What Are Search Engines Really Looking for? For someone new to the online industry, it can take time to get a grasp on what matters for search engines and what doesn’t. Experimentation and testing can be an option, but for startups with no budget, time, and resources to do so, this is not feasible. So, it goes back to the problem. What do search engines look for when ranking websites in their search results? There are several factors that search engines take into account when ranking websites in their search results. Some of the most important factors include the quality and relevance of the content on a website, the website’s authority and link popularity, and the user experience provided by the website. One of the best ways to improve your website’s ranking in search results is to invest in SEO. However, SEO can be expensive and time-consuming, which isn’t always feasible for startups.