What is SEO and How Google Ranks Pages

You’ve finally got your business online—maybe through a DIY website builder or by hiring a local web designer. But after going live, there’s not much happening. No traffic, no inquiries, no new leads. You’re not alone—this is something many Malaysian SMEs experience.

The reality is, having a website is just the beginning. To attract visitors and potential customers, your website needs to be visible on search engines like Google. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play.

In this guide, we’ll demystify SEO, explain how Google ranks pages, and highlight recent changes that every Malaysian SME should be aware of.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of enhancing your website to improve its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business on search engines like Google.

SEO encompasses various strategies, including:

• On-page SEO: Optimizing content, keywords, meta tags, and internal links.
• Technical SEO: Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and secure.
• Off-page SEO: Building authority through backlinks and online reputation.

For businesses seeking website design in Malaysia, integrating SEO from the outset ensures your site is not only visually appealing but also discoverable by potential customers.

How Google Ranks Pages

Google uses a complex algorithm to decide which web pages show up first in search results. While there are hundreds of ranking factors, four key areas carry the most weight—Relevance, Quality, User Experience, and Authority. Let’s break each of these down in simple terms:

1. Relevance

This is Google’s first checkpoint. When someone types in a search like “aircond service Shah Alam”, Google wants to show results that are most closely related to that search.

So, what makes your content relevant?

• Using the right keywords naturally in your page titles, headings, and content
• Creating dedicated pages for specific services or locations
• Answering the actual questions your customers are asking

For example, if you’re offering home cleaning services in KL, a blog post titled “How to Choose a Reliable Home Cleaner in Kuala Lumpur” is far more relevant than just “Welcome to Our Company”.

📌 Local tip: Including city or area names in your content can help with local SEO, so you show up when someone searches near them.

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2. Quality

Relevance gets your foot in the door. Quality is what gets you a seat at the table.

Google wants to show users content that is:

• Informative and easy to understand
• Well-organised with headings, bullets, and images
• Free from grammar mistakes, broken links, or misleading claims

High-quality content should solve a problem, answer a question, or guide someone to take the next step (like contacting your business). Google also considers E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—especially in industries like finance, health, or legal services.

Pro tip: At Solbright Digital Services, we help Malaysian SMEs create blog content that not only ranks, but actually builds trust with readers over time.

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3. User Experience (UX)

Even the best content won’t rank well if your website is hard to use. Google tracks how people interact with your site—how quickly it loads, whether it works well on phones, and if visitors stick around or bounce away.

To improve UX, a site needs to be:

• Mobile-friendly (over 95% of Malaysians browse on mobile!)
• Fast-loading (especially on slow mobile data)
• Easy to navigate with clear menus and call-to-action buttons
• Free from pop-up spam or confusing layouts

A clean, responsive website design isn’t just nice to have—it’s a ranking factor. That’s why we include SEO-friendly design in all our website design Malaysia packages.

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4. Authority

Authority is about how trustworthy and respected your site appears to Google.

Traditionally, this was measured by the number of backlinks (links from other sites to yours). And while backlinks still matter, Google recently stated that links are now less important than before. The focus is shifting toward content quality and how well your site helps users.

That said, authority can still be boosted by:

• Earning links from credible sources (like industry blogs or local directories)
• Getting reviews on platforms like Google Maps or Facebook
• Keeping your site updated with fresh, useful content
• Having a consistent online presence across platforms

✅ Reminder: Authority doesn’t happen overnight—but with a long-term SEO strategy, you’ll build it steadily and sustainably.

Recent Changes in Google’s Ranking Criteria

1. Quality Over Quantity in Backlinks

As mentioned earlier, backlinks were a significant factor in SEO. However, Google’s recent updates have shifted focus from the quantity to the quality of backlinks.

2. Crackdown on Low-Quality AI-Generated Content

With the rise of AI tools, there’s been an influx of AI-generated content online. Recognizing this, Google’s March 2024 update aims to reduce unhelpful, low-quality content by 40%. The update targets:

• Scaled Content Abuse: Mass-produced content created to manipulate search rankings.
• Expired Domain Abuse: Repurposing expired domains to host low-quality content.
• Site Reputation Abuse: Hosting low-quality content on high-authority websites to gain ranking benefits.

However, Google isn’t against AI-generated content per se. The key is ensuring that content, whether AI-generated or human-written, provides genuine value to users.

Why SEO Matters for Malaysian SMEs (In a Nutshell)

If you’re still wondering why SEO deserves your time and budget, we’ve covered that in more detail in our dedicated post:
👉 [How SEO Helps Malaysian SMEs Grow Online (And Why Content Strategy Matters)]
(It’s a must-read if you’re serious about using digital tools to grow.)

But in short—if people can’t find you online, you’re missing out on business. SEO helps put your brand in front of the right people, at the right time.

SEO is Not a One-Off Effort

A common mistake many businesses make is treating SEO like a checklist item—something you “do” once and forget. The truth is, SEO is an ongoing game. Google’s algorithm is constantly evolving, and strategies that worked a few years ago might now do more harm than good.

Take keyword stuffing, for example. It used to be common practice to repeat keywords like “best aircond service KL” 10 times in one paragraph. These days, Google sees that as spammy—and it could hurt your rankings.

That’s why at Solbright Digital Services, we offer not just SEO-optimized website design, but also ongoing SEO services to help your rankings improve over time.

Learn how SEO is done, and let us handle the SEO while you focus on growing your business.

Conclusion

SEO is no longer just about inserting keywords or accumulating backlinks. It’s about providing valuable, relevant content that meets the needs of your audience. With Google’s evolving algorithms, focusing on quality and user experience is more important than ever.

If you’re ready to enhance your online presence and drive more traffic to your website, Solbright Digital Services is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our SEO and website design services tailored for Malaysian SMEs.