.01

~62%

19 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

Brand Factor

~7,500𝜌2014 = 0.13

Text Length in Characters

20 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

~6,700𝜌2013 = 0.11

Text Length in Charactersvs 2013

~7,500𝜌2014 = 0.13

21 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

Brand Factor

~650𝜌2014 = 0.13

Word Count

22 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

~540𝜌2013 = 0.11

vs 2013Word Count

~650𝜌2014 = 0.13

23 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

BACKLINK ELEMENTSRANKING FACTORS

2014

24 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

BACKLINK ELEMENTSRANKING FACTORS

2014vs 2013

25 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

More Backlinks!

𝜌2014 = 0.31

Number of Backlinks

26 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

Better Links!

𝜌2014 = 0.26

SEO Visibility/ Source URL

27 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

NEW Features 2014

BACKLINK ELEMENTS

28 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

Fewer fresh Backlinks!

more𝜌2014 = 0.20

Number of new Backlinks

29 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

𝜌2014 = 0.16

Anchor = Domain Name

30 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

𝜌2014 = 0.15

Anchor = Brand/ URL

MOBILE

vs

DESKTOPMOBILE

32 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

MOBILE

vs

DESKTOP

Sitespeed

33 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

MOBILE

vs

DESKTOP

Filesize

34 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

~7,500

~6,000

MOBILE

vs

DESKTOP

Text Length in Characters

35 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

USER TRAFFIC ELEMENTSRANKING FACTORS

2014

36 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

𝜌2014 = 0.09

Time on Site

37 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

Ø𝜌2014 = 0.04

Bounce Rate

38 www.searchmetrics.com 11/5/2014

𝜌2014 = 0.67

Click-Through Rate

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THANK YOU QUESTIONS