Core SEO Factors Behind 80% of Website SEO Success

Did you know that one small change in Google's algorithm can knock your website out of the top search results in an instant? 

If you keep doing SEO the old way without updating to new changes, your website can easily drop out of the top, and may even be penalized if it gets caught in a major Google update. SEO is getting more complex and competition is fierce. Do you really know which SEO factors are affecting your website's position in search engines? If not, let's MONA Media explore the key factors that affect SEO in this article.

What are Google ranking factors?

Google ranking factors are the criteria Google uses to decide where a website ranks on the search results page. Examples include helpful content, quality backlinks, page loading speed, and good display on mobile devices.

These factors are what affect SEO website. If you optimize them well, your website has a chance to reach the top and attract more potential customers.

Google always prioritizes quality content and user experience, so understanding the factors that affect SEO is an important step when doing SEO.

Top 10 most important SEO factors in 2026

Google's algorithm is updated continuously to improve user experience, so today's ranking factors are no longer limited to keywords or backlinks like before. To do SEO effectively, you need to master the core SEO factors and optimize across the board so your website reaches a high position on the TOP SERP.

Quality content is one of the factors that affect SEO 

Among the factors that affect SEO, producing quality content is always a top priority for search engines. Even as the algorithm keeps updating, Google still rewards content that is truly helpful and meets users' needs and search intent, rather than articles made just to "game the top spot" mechanically.

A professional SEO-standard articles quality means readers find exactly what they need, and it is easy to read, easy to understand, and not stuffed with meaningless information. 

In addition, content needs to be optimized according to E-E-A-T factors in SEO which Google uses to judge content quality and a website's trustworthiness.

Why does quality content matter among SEO factors?

• Google prefers to show content that is truly valuable, matches search intent, is not copied, and doesn't ramble, so it satisfies the user's query
• Helps build brand credibility 
• Higher conversion rate 
• Keeps users on the page longer with a good reading experience, which lowers the bounce rate.

How to build quality, SEO-ready content? To write quality content, keep these points in mind:

• Understand search intent: What does the user want to know? Are they researching, comparing, or about to buy?
• Write to real needs to solve the user's actual problem
• Clear, easy-to-read layout: Clear headings, short paragraphs, well-structured ideas, sensible keyword placement, and illustrative images that are visual and easy to remember

Importance of the content factor in SEO: 10/10

Website security: an SEO factor you can't ignore

When people talk about core SEO factors, many think of SEO keywords, content, or backlinks. But in fact, website security, specifically moving from HTTP to HTTPS, is also one of the most important SEO factors you shouldn't skip.

Google has recommended moving to HTTPS since 2014. It protects user data through SSL certificate and builds trust when users visit your website. 

If your site still uses HTTP, browsers like Chrome will show a "Not secure" warning, which makes users uneasy and leave right away. That raises the bounce rate and hurts your full-scope SEO.

Moving to HTTPS isn't hard. You can do it in the following ways:

• Just buy an SSL certificate or use a free one from your hosting provider.
• Install SSL on your website.
• Update internal and external links from HTTP to HTTPS.
• Set up 301 redirects to keep your traffic and avoid errors when users open old links.

Importance of the security factor in SEO: 9/10

Optimize for AI search: an important SEO factor to note

Optimizing for AI SEO is no longer just about getting your website to the Top. It is about getting your brand chosen, cited, and trusted by AI. In an era where ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI search engines no longer "scroll through 10 pages of results" and instead summarize from the most trusted sources, optimizing for AI Search is not just an SEO trend but the new focus of SEO.

To give your website a better chance of being "cited" by AI in search results, don't overlook these key factors:

• Referring domains: The more quality pages link to you, the more AI trusts you and the more easily it puts your content in its answers.
• Traffic domain: A website with many regular visitors is seen as trustworthy and informative.
• Domain and page trust (Domain/Page Trust): AI favors sources that have been "verified" over time, such as sites with a good history, little spam, and transparent content.
• Fast page loading with few errors: A smooth experience not only keeps users engaged but is also a positive signal to AI.
• Truly quality content with a clear structure: Don't write just to have something published. Invest properly in in-depth content with an FAQ, clear Q&A sections, and regular updates so it always matches readers' needs.
• Presence on community platforms: Appearing on platforms such as Reddit or professional forums also adds to the authenticity and "weight" of your content in AI's eyes.

