Hello!
Search engine results pages (SERPs), are a gateway for visibility, regardless of whether you know it or not. Many people search for information every day. We are often reminded that we need something or want to know the answer to a question. So we type in a query and voilà, we have millions of sites we can visit to find the answer.
These high volumes and close-ubiquitous visibility drive search engine optimization (SEO), which is a strategic effort to improve your website’s ranking in the SERPs. You can make your website rank higher by using tactics such as onsite content creation, technical improvements, and link building.
The better your ranking, the better. This is intuitive for most people. Higher-ranked websites will be seen more often than lower-ranked sites. After all, how many times do you scroll to page two or three of Google search results to find what you’re looking for? Higher-ranked websites get more traffic and make more.
You may not be able to see how important a #1 ranking is for your company. While rank 1 is more important than rank 2, rank 2 is still a great ranking.
Not necessarily. Some studies show that the rank 1 page receives 33 percent of all search engine traffic. Ranking 2 gets only 18%, which is less than half of the traffic received by rank 1. You’ll get around 10% traffic to rank 3 and even less from there.
These are some of the key takeaways.
Traffic generated by rank one is almost twice that of rank 2. You should be aware that rank 2 is not as good as rank 1. However, rank 1 generates almost twice the traffic. A single rank position can instantly double the traffic to a page.
Rankings below four are not worth it. Even if you get to page 2, or 3, it takes effort and time to climb the SERPs. It may not be worthwhile to spend so much time and money to get to rank 4 (depending on the search volume). It is often more beneficial to have one rank 1 position than many page 2 positions.
Authority and visibility flow from rank 1. You’ll be the first website people see. It’s also about increasing visibility and authority. Many people are aware of how hard it takes to reach rank 1.
It was obvious, probably, that rank 1 for any relevant search query was valuable. It was not obvious that rank 1 is more valuable than other ranks.
What steps can you take to ensure you reach rank 1 as often and as frequently as possible?
Understand the Core Components of SEO
Understanding the fundamental components of an SEO strategy is key. While there are many ranking signals to consider, the majority of your strategy will be based on one of these.
Strategic focus. Your SEO strategy must be targeted at the right target. Focusing on keywords outside of your expertise or those that are being dominated already by competitors will cause you to exhaust your budget before you see any meaningful results. Your targeting strategy is the key to everything.
Technical website changes. Google, and other search engines, prefer websites that work well and provide a good user experience. This means that your website must meet Google’s technical standards and all content should be easily accessible to users.
You need content. You need original, deep, well-researched, and targeted onsite content. This will allow you to build authority and optimize for certain topics at the same time.
Link Building. Did You Know that rank 1 websites have 3.8x more backlinks compared to their competitors in positions 2-10? Backlinks give authority to your website.
Therefore, the more backlinks you have, the more authoritative they will be. If you want to rise the SERPs, earning and building backlinks is essential. To reach rank 1, however, you will need nearly four times the number of backlinks than your closest competitors.
Start With the Right Keyword Targets
You must target the correct keywords if you want to reach the right people and increase your chances of ranking 1 on Google.
Prioritize relevance. Consider the keywords your audience will use to find a company similar to yours. It’s not a good idea to optimize for non-relevant or peripherally relevant keywords just because they are easily accessible.
Find out about your top competitors. Where are they currently ranked? What terms are they targeting Which terms are they targeting?
The balance between search volume and competition. Keywords with higher search volumes are more valuable, but also more difficult to rank 1. You should look for terms with a fair amount of volume but not too much competition.
Look for the low-hanging fruits. Long-tail keywords, as well as less frequently searched terms, tend to be more competitive. To establish your position in the SERPs, you should first target this low-hanging fruit.
Only target a handful of terms. This can make your strategy too broad. Start with a few targets and focus on those that are most important to you.
Become the Foremost Authority on a Given Subject
You can become an authority in a field of expertise where there isn’t much competition.
Research thoroughly. Look for other information and learn as much as you can. Your content will be better if you do more research.
Share your original thoughts. Provide a unique perspective. This could be a result of original research or your thoughts.
Long-form content is best. Longer and more detailed content is more reliable than shorter-form content. Each article should contain at least a thousand words.
Promote Your Best Work
Work hard to make work that you are proud of.
Link building is key. Building links is the most important thing you could do. They will give your article authority and allow it to rise in the SERPs. As many natural, organic links are possible to earn and place as often as you can.
Like and share on social networks. Reach out to new people regularly to grow your audience.
Network. Join more groups and get in touch with peers experts. Your network will be more visible to others if it is larger.
Advertise. Advertising is expensive but it can help you build momentum for your latest writings.
Avoid Keyword Cannibalization
Avoid keyword cannibalization. Every page on your website should be focused on one keyword. If multiple pages are competing for the same keyword they will end up conflicting. Keyword cannibalization is a problem that can severely limit your strategy’s effectiveness and prevent you from reaching the top rank.
SEO is not something you can automate. It is also not something you can use intuitively. You will need to conduct extensive research and plan carefully your marketing strategy if you want to be successful.
You can still dominate the competition if you can do so and rank at least one term #1 in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Thank you!
Join us on social networks!
See you!
