Though well-known within SEO, others in digital marketing may not realize that Google receives extensive feedback from third-party quality testers. The guidelines for these raters are freely available online.
While just one source, it does show us that Google is trying to align our perceptions with its algorithm. Here are some probable conclusions from this document:Authorship exists a separate entity beyond the website alone for evaluating quality.
Google looks for signs of a positive reputation via reviews and even discussions addressing sentiment behind an entity.
Specific media could be valued more highly for a certain subject, such as videos instead of text.
Transparency through contact and support information is vital.
Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) topics involving current events, government, finance, shopping, health, & safety have very high standards, requiring formal expertise to support these pages.
The recent May algorithm update hit thin pages hard, yet the guidelines make clear that a satisfying amount of content is needed for many topics.
If you work backward from what Google seeks, your website will only rank better and better.
One last tip… study your top-ranking competitors to know what works, as every search query differs in how it weighs ranking factors.