If you’re running a website in 2025, you’re probably well aware that SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is no longer a simple game of throwing in a few keywords and hoping for the best. Google’s algorithm is constantly evolving, and to keep up, you need to focus on the right factors that can help boost your rankings.
Whether you’re based in Melbourne or elsewhere, getting the most out of expert SEO services can make a world of difference. In this guide, we’ll walk through the Top 10 Google SEO ranking factors you need to pay attention to this year to ensure you’re not getting left behind.
1. Content Quality and Relevance
It’s no secret that content is king. But in 2025, Google is more sophisticated than ever at distinguishing between high-quality content and fluff. Google wants to serve its users with the most relevant and useful information for their search intent. If your content doesn’t meet their needs, your rankings will drop.
Why It Matters:
Google’s algorithms, especially RankBrain and BERT, are built to understand the context and intent behind each search query. This means if your content doesn’t answer the user’s question or provide substantial value, it’s likely to rank poorly. Simply loading your page with keywords and subpar content won’t be enough.
What You Should Do:
- Create content that directly addresses search queries and provides value. If you’re writing about SEO Melbourne, for example, dive into specifics that local businesses need to know.
- Write comprehensive articles that provide a thorough answer to the user’s question, even if that means writing longer posts.
- Keep your content up-to-date and refresh it regularly to maintain relevance in an ever-changing search landscape.
2. Mobile-Friendliness
With mobile-first indexing now standard for Google, your site needs to look and function well on mobile devices. In 2025, it’s estimated that over 60% of global searches are made from mobile devices. Google knows this and gives preference to mobile-optimised websites.
Why It Matters:
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re automatically at a disadvantage. When your mobile user experience is poor—whether it’s slow load times, jumbled content, or unresponsive design—your rankings will drop. Google now uses your mobile version for indexing and ranking, which means if it’s a pain to navigate, you’re essentially telling Google to pass you over.
What You Should Do:
- Ensure your website uses responsive design so that it adapts to all screen sizes and resolutions.
- Test the usability and speed of your mobile site using tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
- Ensure that navigation is easy, the fonts are readable, and buttons are easily clickable without zooming.
3. User Experience (UX)
Google’s goal is to provide its users with the best possible experience. That means, if your website is difficult to use, poorly structured, or clunky, your rankings will suffer. User experience (UX) includes all aspects of how users interact with your website.
Why It Matters:
Google pays attention to metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and pages per session to determine how users engage with your content. If users leave your site quickly because it’s difficult to navigate or slow to load, it sends a signal to Google that your content isn’t valuable.
What You Should Do:
- Improve navigation so that visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.
- Remove unnecessary pop-ups and intrusive ads that can disrupt the user journey.
- Create a clean, modern design that keeps the user engaged.
- Conduct usability testing and gather feedback to identify areas for improvement.
4. Page Speed
Page speed is a crucial ranking factor, and it’s only becoming more important as we move into 2025. With so many users expecting fast load times, especially on mobile, Google has made it clear that slow-loading pages will be penalised. The goal is to keep the user engaged without frustration.
Why It Matters:
If a page takes too long to load, visitors are likely to abandon it before it even finishes loading. Google looks at load time and interactive speed when determining your rankings, so slower websites are at a distinct disadvantage.
What You Should Do:
- Compress images and videos to reduce load times.
- Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to distribute content across various servers and improve speed.
- Minimise the number of HTTP requests needed to load a page.
- Regularly test your website’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix, and take the necessary steps to improve performance.
5. Backlinks from Authoritative Sites
Backlinks are still one of the most important factors in ranking well on Google, and their importance isn’t likely to change in 2025. But Google isn’t just looking for any backlinks. It wants to see backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites within your industry.
Why It Matters:
Backlinks act as votes of confidence. When authoritative sites link to your content, it signals to Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Conversely, low-quality or irrelevant backlinks can hurt your site’s reputation.
What You Should Do:
- Focus on getting backlinks from reputable, relevant websites in your industry. For example, if you’re in Melbourne, backlinks from local businesses or news outlets will carry more weight.
- Focus on earning backlinks through quality content and outreach, rather than buying links or using questionable tactics.
- Regularly monitor your backlink profile using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to ensure quality backlinks and disavow any harmful ones.
6. On-Page SEO
On-page SEO refers to the elements on your website that help search engines understand the content of your pages. This includes title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, image alt text, and internal linking.
Why It Matters:
On-page SEO helps Google’s algorithm understand what your page is about. Without proper on-page SEO, it will be difficult for Google to rank your page, even if you have great content.
What You Should Do:
- Optimise your title tags and meta descriptions to include relevant keywords, while ensuring they are written for both users and search engines.
- Use header tags (H1, H2, etc.) to break up content and make it easier to read.
- Add internal links to relevant pages within your website to help users and search engines navigate your site more effectively.
- Don’t forget to optimise images by using descriptive alt text that includes keywords.
7. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)
Google is putting more weight on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as part of its effort to rank high-quality content. If your website lacks E-A-T, particularly in YMYL (Your Money Your Life) topics such as finance, health, or law, your rankings may suffer.
Why It Matters:
Google wants to ensure users get the most accurate, reliable information, especially in sensitive fields. If your website doesn’t meet high E-A-T standards, Google will be hesitant to rank it highly for authoritative topics.
What You Should Do:
- Demonstrate expertise by creating content that reflects your authority in your field. If you’re an SEO professional in Melbourne, for instance, back up your insights with research and case studies.