AI platforms don't pick the website that talks the loudest. They pick the one that is the most trustworthy, and you can build that with practical factors, no tricks needed. AI Search may send less traffic, but the quality is much higher. Instead of chasing volume, focus on showing up at the right moment in the answers AI gives. That is how you gain a real edge in today's customer decision journey.

Importance of the AI factor in SEO: 9/10

Mobile-friendly website: an SEO factor you can't ignore

One of the most important factors affecting SEO today is how well your site displays on mobile devices. Since 2015, Google has favored mobile-friendly websites in search results. If your website isn't phone-friendly, your search rankings may suffer

This is a on-page SEO factor is important because it directly affects user experience. Google wants to make sure users can easily access and use a website on every device, especially mobile.

Today, responsive website design is no longer as hard as it used to be.

• If you use Wix or Squarespace, most templates already support it.
• With WordPress, just pick a responsive theme. There are many nice, free, easy-to-install options.

A common mistake is a mobile version that has less content than the desktop version. This hurts user experience and SEO performance. So make sure both versions carry equivalent content in quantity and quality.

Importance of the Mobile Friendly factor in SEO: 9/10

Page loading speed: an important On-page SEO factor

Page loading speed is one of the key on-page SEO factors Google puts first. A slow website not only frustrates users, it also lowers the performance of a website SEO strategy significantly.

According to Google, if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load fully, up to 50% of visitors will leave right away. This hurts user experience and raises the bounce rate, an indirect SEO factor that affects search rankings.

You can use Google PageSpeed Insights tool to check the speed of each page and optimize loading speed in the following ways:

• Compress images and videos
• Remove unnecessary plugins
• Use high-quality hosting
• Enable caching

Importance of the page loading speed factor in SEO: 8.75/10

Optimize technical factors in SEO

When doing SEO, besides quality content and backlinks, optimizing technical SEO factors also plays a very important role. This is the foundation that helps Google understand your website content and rate your pages higher when ranking.

Here are some technical SEO factors you need to optimize:

• Put the main keyword in the page title Title: the title is the first place Google "reads" to work out the main content of the page. So place your target keyword in the title in a natural, readable way.
• Clear meta description, engaging: write a short description that contains the keyword and is attractive enough to raise click-through rate (CTR).
• Title tag (H1, H2, H3, etc.): splitting content into clear sections makes it easier for Google to index and for readers to follow.
• ALT tags for images: add related keywords to the image description to increase relevance and support image search.
• Structured data (Schema Markup): install schema.org so Google understands each content element and the page qualifies for rich snippets.

Importance of the technical factor in SEO: 9/10

Domain age: the most important SEO factor to note

A domain's age together with a website's credibility are important factors that help improve SEO rankings. According to statistics, more than 50% of websites on Google's first page are 3 years old or more, showing that stability and trustworthiness are criteria Google values highly when ranking

However, a new website can absolutely climb to the top of the SERP if it is optimized correctly from the start, especially by focusing on technical factors, building quality content, and delivering the best user experience.

Using a keyword-rich domain name can also give a small SEO advantage, as long as the website content is truly relevant and useful. On the other hand, if you only stuff keywords without real value, Google will rate you lower and may even reduce the page's credibility.

For a new website, start with simple but effective steps:

• Use a clear, memorable URL
• Publish quality, SEO-ready content regularly
• Build links naturally
• Optimize the experience on both desktop and mobile

Importance of the domain name factor in SEO: 5/10

Backlinks: an important off-page SEO factor

Among the factors that affect SEO, besides quality content, backlinks are the off-page SEO factor with the greatest weight. They are one of the signals Google uses to judge how trustworthy and popular your website is on the Internet.

Simply put, backlinks are links from other websites pointing to your page, like "votes" showing your page has value. The more "votes" you get from reputable sites, the more likely Google is to show your website in a high position.

However, quantity matters less than quality. Google no longer favors mass links and now focuses on three main things: the authority of the linking site, topical relevance, and how natural the backlinks look.

So one backlink from an authority website in the same field is worth many times more than dozens of links from low-quality, unrelated, or spammy sources.

Importance of the backlink factor in SEO: 8/10

Social: a traffic-related SEO factor you can't ignore

Although Google doesn't treat social signals as a direct ranking factor, sharing and engagement on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter clearly affect search rankings (SERP).

