You should all be aware of search engine rankings and what they mean. As a brief explanation, Google ranks websites based on loads of different factors that decide which ones are more worthy than others. The higher up the rankings you are, the better.
We all know this, but what a lot of people don’t know is why a good ranking is such a desirable thing. What are the main benefits for your website?
More web traffic
We’ll start with the most obvious one; a good ranking leads to more web traffic. Internet users are simply more likely to click on one of the first links they see. It’s rare that they’ll venture onto the second page, and it’s unlikely they’ll click on a link that’s all the way near the bottom of page one. It’s the first five or so results that get the most traffic.
Improve lead generation
When you get more traffic, you instantly have the chance to generate more leads and create more sales opportunities. But, this isn’t purely because of the amount of traffic you get – it’s to do with how you’ve improved your ranking. With specialist SEO services, you will build your site so it appeals to your target market. You focus on keyword searches that are relevant to your main audience, which means your website appears high up in the most relevant search results. As such, there’s more chance of your target audience seeing your site and visiting it. Another huge aspect of SEO is making your website user-friendly. So, you’ve done this, which provides a better experience for traffic, boosting the chances of lead generation.
Boost brand awareness
What happens when your website is one of the first results people see? You start to spread the word about your brand. Even if someone doesn’t click on your link, they still see your brand name and become aware of you. If you’re lingering in the lower reaches or the search engine results, then your brand awareness is poor. At the very least, a good ranking makes people more aware that your brand exists.
Gain authority
Perhaps a lesser-known benefit of a top search ranking is that you gain influence. Internet users look at the top results as the most trustworthy sources of information. If they’re looking for an online store, they trust one that’s ranked first above one that’s ranked tenth. If they’re searching for a blog, they’ll trust the information on one that’s ranked second over one that’s ranked eighth. It’s all to do with the way users perceive the search engine rankings. They’re aware of how many websites are out there, so it must be a significant achievement to get into the top spots. As such, sites in these spots can surely be trusted and seen as authoritative sources for managing to beat the rest.
So, if everyone’s been telling you to improve your search ranking – but nobody has said why – then you now know. A good ranking brings in more traffic, helps you generate more leads, raises brand awareness, and paints you as an authority source.
