What is the SEO periodic table?
One of the things we're asked most often as an SEO agency is 'how do Google decide who's going to be at the top of the search results?'... A very expansive question with an even more expansive answer!
We've done our best to amalgamate our knowledge and the thoughts of industry experts such as Brian Dean at Backlinko and Rand Fishkin at Moz to put together a periodic table of the main signals that come into play when Google is determining where to rank your website.
Although we'd love to say that our little periodic table gives you the full picture of what it takes to rank in Google, unfortunately there's just too much to cover! In fact, Brian Dean estimates that there are now over 200 signals which Google uses to determine who ranks where.
Why does the SEO Periodic Table matter?
While SEO can feel like a maze of jargon, algorithms and constant updates, the periodic table helps simplify the chaos. By breaking down ranking factors into clear, digestible categories it allows businesses and marketers to understand which areas truly matter.
Rather than chasing the latest “hack” or trend, the periodic table encourages a structured approach to optimisation, ensuring the fundamentals are in place before anything else. It’s essentially a roadmap for sustainable, long-term organic growth.
The core elements
Although Google uses hundreds of signals, many fall into the same broad groups.
The periodic table helps highlight the most influential ones, such as:
Content quality
High-quality, relevant content remains the cornerstone of SEO. Google wants to direct users to pages that answer their questions clearly, comprehensively and with genuine expertise. Thin or generic content rarely performs well in competitive spaces.
User Experience (UX)
From page speed to mobile-friendliness, UX has a huge impact on rankings. If your website is slow, cluttered or confusing to navigate, users are likely to bounce, which sends negative signals to Google.
Technical Foundations
Proper indexing, clean code, structured data and secure browsing all help search engines understand and trust your site. Technical SEO is often overlooked, yet it can make or break your visibility.
Authority and backlinks
Links from reputable websites act as digital votes of confidence. They signal to Google that your content is trustworthy and valuable. Not all links are created equal, though — quality far outweighs quantity.
On-Page optimisation
Features such as title tags, meta descriptions, headers and internal linking help search engines and users understand your content. These are the “fine-tuning” elements that support stronger rankings.
Ecommerce seo agency - how we can help you reach new heights
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