- Ensure your authors are clearly identified, along with their credentials or experience.
- Encourage reviews and testimonials to build trust.
- Make sure your website has a clear contact page and a privacy policy.
8. Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are a set of performance metrics that Google uses to measure the quality of a user’s experience on your site. These include metrics like loading performance, visual stability, and interactivity.
Why It Matters:
Google is focusing on user experience more than ever. Core Web Vitals help measure how users interact with your site, and poor performance here can directly impact your rankings.
What You Should Do:
- Test your site using Google’s Core Web Vitals tool to assess performance.
- Improve your page’s loading speed, visual stability (avoiding layout shifts), and interactivity by optimizing JavaScript and CSS.
- Make adjustments based on Core Web Vitals reports and aim for Google’s recommended scores.
9. Voice Search Optimisation
Voice search is booming with the rise of voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. As more users perform voice searches, optimising your content for these queries can help you stand out in search results. Voice searches are often more conversational and longer than typed searches, so optimising for these differences is essential in 2025.
Why It Matters:
Voice search queries typically use more natural language and often come in the form of questions (e.g., “What are the best SEO tips in Melbourne?”). Google favours content that answers these queries directly. If you’re not optimising your site for voice search, you’re missing out on a growing segment of search traffic.
What You Should Do:
- Focus on long-tail keywords and question-based queries. For example, instead of targeting “SEO tips,” try something like “How can I improve my SEO in Melbourne?”
- Include a FAQ section on your site, as this is a great way to answer common questions in a conversational tone.
- Make sure your content is clear, concise, and written in a way that sounds natural when spoken aloud.
10. Local SEO
For businesses with a physical presence, local SEO is absolutely vital. Whether you’re an SEO expert in Melbourne or a local café in Sydney, optimising for local search ensures you can be found by people who are near you and searching for your products or services.
Why It Matters:
Google’s local search results are driven by relevance, proximity, and prominence. If your business doesn’t show up in local searches, you’re missing out on significant local traffic. This is particularly important for businesses that rely on foot traffic or local service areas.
What You Should Do:
- Claim and optimise your Google My Business (GMB) profile to ensure it’s accurate and complete.
- Use local keywords in your content, such as “SEO Melbourne” or “best bakery in Sydney,” and optimise for city-specific searches.
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave local reviews on Google and other platforms, as positive reviews can significantly boost your local rankings.
- Get listed in local directories like Yelp, TrueLocal, and other industry-specific sites to improve your local presence.
FAQs
1. What are the most important SEO factors for ranking in 2025?
In 2025, the most important SEO factors include content quality, mobile-friendliness, user experience (UX), page speed, authoritative backlinks, and local SEO. Additionally, focusing on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and Core Web Vitals will be essential for staying competitive.
2. How do I improve my site’s mobile-friendliness?
To improve mobile-friendliness, you should use responsive web design that automatically adapts your site to different screen sizes. Ensure that text is legible without zooming, buttons are easy to click, and images are optimised for faster loading. Regularly test your mobile site using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to identify and fix any issues.
3. What is Core Web Vitals, and why is it important?
Core Web Vitals are metrics used by Google to measure the overall user experience of a website. These metrics include loading performance, visual stability, and interactivity. If your site has poor Core Web Vitals, it could negatively affect your rankings. Google aims to reward websites that provide users with the best possible experience, especially when it comes to fast load times and seamless interactivity.
4. How do I improve my website’s page speed?
To improve your page speed, you can start by compressing images and using next-gen formats like WebP. Minimise CSS and JavaScript files, reduce server response times, and make use of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). Additionally, removing unnecessary redirects and optimising your website’s hosting environment can help speed things up.
5. What is the best way to get backlinks?
The best way to earn backlinks is by creating high-quality content that naturally attracts links from other websites. You can also outreach to influencers or bloggers in your industry to discuss collaboration opportunities. Guest blogging, creating valuable resources (like guides and infographics), and building relationships with others in your field are also effective strategies for acquiring backlinks.
6. Why is local SEO important?
Local SEO is crucial because it helps businesses that serve specific geographic areas be found by customers nearby. If your business relies on local customers (like a restaurant, a retail shop, or a service provider), ranking in local search results is essential for attracting foot traffic and local clients. Ensuring your Google My Business profile is optimised, getting local reviews, and using location-based keywords will improve your local SEO performance.
7. How does voice search affect SEO?
Voice search affects SEO because it involves more conversational and question-based queries. To optimise for voice search, you should focus on long-tail keywords and create content that answers common questions directly. A well-optimised FAQ section can also help capture voice search traffic. Understanding how people phrase their queries when speaking versus typing is key to capturing this type of traffic.
Final Thoughts
SEO in 2025 is about more than just targeting keywords. It’s about offering quality content, providing a fantastic user experience, and building a trustworthy and authoritative online presence. Whether you’re in Melbourne or elsewhere, focusing on these 10 key ranking factors will give you the edge you need to succeed in a highly competitive digital world.
By keeping up with these best practices, optimising for mobile, improving user engagement, and maintaining fast, reliable page speeds, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your site’s performance. Don’t forget to leverage expert SEO services if you need additional support navigating the complex world of SEO in 2025. Your website’s success depends on your ability to stay up-to-date with Google’s evolving ranking factors. Now’s the time to start making these improvements and secure your place at the top of the search results!