For the past several days, I've been watching this thread at WebmasterWorld with a great title named "Still Believe in 200 Rank Factors & Santa Claus?"
It basically goes on to say that the Google PR pitch that Google has over 200 ranking signals has not changed for like ten years and by now, it is probably well over 200.
The moderator of the forum wrote:
The whole idea of 200 factors that Google checks a site for is quaint, like Jell-O . A checklist of things you have to do right is convenient but that's not how search engines work.The 200 ranking factors has been with us since about a year or two after Google was out of diapers. There have literally been thousands of changes to the Google algorithm.
Do you still believe there are 200 ranking factors?
So then I spot John Mueller of Google posting a message on Twitter yesterday about the thread calling it an "interesting discussion." I think it is him mocking the thread and implying webmasters should not focus on the checklist of ranking signals but rather make a "quality web site" that "users love" and is better than the competitors.
Just last year Google reiterated the 200 number and stuck with it.
Either way, it is a fun thread to read through if you have time. Of course, going through a check list of ranking signals and applying them to your web site might not be the best use of your time.
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
