What is a ranking signal?
A ranking signal is a specific piece of data or information that search engines use as input to calculate the relevance and importance of a web page for a particular search query. Ranking signals are used by search engines to interpret and analyze various ranking factors and make decisions about how to rank web pages.
For example, if a web page contains the keyword “blue widgets” in its title tag, meta description, and body content, these occurrences of the keyword may serve as ranking signals that influence the page’s relevance for a search query containing the term “blue widgets.” Similarly, if a web page has many authoritative backlinks, these backlinks can act as ranking signals indicating the page’s authority and importance.
What is the difference between a ranking factor and a ranking signal?
Ranking factors are the characteristics or elements that search engines use to assess the relevance and importance of a web page. At the same time, ranking signals are the specific data or information that search engines use to interpret and analyze those ranking factors to determine the ranking of web pages in search results.