Winning in Google: which factors matter in 2024?

Carel Schrier

1 Jul 2026 - 13 min leestijd

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Winning in Google: which factors matter in 2024?

Discover the essential factors for winning with Google in 2024! From Core Web Vitals to AI, learn how to optimise your website for success.

In the ever-evolving world of SEO, one question remains constant on the horizon: how do I rank highly in Google's search results? The answer is hidden within the Google algorithm, but that is not so simple. Updates are regularly rolled out to improve the algorithm. Sometimes these are small updates with little impact, but there are also updates that do have a major impact. Think of updates such as: Quality Updates, RankBrain and Fred. At the same time, this means you constantly need to keep optimising your website. However, there is always a common thread running through the factors you need to take into account. Which ones are they? We have listed them for you in this blog, so you can start winning in Google.

1. Core Web Vitals

Starting with one of the most fundamental, and by now crucial, elements for high Google rankings: page speed. Google has included page load times in rankings for a while, but has placed increasing emphasis on this in recent years. These are the so called Core Web Vitals, key metrics that measure loading performance.

Google looks at the following when it comes to page speed:

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): measures how quickly the content loads. The aim is to have a load time of no more than 2.5 seconds.
FID (First Input Delay): measures responsiveness during interactions. The aim is to keep this below 100 milliseconds.
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): measures visual stability while the page loads. The target is 0.1 or lower.

Pages that deliver poor Core Web Vitals will suffer for it in the rankings. So make sure you run a scan with Google's PageSpeed tool to find out where you stand.

2. Technology

Besides optimising the speed of your website, you also need to look closely at the technology. Content cannot excel if your website is not technically sound. You can create the most fantastic content and have the most powerful backlinks, but it simply will not help. At the very least, take the following points into account:

A fast web host with a good CDN.
A fast working web framework, such as React.
Implement HTTP/2 and HTTP/3.
Minify code.
Compress resources to reduce file sizes.
Enable brotli or zopfli compression for smaller page loads.
Cache assets locally.
Choose PHP 8+ for better performance.

3. User experience

Google's primary goal has always been to provide users with the most relevant content that matches their search intent. This goes hand in hand with an excellent website experience in terms of UX (User Experience). Try to identify the pain points using, for example, Clarity or HotJar. Elements that improve UX include:

A simple navigation menu.
Easy page layouts with clear calls to action.
Clear visual elements and clear typography.
Consistent branding.
Supplementary content such as FAQs, sitemaps and related posts.
Working internal links to improve crawlability.
A simple search function.

4. Mobile friendliness

Mobile is now firmly embedded in the digital landscape. That is why mobile friendliness also plays an essential role among the ranking factors. Google has stated that it indexes on a mobile first basis by default. But what makes a site mobile friendly? Think of:

Responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes.
Simple navigation and page layouts for both mobile and desktop.
Avoiding pages and pop ups that disrupt the user experience.
Fast page speeds.
Avoiding awkward horizontal scrolling.
Readable text

5. Domain authority

One of the elements that is often overlooked is domain authority. It essentially indicates how authoritative your website is, or how much trust it has built up. Higher authority has a strong influence on your rankings and on competition for search terms. If you are working on your domain authority, take the following points into account:

Gather backlinks from websites with high authority. Focus on quality rather than quantity here.
Stay up to date and publish relevant content regularly.
Domains with a longer history are often seen as more authoritative.
Use HTTPS across your entire site. Not just for security, but also for trustworthiness.
Visitors who spend time exploring your site help you build authority.
Social shares, comments and other engagement improve your authority.

6. SEO optimised content

Although many factors influence your rankings, content naturally remains one of the most important ones. After all, Google wants to match searchers with the most relevant content. Make sure your content strategy makes use of E-E-A-T. This stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Besides creating content that answers your target audience's search intent, you also let your experience within the subject shine through. You can demonstrate trust and expertise in several ways. Think of certifications, case studies and biographies, for example. When writing, take the following into account:

Create content that genuinely answers the search query. Simple, short pieces of content often fail to rank.
Use keywords appropriately within your content to signal relevance. Make sure you do not overdo it by including the keyword dozens of times in your text.
A clear page structure matters. Use headings with H1 and H2, clear sections and, where relevant, a table of contents.
Make sure your content is engaging enough to read, but above all pleasant to read. Make sure your text, for example, meets B1 level.
Alternate your text with relevant images, videos or other supplementary content.
Make use of so called pillar pages and clusters. Pillar pages are extremely well suited to informational search queries.
Cite sources that are relevant to your content. This opens up opportunities for potential backlinks.
If you use AI, make sure you add your own touch to the text and make additions to make the text your own.

