Do you know how much search traffic you’re losing when your branded content falls off Page 1 of Google search engine results? According to the latest data from Chitika, domains that slip down to Page 2 only attract 5 percent of search traffic, while websites on the first page enjoy 95 percent of internet users’ attention. To secure search results that users will see, marketers must compete for relevant keywords by following up-to-date SEO best practices and publishing high-quality online content.
Just getting onto Page 1 is the first step, but websites will not get nearly as much visibility at the bottom of the page as they do at the top. According to Chitika’s data, the first domain listed on Page 1 gets just under a third of overall search traffic, while the seventh listing gets only 3.5 percent.
The first domain listed on Page 1 gets just under a third of overall search traffic, while the seventh listing gets only 3.5 percent.
So how can companies get their branded content to the top of Google SERPs? Stick to tried-and-true SEO practices like creating meta-tags and title tags for web pages, building a strong backlink profile and including keywords in headlines and the first paragraphs of news content. However, there is growing evidence that Google considers more than basic SEO characteristics in ranking content online, requiring webmasters to enhance their strategies to increase brand visibility.
Brafton recently reported that Google updated its Webmaster Tools Ranking Guidance. It now says, “In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by creating high-quality sites that users will want to use and share.”
As the search engine continues to reward sites that publish engaging, informative and diverse custom content for their visitors, brands will need to develop complex SEO strategies that integrate editorial best practices.
