It’s a common question that many SEO campaign managers find themselves asking when a competitor goes ahead of their company’s site in the rankings: How does an un-optimized site rank highly? There are many factors involved in rankings and optimization is not always the most important element to consider. Within this post, we’ll take a look at the three leading reasons un-optimized sites still rank highly within search rankings.
1. A High Click-Through Rate
One number Google follows closely when reviewing sites is the site’s click-through-rate. When a site ranks highly for a particular keyword, Google will then analyze how many people have clicked onto the site for that keyword. The more clicks the website receives, the higher the ranking they can achieve. Google will also consider the site’s bounce rate. Companies might have a high click-through rate, but if their bounce rate is similarly high, they are unlikely to be boosted in the rankings without optimization.
2. Site Reputation
Most of the highly ranked pages are several years old. They’ve developed a reputation in the marketplace for their consistent visitor numbers and continuous site updates. The data shows that older sites that retain a commitment to content quality will rank highly compared with newer sites that offer the same level of content quality. It’s this consistent and continual commitment that Google looks for when assessing un-optimized sites.
3. Content Quality
We know that Google has been making great strides in determining content quality in recent years. Since the Panda algorithm update, the importance of high quality website content has become critical. Google will compare the quality of a site’s content with other sites in the same marketplace and on the same subject. They can then analyze factors such as grammar, length and attribution to determine which sites offer the highest quality of content.
By understanding the factors that can impact un-optimized sites, site owners can blend these factors into their SEO campaigns. To learn more, speak with our trusted online marketing experts directly!
