What is an algorithm
An algorithm is a set of operations search engines (Google, Bing, Yandex, etc.) perform to rank information by relevance. These computer programs are at the heart of modern search technologies and rely on several hundred factors to evaluate the quality of a web page and position it in the results pages. Here are some pointers on what an algorithm is, in order for you to fully understand your SEO strategy.
It’s alive!
Every year, many changes come up in the algorithms. Google claims to change its algorithm 500-600 times a year. While most of these changes are minor, some updates can significantly affect the composition and ranking of websites in search results pages. The most famous updates are Google Panda (mainly affecting websites with low quality content) or Google Penguin (targeting unnatural external link profiles).
How is it used
Most (if not all) algorithms are intended to improve the relevance of search results. But some are designed to penalize sites or pages that do not respect the guidelines (for example artificial backlinks or keyword stuffing) or favor sites or pages that have a specific characteristic (e.g. speed, HTTPS secure protocol, mobile compatibility).
What does it consider
In the case of Google, its robots come to browse your site to study many criteria, such as the technical quality of your site, the quality of text or image content, or the display speed, the ease of navigation, etc.. And so it calculates through its different algorithms your scores. It then positions your site among many others on different searches in the results of its engine.
The quality and quantity of content
Today, Google favors long and relevant content, written in an attractive way and aiming at a good positioning. According to studies conducted in 2019, the right length of content per page in SEO would be about 2000 words. This is the length of content that the majority of pages in the first position of Google have. Google’s algorithms therefore favor relevant, quality and especially unique content. Conversely, they can penalize a site whose content is poor or just overloaded with tricks. It takes a lot of work to be in the top results.
Remember: You must understand how Google’s algorithms work. By knowing the expectations of the search engine and by respecting its directives, you will be able to benefit from a good natural referencing.