7. Voice Search Optimisation (VSO)

Voice search is a factor that may still have somewhat less impact today, but is making huge strides. There are more and more smart devices in the home that you can give instructions to using Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant. For SEO purposes, this means you need to take the following into account:

Focus on long tail formats phrased as questions.
Use natural, spoken language in your text.
Optimise pages for Featured Snippets.

8. Local SEO

Especially if you run a local business, optimising your Google Business Profile is hugely important. When optimising your location, make sure you have:

A fully completed profile with photos, website link, opening hours and other relevant information.
Reviews coming in, actively managed. Engage with them.
Consistent details for business name, address and phone number.
Content that also targets local terms, such as 'cinema Goes'.
Regular posts within your profile.

9. AI

I touched on this earlier, but one of the fastest moving developments is AI. There are more and more ways to combine AI with your SEO work, although human input still remains essential for now. Within HubSpot there are also plenty of options for using AI within the platform. Think of possibilities such as:

Let AI write your meta text.
Create content easily with the help of AI.
Have your text rewritten to B1 language level
Find backlink opportunities.

We are also happy to answer the 10 most frequently asked questions on Google regarding Google's ranking factors:

1. What are the most important Google ranking factors?
Above, we have described the most important elements when it comes to ranking factors. These are the topics: Core Web Vitals, tech stack, user experience, mobile friendliness, domain authority, SEO optimised content, voice search optimisation, local SEO and AI.

2. How can I optimise my website for Google's algorithm?
Make sure you know where your website's pain points lie. So start by mapping these out using SEO tools such as Ahrefs or SEMRush. You then get a so called Site Health score, insight into domain authority and much more. With this you can create a prioritised plan to review and adjust everything where needed.

3. Does my website's speed affect my Google ranking?
Yes, website speed definitely affects your rankings, but do not get fixated on it. A score of 80 or above is already a solid basis and will already have the necessary effect, but always keep aiming for 100. There is always room for improvement, of course!

4. How important are backlinks for SEO?
Backlinks are certainly an important part of becoming more findable, or achieving higher rankings. They indicate the extent to which your website is an authority, or in other words how trustworthy your website is. So make sure you gather relevant, high quality backlinks. In this case, go for quality rather than quantity!

5. How does Google measure the usability of a website?
To measure your website's usability, you use Search Console. By verifying your domain, you enable Google to measure usability. This gives you insight into important data, such as crawl and indexing issues, which search terms are used to reach your website, and how you perform within the search results.

6. How important is mobile optimisation for Google rankings?
We touched on this earlier in this blog, but mobile is now firmly embedded in the digital landscape. It is therefore no surprise that mobile optimisation plays an essential role among the ranking factors. As mentioned, Google has stated that it indexes on a mobile first basis by default.

7. How does Google's RankBrain work and what does it mean for SEO?
Google RankBrain is a piece of technology used within the search algorithms. For Google RankBrain, Google employees defined so called "Training Data". This data contains the best search results. Based on those websites, RankBrain builds its own algorithm. This algorithm may therefore include the factors that were once defined, but nothing about that is certain. Your entire website is now run through the RankBrain algorithm in full. This forms the basis for what determines positions in Google. There are, of course, still rules of thumb and factors that play a major role, and we have summarised these above.

8. What is the impact of social signals on Google rankings?
There has been discussion for years about the extent to which a social media channel influences your Google rankings. Even Google itself has stated that social media has no effect on your rankings, but despite all these claims, things appear to work differently in practice. Several studies from various agencies show that it can indeed have an impact. So make sure you also stay active and up to date on the social channels you use.

9. How can I improve my local SEO for better visibility in Google?
As mentioned above, make sure your Google Business Profile is fully completed, gather reviews on your location listing, and post regularly on your profile. This way you build not only trust, but also higher rankings.

10. What are the best practices for using keywords to improve my Google ranking?
Within Google Ads you have the so called Keyword Planner. Look for relevant and suitable terms with the right intent. This may be a huge amount of research work, but ultimately this research forms the basis for your SEO efforts. It is worth taking the time to create a thorough keyword research. Next, you get to work creating pillar pages and clusters to optimise your SEO.

2024 and beyond!

Naturally, everything continues to develop at a rapid pace, and that will be no different on Google's side. Make sure you have mastered the factors above and stay alert to new developments. Becoming more findable is not a game you win in a single day, but a continuous process of optimisation. In doing so, do not forget your other marketing efforts, so that you create an integrated approach to reach your potential customers.