What’s a place where you can bury something and no one will ever find it?
Answer: The second page of Google.
Joke aside, almost 75% of people don’t go beyond the first page of Google. Short attention spans and the ease of accessibility make the first page a desirable spot for many. Many small businesses have relied on word-of-mouth over the years, but it’s more important than ever to start ranking online. But just how important is it to reach the very first page of Google?
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Reaching the First Page of Google– Some Caution
Before we go head to and start promoting being on the first page on Google, we have to talk about the drawbacks. When you rank at the very top of Google, it’s easy to attract lost sheep and cold leads who don’t know what they want. This might end up creating more work for you and your company.
For example, if your pizza company’s top-ranked page has to do with baking ovens, you may end up with a million phone calls from unfortunate home chefs looking to troubleshoot their ovens. On the other hand, the SEO boost from that web page might be great for your website overall.
With more attention, more ideal customers come. Because the internet is such a vast playground, you’re more likely to meet consumers who are surely interested in your brand. Many use Google search to find a specific product or service and if your site pops up, you two are most likely a match.
Strike the right balance for your company by ranking highly, but perhaps not too high.
Being Big on Google Means Better Click Rate
It’s a no-brainer: the higher the search ranking, the higher the click rate. Studies have shown that the first result on google has a 36.4% click-through rate, the 2nd a 12.5% rate, and the third a 9.5% rate. As you can imagine, these numbers dwindle more the further you go down the list. So this really brings into reality how minute your chances are of gaining traction on the second page.
The First Page of Google = More Authority
Undoubtedly, major click-rates mean the more credible your expertise sounds. Good news for the giants dominating the first results and bad news for the smaller guys trailing behind the first page. At the same time, this further explains why reaching the first-page result is tantamount.
Without SEO knowledge, your company’s expertise will be left undiscovered. And nobody wants that! Of course, your work deserves to be known and trusted. And to thrust yourself into online marketing, you need to have a guide. Take Seattle Web Search, for example. We have countless articles on gaining an audience through short ads and search engine prowess.
On top of that, being the top on Google means that Google itself sees you as credible. The site is known for weeding out “spammy” or generic content and if you make it in the top ranks, you’re doing well. Viewers also subconsciously might see you credible as well.
Increase Engagement
According to Adweek,” 81% of shoppers conduct online research before buying” and many of them head to Google. This means that buyers are usually bombarded with answer boxes, the “People also ask” section, reviews, etc. But what do all of these search results have in common? They’re all on the first page. As you see, engagement means more traction and when you get more traction, there’s more engagement. It’s all a self-fulfilling cycle.
Conclusion
Rank high on Google, but not too high. Ranking high is great, but it’s not a magic carpet to your perfect customers. With that being said, there are many benefits to reaching the first page. You’ll gain more traction, authority, and possibly more engagement from your audience, which will lead to a boost in your reputation.