When your content is widely shared, more and more people visit, read, and spend time engaging with the post. This increases organic traffic, lowers the bounce rate, and sends Google positive signals that your content is relevant, engaging, and valuable. These are indirect but important factors in ranking.

What's more, when your content reaches more people, you also have a better chance of earning natural backlinks from other websites. And as we know, backlinks are one of the core SEO factors that raise a website's credibility and rankings.

So to get the most from social media, create quality content that is easy to share and useful to readers.

Importance of the social factor in SEO: 5/10

User experience (UX): a factor in optimizing SEO for your website

When optimizing SEO factors for a website, besides content and technical work, another equally important factor that Google prioritizes is user experience (UX). 

With the help of Google RankBrain, Google's algorithm can measure user behavior almost in real time to judge website quality.

There are 3 SEO factors related to user experience you need to note:

• Bounce Rate: If users click a search result and leave right away, Google will assume the page content is not a good match, and that can make you drop in rankings.
• Dwell Time: The longer users stay after visiting, the more Google values the content. It is an indirect metric of how useful the article is.
• Click-through rate (CTR): If many people click your result on Google, it shows your title and description are attractive enough, and Google will favor you more in rankings.

To improve CTR, optimize your meta description tag so it is short, clear, engaging, and contains related keywords. It is the first thing shown in search results and directly affects whether people click.

Finally, although many SEO factors affect UX, content quality and website performance remain the two core points that keep users engaged, lower the bounce rate, and improve rankings sustainably.

Importance of the user experience factor in SEO: 9/10

In the past, reaching the Top was enough for peace of mind in SEO. Now, many businesses face an "ironic" situation: they rank in the Top, yet AI doesn't mention them at all. They invest properly in content, traffic is stable, keywords hold their rank… but when users ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Google AI, the brand disappears completely from the answers. That is the biggest pain of SEO in the AI era: SEO keeps climbing, money keeps being spent, but your brand isn't among the choices AI makes. The reason is that AI doesn't care what position you hold. It only favors content that is clearly understood, verified, and mentioned across many different sources. 

That is why businesses need a different way of doing SEO. At MONA Media, our team delivers overall SEO combined with SEO AI, so your website not only reaches the Top but is also chosen by AI, cited by AI, and shown right when customers ask questions. When your brand is in the AI's answer, you have already won before the user clicks on any website.

Why choose website SEO services at MONA Media?

• Constantly updated AI SEO technology: MONA uses the latest AI tools to analyze intent, search behavior, and global algorithm trends.
• SEO strategy customized for each industry: No mass-market templates. Each website gets its own set of keywords, content, structure, and plan that fit your field.
• Experienced SEO expert team: Specialized in AI SEO, technical SEO, entity building, and structured content, making sure your website is rated highly by both users and AI.
• Optimize to raise rankings and also grow AI Visibility: Your website not only ranks in the Top but is also mentioned by AI, so customers recognize your brand even before they click.
• Sustainable results, no flash-in-the-pan SEO: Our team focuses on building a long-term foundation, in-depth content, stable technical SEO, and lasting domain trust.

If you want your website to not only reach the Top but also be chosen and cited by AI, let MONA Media walk this road with you. Contact our hotline now 1900 636 648 for detailed advice and the overall SEO quote that fits your business best.

Frequently asked questions about SEO factors

1, Which factors affect a website's Google ranking the most?

The most important factors affecting a website's Google ranking include: content quality, SEO optimization (such as sensible keyword use and better user experience), quality backlinks, page loading speed, mobile compatibility, website security (HTTPS), and structured data (schema markup). A good balance of these factors not only helps Google understand and index your site, it also improves user experience and so lifts rankings sustainably.

2, What is the most important SEO factor, contributing 80% of SEO success?

The most important SEO factors contributing 80% of success in SEO today are quality content and user experience (UX). Specifically:

• Quality content: Content must provide real, unique value, answer users' questions and needs, and be optimized for keywords without stuffing. This is the central factor that earns Google's trust and brings in lasting traffic.
• User experience (UX): This covers fast page loading, a mobile-friendly interface, easy-to-navigate structure, and readable content. A good experience keeps users longer, lowers the bounce rate, and helps improve rankings.

You also need to optimize technical factors such as Core Web Vitals, on-page SEO, quality backlink building, and brand credibility.