Google's original algorithm for measuring a page's importance based on the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to it. While PageRank is no longer a public metric, the underlying principle — links as votes — remains central to how Google ranks pages.
A backlink acquired by paying the linking website. Google's guidelines prohibit paid links intended to manipulate rankings; if detected, both the buyer and seller can face penalties. Paid links should carry a rel="sponsored" attribute.
Expandable question boxes in Google results that show related queries alongside brief answers sourced from third-party pages. Appearing in People Also Ask can dramatically increase your page's organic visibility and click-through rate.
A comprehensive, long-form guide covering a broad topic that serves as the central node of a topic cluster. Pillar pages attract backlinks because of their depth and distribute internal link equity to the cluster's supporting articles.
When a searcher clicks a result, immediately hits the back button, and tries a different listing. Pogo-sticking signals to Google that the first result didn't match the user's search intent, which can hurt that page's ranking over time.
The main search term a page is built around and optimized to rank for. Every piece of content should have one clearly defined primary keyword that aligns with both search intent and business goals.
