Google’s algorithm updates tend to generate a lot of reactive coverage, but the underlying direction has been consistent: reward pages that serve the reader well and penalize ones built primarily to game rankings. Here’s where that actually translates to action in 2023.
1. Content Quality and Relevance
Google’s ability to assess content quality has become significantly better, and the gap between genuinely useful content and SEO-optimized filler has become harder to close by volume alone. The approach that works is also the one that should work: write for the reader, address real questions, provide information that’s actually fresh or specific, and don’t treat SEO optimization and good writing as separate work streams.
2. User Experience
How users behave on your site matters to rankings: bounce rate, time on site, engagement signals. A mobile-friendly, fast-loading site with clear navigation is the baseline. These aren’t just ranking considerations - they affect conversion rate too, so they’re worth fixing regardless of the SEO impact.
3. Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals (page speed (Largest Contentful Paint), interactivity (First Input Delay), and visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift)) are explicit ranking factors. These are measurable and fixable. Page Speed Insights and Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools will tell you where you stand and what to address. This is one of the more technical items on this list but has a clear path from diagnosis to fix.
4. Structured Data and Schema Markup
Schema markup gives search engines additional context about your content (product info, reviews, FAQs, events) and can produce rich snippets in search results. Rich snippets improve click-through rates by making your listing more informative and visually distinct. If you’re not using structured data, you’re ceding real estate in the SERPs that your competitors may be claiming.
5. Voice Search Optimization
Voice queries are more conversational than typed queries (longer, more natural language, more question-based). Optimizing for this means thinking about long-tail keywords and providing direct answers to common questions. The practical reach of voice search varies significantly by category; for most DTC brands it remains a secondary consideration, but it’s worth factoring in for content about high-intent questions your customers are already asking.
6. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
E-A-T is most explicitly relevant for YMYL (“Your Money or Your Life”) content (health, finance, legal). But the underlying principle applies broadly: Google favors content that demonstrates credible expertise, earns links from authoritative sources, and presents accurate, trustworthy information. Building E-A-T is a slow process; it shows up in backlink profiles, author credentials, and the track record of the site over time.
7. Video SEO
Video content has search value on YouTube directly and through Google’s integration of video results in the main SERPs. Optimizing video titles, descriptions, and tags follows similar principles as written content - serve the search intent, be specific, use accurate language. Embedding relevant videos on your site pages can also improve time-on-site, which feeds back into user experience signals.
8. Mobile-First Indexing
Google indexes and ranks based on the mobile version of your site first. This is now the standard rather than an update - but sites with mobile experience issues still exist and still pay for it in rankings. Test your mobile experience, confirm that all content (including images and videos) displays and performs correctly on smaller screens, and treat mobile performance as a primary concern rather than a checkbox.
9. Local SEO
If you have a physical presence or serve specific geographic markets, local SEO warrants its own attention. Keep your Google Business Profile current and complete, maintain consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information across directories, and actively work toward customer reviews. Local visibility is effectively a separate ranking system from organic, and the levers are different.
Most of these factors connect to the same underlying principle: build something that’s actually good for the user, then make sure Google can find and understand it. The brands that chase algorithm updates without addressing the underlying quality tend to find themselves re-optimizing constantly. The ones that build good fundamentals tend to benefit from algorithm changes rather than being hurt by them.