Since the birth of online searching, there has been search engine optimization, and for good reason. Anyone who follows search engine news (all 12 of you) knows that the #1 result on Google gets over 30% of the traffic for any given keyword. Organic search also drives more traffic to websites than all social media combined. And the truth is, those top rankings are even more valuable than you think.
Brace yourself for what I am about to tell you.
Organic search makes up less than 15% of what a customer sees when they use Google search.
No really. Less than 15%. Google Adwords actually makes up the majority of what is “above the fold”
A recent study found that about 29% of a Google search page is devoted to Adwords. 14% to the search bar and Google tabs, and another 7% or more can be taken up by a Google map.
Now, if you are like me, you may wonder what is Google for if it isn’t showing search results? But that isn’t the most important question to ask. The real question is, “what are you doing to get yourself above the fold?” Maybe you were sitting comfortable at #6 for some of your top keywords. A safe, page one ranking. But now, safe won’t cut it. If this trend continues, Google’s top rankings will continue to eat up a larger and larger percentage of any given keyword’s traffic. Being at #6 won’t be as comfortable as it once was.
So get out there. Optimize your pages. Create new and engaging content. Get reputable and quality links. Make your webpages Google friendly. More and more so now than ever, that investment will be well worth it.