Podcast Summary: Grumpy SEO Guy – Episode 81: How to Tell Whether Or Not Something Is a Ranking Factor
Release Date: November 6, 2024
In Episode 81 of the Grumpy SEO Guy podcast, the host delves into the crucial topic of identifying genuine SEO ranking factors versus those that are either overstated or easily manipulated. Drawing from his 14 years of experience running an SEO agency, Grumpy SEO Guy provides listeners with a no-nonsense approach to discerning what truly impacts search engine rankings.
1. Introduction: The Prevalence of Ranking Factor Questions (00:00 – 03:06)
Grumpy SEO Guy kicks off the episode by expressing his frustration with the frequent questions he receives about potential ranking factors. He emphasizes his commitment to cutting through industry confusion by sharing proven strategies.
“If you listen to this podcast, you will know more about SEO than 99% of people on the planet.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [00:00]
Before diving in, he issues a disclaimer, clarifying that his insights are based on personal experience and not official knowledge of search engine algorithms.
2. Evaluating Potential Ranking Factors
Grumpy SEO Guy systematically examines several commonly debated factors to assess their legitimacy as ranking influencers.
a. Page Loading Speed (03:08 – 04:19)
He begins with page loading speed, a frequently touted SEO factor.
“If page loading speed was a big deal, people would just make web pages in Notepad.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [03:08]
Analysis:
- Ease of Manipulation: Creating fast-loading pages is simple, even using basic HTML without images.
- Real-World Application: While extremely slow loading times (e.g., over a minute) can negatively impact rankings, minor improvements (e.g., reducing load time from 5 to 3 seconds) have negligible effects.
- Conclusion: Page speed is not a significant ranking factor compared to its perceived importance.
b. Dwell Time (04:19 – 07:49)
Next, he tackles dwell time, the duration a user spends on a webpage after clicking a search result.
“It's easy to fake or to spoof dwell time. Therefore it's not really a ranking factor.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [04:19]
Analysis:
- Ease of Manipulation: Automated programs can simulate user interactions to artificially inflate dwell time.
- Effectiveness: Since it's easily spoofed, dwell time doesn’t hold substantial weight in ranking algorithms.
- Conclusion: Dwell time is unlikely to be a meaningful ranking factor.
c. Number of Clicks (07:49 – 08:54)
He then explores the number of clicks a website receives from search results.
“You could write a program that would search for your keywords, click on your website and then do that from multiple IPs. So it's probably not a ranking factor.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [07:49]
Analysis:
- Ease of Manipulation: Automated clicking can easily generate misleading click counts.
- Impact: Artificially increasing clicks doesn't translate to improved rankings.
- Conclusion: The number of clicks is not a reliable ranking factor.
d. Impressions (08:54 – 09:43)
Impressions, defined as the number of times a website appears in search results, are also scrutinized.
“Number of impressions probably is not a big ranking factor.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [07:52]
Analysis:
- Ease of Manipulation: Similar to clicks, impressions can be artificially inflated through automated searches.
- Relevance: High impressions without corresponding genuine engagement don’t contribute meaningfully to rankings.
- Conclusion: Impressions are not a significant ranking factor.
e. EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) (09:43 – 16:40)
Grumpy SEO Guy addresses the widely discussed concept of EEAT, often cited as a crucial ranking factor.
“EEAT is not a ranking factor.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [09:44]
Analysis:
- Definition: EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
- Critique:
- Easily Faked: Claims of EEAT can be fabricated through fake author bios and misleading backlinks.
- Search Engine Detection: Search engines recognize the potential for manipulation and therefore discount EEAT as a direct ranking factor.
- Practical Implications: Investing resources solely to enhance EEAT without focusing on authentic authority-building offers little SEO benefit.
- Conclusion: EEAT is not a direct ranking factor and should not be prioritized over more substantial strategies like building genuine authority.
3. The Paramount Importance of Authority (13:21 – 17:09)
Shifting focus, Grumpy SEO Guy underscores authority as the quintessential ranking factor in SEO.
“Authority is authority easy to get? No, authority is not easy to get. Like, half of my podcast episodes are about how to get it.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [14:53]
Key Points:
- Definition: Authority refers to the credibility and trustworthiness a website holds within its niche, often measured by the quality and quantity of backlinks from reputable sources.
- Barriers to Acquisition:
- Time-Consuming: Building authority requires sustained effort and cannot be quickly achieved.
- Investment: Achieving significant authority may necessitate financial resources for acquiring high-quality backlinks.
- Resistance to Manipulation: Unlike other metrics, authority is challenging to fake without substantial, genuine backlinks from authoritative websites.
- Impact on Rankings: Given its difficulty to attain, authority holds substantial weight in search engine algorithms, making it a critical focus area for effective SEO.
4. Authority vs. Easily Manipulable Metrics (16:32 – 19:51)
Grumpy SEO Guy contrasts authority with other metrics to highlight why it stands out as a true ranking factor.
“If it's easy to fake, no, it doesn't have any value.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [16:32]
Comparison:
- Authority:
- Usefulness: Directly impacts rankings by signaling trust and credibility.
- Difficulty to Acquire: Requires obtaining backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites, which is resource-intensive.
- Other Metrics (e.g., EEAT, Page Speed):
- Usefulness: Limited or indirect impact on rankings.
- Ease of Manipulation: Can be easily faked or artificially inflated without genuine improvement in website quality.
“Authority is the most important thing. It's like 90 to 95% of SEO.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [17:09]
Conclusion: Establishing authority should be the primary focus for SEO efforts, as it is both genuinely influential and resilient against manipulation.
5. Final Insights and Recommendations (19:10 – 19:56)
To encapsulate his philosophy, Grumpy SEO Guy reiterates the value assessment criteria:
“How hard is it to acquire? Scarcity. Does it have a use? If something applies to both of those criteria, it is probably valuable.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [19:10]
Framework for Evaluating SEO Factors:
- Scarcity: How difficult is it to obtain the factor?
- Utility: Does the factor provide tangible benefits?
Applying this to SEO elements:
- .gov and .edu Backlinks:
- Scarcity: High
- Utility: Significant
- Value: High
- Low-Quality Backlinks:
- Scarcity: Low
- Utility: Limited
- Value: Low
Final Takeaway: Focus on building authority through high-quality backlinks and authentic reputation rather than chasing easily manipulated metrics that offer little real SEO advantage.
Conclusion
In this episode, Grumpy SEO Guy effectively demystifies the landscape of SEO ranking factors by distinguishing between those that hold genuine merit and those that are either overhyped or easily manipulated. His authoritative stance emphasizes the paramount importance of building and maintaining website authority, positioning it as the cornerstone of successful SEO strategies. Listeners are encouraged to prioritize efforts that enhance authentic authority, ensuring sustainable and impactful improvements in search engine rankings.
Notable Quotes:
- “If page loading speed was a big deal, people would just make web pages in Notepad.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [03:08]
- “EEAT is not a ranking factor.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [09:44]
- “Authority is the most important thing. It's like 90 to 95% of SEO.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [17:09]
- “If it's easy to fake, no, it doesn't have any value.” – Grumpy SEO Guy [16:32]
For more insights and detailed strategies on building SEO authority, subscribe to the Grumpy SEO Guy podcast and explore his extensive library of episodes dedicated to unraveling the complexities of search engine optimization.