First position in Google - why doesn't it always 'work'?

Over the past 20 years, Google's search engine has become the Holy Grail for businesses that rely on the web to acquire potential customers. Specialists spend countless hours chasing the algorithm to stay one step ahead of the competition by implementing best practices SEO. Rightly so! Positioning allows you to achieve long-term results and increase traffic to your website. And the greater the number of visitors to the site, the more of them can become future customers of the company. Many people believe that the remedy for all ills, and above all for the lack of customers, is the first position in Google. They focus all their efforts on achieving it. However, does first position in a search engine always equate to success and increased business profits? What is necessary for it to really help a business? Read in this article.

First position in Google versus click-through rate and new customers

It is important to understand the various factors that can influence a user to click on a search engine result. Both SEO-related factors (e.g. meta titles and descriptions) that affect click-through rates and less 'tangible' ones are important. These include, for example level of brand awareness and trust among consumers. Think of a situation when you have recently searched online for a product or service with the intention of making a purchase. In many cases, the first position may or may not be a source with which you are familiar. Rather than choosing someone new, you notice that below the first result is a company you have already used. Ultimately, you may feel more comfortable returning to it because of a positive past experience, rather than risking buying from a company that has not yet earned your trust.

In the pursuit of first position in Google, many forget about the 'emotional' side of SEO and the fact that branding is still very much a part of the customer's online decision-making process. Which brings us to the second important point: user experience.

User experience and SEO should work together. SEO helps to attract users, but it is the impressions that a website creates that can discourage or encourage them to stay on the site, explore the content and take action. Whether that is to make a purchase, contact a company or send a request for a quote.

It is important that the site is designed in a way that is visitor-friendly, because ranking No. 1 on Google is not enough. You not only need a site that can be found, but also a site that users can trust. Trust, brand awareness and the associated online (and offline) experience influence customer decisions and therefore business success.

Is the first position in Google enough to achieve online success?

If you have read carefully so far, you already know - the first position in Google is not enough to achieve full success online. It is important to think of it as an opportunity that can be seized and that can also be missed. 

I came across an interesting comparison that clearly illustrates that first place in a search engine is only the beginning. Think of it as a food outlet that you run in the city centre; on the most popular street among tourists. Because the place is visited by a lot of people, you have plenty of chances to gain new customers. However, location alone is not enough. If the place you are running is run down, the décor is outdated, the staff unfriendly and you can smell the old oil from afar, not many people will be tempted to visit it and order a dish. It's exactly the same with a page in first place in search results. It has a better chance of converting visitors into customers, but it still has to make an effort to get them! 

The first item that will really help a company win customers

Of course, the purpose of this article is not to convince anyone that the first position in search results does not count. On the contrary! Achieving it will help your business, but you must keep the following elements in mind.

Visibility for relevant key phrases

When optimising your website and creating content, you need to start with keyword research. You need to know what phrases your potential customers are using to search for the solutions you offer. It is a mistake to focus only on a few, generic phrases related to your business. Use research tools to find long tail phrases, e.g. advice phrases, write articles related to them and provide your target audience with valuable content. In this way, you will not only increase your online visibility, but also build authority and gain trust - both from users and search engines. 

Every business has hundreds of potential phrases to use, and tools such as Senuto, Google Keyword Planner or Answer The Public. However, remember to choose those that are truly relevant to your business and your website. Otherwise, visitors coming to it from search results will quickly flee without finding what they were looking for.

Attractive search result content

Another important point is what web users see when they look at the search result Your website. We are, of course, talking about elements such as title, meta description and address URL. Above all, they must be strongly related to the phrase typed in by the Internet user. It is also necessary to add a call to action. With it, you encourage web users to click on your result. Don't forget to clearly indicate what to expect once they have visited the site.

Tailored landing page

We did it! The user has just selected your search engine result. What next? Where will he go? Will he find the content he was looking for? Will it be the homepage or a subpage optimised for the company's business goals and tailored to the user's intentions? Visitors need to be sure at first glance that they have chosen rightly. Otherwise, they will simply return to the search results page.

First search engine position - an opportunity you must seize!

Contrary to popular belief, the number one position will not automatically make you increase conversions and sales on your website. It won't make you a winner, but it will give you a head start and a head start on the competition. By achieving this, the website will increase its visibility and generate more traffic. However, in order for visitors to stay longer and perform the action you expect, the landing page must be responsive to the user's query, clear and easy to navigate.