1.5Beginner9 min

Ranking Factors: How Google Determines Order

Lucas Blochberger·7 April 2026·Updated 10 June 2026

Definition

Ranking factors are the signals and criteria that Google uses to determine the order of search results for a specific search query. Google uses over 200 known factors in its ranking algorithm.

Key Takeaways

✓Google does not name a fixed number of ranking factors, but evaluates 'many factors and signals' across hundreds of billions of pages; the popular '200 factors' is a myth, not a confirmed figure.
✓Relevance and content quality, backlinks/authority, and E-E-A-T are considered the strongest signal groups; Core Web Vitals, Mobile-First, and HTTPS act more as supporting factors or tie-breakers.
✓Ranking factor and correlation must be distinguished: what is reliable is what Google confirms or the 2024 API leak proves, not every correlation from an SEO study.
✓The Helpful Content System has been part of core ranking since March 2024; helpfulness is no longer a separate filter but integrated.
✓AI Overviews reduce CTR for position 1 by around 58 percent according to international analysis, yet AI answers draw from top rankings, making good placements more important, not less.
✓GEO complements SEO: citable content with statistics and sources increases visibility in generative answers by up to 40 percent according to a Princeton study.
✓B2B prioritization in the DACH region: first technical foundation and search intent (quick wins), then content quality and E-E-A-T, long-term authority and backlinks.

Google uses hundreds of signals to determine the ranking of search results. Understanding these ranking factors is key to successful SEO.

The most important ranking factor categories

Content relevance is the most fundamental factor. Google evaluates how well a page's content matches the search query. This involves not just keywords, but semantic relevance, thematic depth, and satisfaction of search intent.

Backlinks and authority signals form the second pillar. Every link from an external website is a vote of confidence. The quality and thematic relevance of the linking website is more important than sheer quantity. In 2026, unlinked brand mentions are gaining importance.

User experience is the third pillar. Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS), mobile-friendliness, and page speed influence ranking. The impact is estimated at 10-15 percent and primarily acts as a tie-breaker between pages with similar content.

E-E-A-T as an overarching framework

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's not a single ranking factor, but an overarching quality framework that applies to virtually all competitive queries since the December 2025 Core Update.

Experience means demonstrable first-hand experience. Expertise is shown through technical depth and precision. Authoritativeness is built through external signals like citations and industry recognition. Trustworthiness is based on transparency, source citations, and consistent information quality.

The Google API Leak 2024

In May 2024, internal Google API documents became public. These confirmed several suspected ranking signals: Google uses click data and Chrome browser data as ranking signals. Brand authority plays a central role. Document freshness is weighted more heavily than publicly communicated.

Ranking factors for AI visibility

For visibility in AI-generated answers, different factors partially apply. Brand mentions correlate with 0.664 to AI visibility, while traditional backlinks only correlate with 0.218. Source citations, statistics, and expert quotes increase AI citation probability by 30-40 percent.

Data & Statistics

Das #1-Ergebnis erhält durchschnittlich 27,6 Prozent aller Klicks, die Top-3-Ergebnisse zusammen 54,4 Prozent (Analyse von 4 Millionen Suchergebnissen, international).

Backlinko - We Analyzed 4 Million Google Search Results (Organic CTR Study) (2025)

96,55 Prozent aller Seiten im Ahrefs-Index erhalten null Traffic von Google (Datenbasis rund 14 Milliarden Seiten, international).

Ahrefs Blog - 96.55% of Content Gets No Traffic From Google (Search Traffic Study) (2023)

Suchmaschinen-Marktanteil in Österreich (Mai 2026): Google 81,87 Prozent, Bing 9,01 Prozent, DuckDuckGo 2,75 Prozent.

StatCounter Global Stats - Search Engine Market Share Austria (2026)

Anfang 2025 nutzten 8,69 Millionen Menschen in Österreich das Internet, bei einer Online-Penetration von 95,3 Prozent.

DataReportal - Digital 2025: Austria (2025)

Google bewertet 'viele Faktoren und Signale' über hunderte Milliarden Seiten im Index; das Helpful Content System wurde im März 2024 Teil der Core-Ranking-Systeme.

Google Search Central - A Guide to Google Search Ranking Systems (2024)

2025 gab es 3 bestätigte Core Updates (März, Juni, Dezember) und 1 Spam Update (August), gegenüber 7 bestätigten Updates im Jahr 2024; Google bestätigt nicht alle Core Updates.

Search Engine Land - Google algorithm updates 2025 in review (2025)

Bei vorhandenem AI Overview sinkt die durchschnittliche Klickrate für Position 1 um rund 58 Prozent (Analyse von 300.000 Keywords, international).

Ahrefs Blog - Update: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 58% (2026)

Gezielte GEO-Methoden können die Sichtbarkeit in generativen Antworten um bis zu 40 Prozent steigern.

Aggarwal et al. - GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (Princeton, KDD 2024) (2024)

FAQ

How many ranking factors does Google really use?

Google does not name a fixed number. In official documentation, Google speaks of evaluating many factors and signals across hundreds of billions of pages in the index. The often-cited 'over 200 ranking factors' is a popular mnemonic from older statements, not a currently confirmed figure. It makes more sense to think in signal groups such as relevance, authority, user signals, and technical quality rather than a fixed factor list.

Which ranking factors are the most important?

The strongest signal groups are considered to be relevance and content quality (meeting search intent), backlinks and authority (references from trustworthy, topically relevant sites), and the E-E-A-T quality framework. Core Web Vitals, Mobile-First, and HTTPS are confirmed but act more as supporting factors or tie-breakers for otherwise equal pages. Google does not publish an officially weighted list.

Is E-E-A-T a direct ranking factor?

No, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is not a single factor with a point value, but a quality framework describing what content Google's systems try to reward. E-E-A-T is especially important for sensitive YMYL topics. In practice, you strengthen it through transparent authorship, substantiated statements, clear contact information, and content from first-hand experience.

How do AI Overviews affect the importance of top rankings?

AI Overviews noticeably reduce click-through rates. According to an international analysis of 300,000 keywords, the average CTR for position 1 drops by around 58 percent when an AI Overview is present. Nevertheless, top rankings do not become unimportant, quite the opposite: AI answers frequently cite the top-ranking sources. A good ranking is therefore the prerequisite for being mentioned in the AI answer at all.

How do Core Updates affect my rankings?

Core Updates re-evaluate broad ranking quality and can noticeably shift visibility. In 2025, there were three confirmed Core Updates and one Spam Update. Google does not confirm all Core Updates, so unannounced fluctuations are normal. The right response to a loss is not a quick technical fix, but improving content quality and E-E-A-T; recovery usually follows only with the next update.

What distinguishes a ranking factor from a correlation?

A ranking factor is a signal that Google demonstrably uses for sorting, confirmed for example through official documentation or the 2024 Google API leak. A correlation only means that well-ranked pages share a characteristic, such as a certain text length. This does not prove causality: such characteristics can be side effects of good content without being a factor themselves. What is reliable is what Google confirms, not every study correlation.

Which ranking factors should B2B companies in the DACH region tackle first?

First the quick wins: technical foundation (indexability, mobile usability, HTTPS) and meeting search intent per page. Medium-term follows content quality and E-E-A-T as well as citable GEO elements for AI Overviews. Long-term, building authority and earned backlinks pays off. In the DACH region, optimization for Google is sufficient due to its market share of over 81 percent; idiomatic German and local relevance strengthen relevance.

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