This is a question I get asked all the time, and when you're focusing on the search engine optimisation for your site, knowing the factors that Google takes into consideration when assessing your site can be very useful.

So let's have a look at the various factors involved:

Link Popularity
The more people who link to your site gives the impression that your site is popular. It has something within it that other people want to share with their own site visitors. The more links you have to your site the better but the best links are relevant links. Offering to swap links with similar or complementary websites can be useful. For example, if you have a website selling garden furniture, then swapping links with a website that sells plants and garden ornaments is a great idea. The links will aid your search engine optimisation, and you may find that visitors spending money on one site, will make a purchase on the other too.

Updates
The regularity of your site updates plays a big role in your Google ranking. Consistent change works best. Buying in or picking up for free huge amounts of content and dropping it into your site all at once will go against you. Adding a new article or post to your site every day or so will give a much better impression of a naturally growing website. Adding new content also keeps visitors coming back, and your information will be taken all the more seriously as your visitors will know it is not out of date.

Keyword and phrases
Wherever you get the chance to naturally add your keywords and phrases then do so, but don't go overboard. If it doesn't fit naturally then don't add it in. Don't forget hyperlink text, alt tags and title tags. All great places to add your chosen key phrases and often overlooked. When you're using key words and phrases in your content do double check the spelling. Google's page ranking process includes a spell checker, and words that are not spelt correctly will be overlooked. If these happen to be your key words then your page ranking will be affected. Of course correct spelling and grammar is important anyway if you want come across as a professional website. Proof read all your content before you publish it and if possible get someone else to read it through too.

Domain Longevity
You'll fare better with Google if you have a long running site. Real sites stand the test of time. Sites set up overnight for spamming purposes disappear just as quickly. A site that has been around for a while is more likely to be useful and legitimate.

Site Traffic
Google will monitor the traffic to your site and various aspects of the visitors stay on your website will be assessed. They will take into consideration how long a person spends on your site, so pure numbers of visitors isn't the only factor. You will rank higher if you have ten visitors who spend half an hour browsing several pages on your site, than if you have a hundred visitors who look at the first page then leave your site again after just a few seconds.

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