Ranking first in search results may seem like the best spot to be in when it comes to online traffic and visibility. In actuality, however, ranking first is NOT always the best thing for businesses and their websites. In fact, while you may be focused on achieving the highly coveted first spot ranking in Google, this can be a misguided approach to driving your optimization and Internet marketing efforts, as it may not end up leading to the results you expect.
Focusing on just how a number one ranking may impact websites, in this blog series, we’ll highlight some of the reasons that you may want to start shifting your goals away from landing that first spot in search engine results.
When you are ready to get some experienced help optimizing your site and positioning it for success, don’t hesitate to contact Epic Web Results. We are skilled at developing innovative Internet marketing solutions for our clients, so they can realize the best results and returns.
Why to Rethink Reaching for a Number One Ranking
1 – Ranking first is not always achievable.
Before you start investing time and money in trying to get a number one ranking for certain words or phrases in Google, it’s first crucial to consider whether you can actually even achieve this. Specifically, consider the site that is currently holding the number one spot you covet. Is this site for a large, established corporation, a government agency or some other type of industry leader?
If so, you may be barking up the wrong tree in trying to displace these entities from their number one rankings, as these entities may (or likely):
- Have WAY bigger marketing budgets than your business
- Be a more established authority.
2 – A number one ranking doesn’t guarantee click throughs.
When ranking first in Google is achievable for your target phrases/terms, the next factor to consider is whether your efforts to get to that number one spot will actually result in more click throughs to your content/site (when compared to your current rankings, click-through rates, etc.).
In fact, what may be easy to forget is that ranking first in Google does NOT necessarily mean a site will get more traffic because online users:
- May actually click on paid ads, rather than organic search results
- May be looking for directories or listing, rather than a specific business
- May specifically ignore the first results in search engines, opting to click through based on user reviews, rather than rankings
- May be doing other research to see what results are generated from various searches.
3 – Ranking first in search engines can actually attract the wrong users/attention.
A number one ranking in Google can capture a lot of attention, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the attention you want for your site. In fact, when sites hold a first ranking for highly searched terms, they can actually end up being targets for:
- Competitors, who may be focused on targeting your site with negative SEO tactics to try to bring it down from that number spot
- Spammers and/or hackers, who may try to piggyback off of your success, add your site to their spammy networks, etc.
While having a trusted company like Epic Web Results host and maintain your website can help you avoid such negative impacts of ranking number one, the main takeaway here is that ranking well (like on page 1 of search queries), rather than ranking number one, can provide some of main benefits of having a first ranking while avoiding some of the potential negative attention/impacts associated with it.
4 – A number one ranking doesn’t guarantee conversions.
While we’ve pointed out some important reasons that you may want to shift your focus from trying to achieve a number one ranking in Google, this may be, perhaps, the single most significant reason to do so. The fact of the matter is that a first ranking in Google does NOT mean that you will necessarily see more conversions from an online audience to potential leads/new clients.
In fact:
- There are many “drop-off” points at which users can stop participating in the process that leads to conversion.
- If your site has poor copy, isn’t targeting the right phrases/topics, is poorly designed, etc., more traffic can actually lead to higher bounce rates, which could end up making a high ranking very ephemeral.
- Focusing on conversion and what can be done to increase your site’s conversion rates can be a far more fruitful endeavor than focusing on a number one ranking.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line about ranking first in Google is that, while it can be a good goal in some cases, it should not be your ONLY goal when it comes to having an effective Internet marketing strategy for your business.
By understanding the bigger picture, as well as how your site is doing in terms of other important factors (such as bounce rates, conversion rates, etc.), you can reshape your goals to make them:
- More realistic and achievable
- Produce just as beneficial results (if not, in some cases, more beneficial results) than holding the coveted first ranking in search results.
Effective Internet Marketing Solutions at Epic Web Results
Are you ready to develop a dynamic, engaging website for your business? Or do you need help updating and optimizing your existing site? If so, it’s time to contact the trusted industry professionals at Epic Web Results. We are up to date with the latest advances in Internet marketing and SEO best practices, and we are highly adept at designing and maintaining optimized websites that will promote business’ online success.
To learn more about our customized, innovative Internet marketing solutions, contact the professionals at Epic Web Results by calling (800) 501-9724 or by emailing us using the contact form on this page.
