A search engine returns a page after a user has submitted a query. It usually includes pay-per-click ads, organic search results, and other elements such as social media links and video. Because of the competitive nature of search engine optimisation, ranking positions on a SERP can be very challenging. With the launch of schema markup, it is now more complex to anticipate users’ needs.
Almost all the consumer traffic to a website is directed to the first page of Google’s search results. You can use various strategies to improve your ranking position on the first page of search results. Before implementing these strategies, you must understand what search engines are and how they rank.
What Is A Search Engine Results Page?
The first page of search results is called a search engine results page, or SERP. It is the page users see after submitting a query to search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Each of these features and algorithms has its design. Since Google is the most popular search engine, we’ll focus on its features and algorithms.
Types of Search Queries
The features that appear after a search query are based on the type of query that was entered. Generally, search queries are categorised into informational, transactional, and navigational.
When a user types a search query, they are likely to get a navigation query, which means that they are not looking for the full URL of the website. Navigational questions can be challenging to reach since the user might not be looking for you. One way to improve your ranking position on the first page of search results is buying ad space for the keywords you want to rank for.
Users who type a transactional query are most likely looking for something specific, such as a product or a broad category. The most common reason for this query is that it has the most revenue potential. Because of this, keywords that are related to this type of query are often the ones that are bid for pay-per-click ads.
According to a study conducted by WordStream, over 65% of the clicks on transactional SERPs come from paid ads. This type of advertising is very effective for businesses as it allows them to reach their target audience.
Paid Ads Versus Organic Listings
The way that search engines display organic and paid ads is very similar. Since both types of advertising can help boost the traffic you receive, you should consider using both strategies.
Paid Ads
On the first page of search results, Google displays four ads on a desktop computer and three on a mobile browser. It also determines which ads will appear on the first page based on the number of businesses competing for the same search term.
When choosing which ads to display on the first page, Google considers various factors such as the bid amount, the ad’s quality, and the page’s relevance to the search. If Google determines that the site is more relevant to the search term, it will display the ad on the first page.
What Are Organic Listings?
You can improve the quality of your website through search engine optimisation and increase its position on search results pages. You need a high-quality website like paid ads to get a good organic ranking. However, the exact rules of search engine optimisation are not clear. It’s important to keep in mind that Google updates its algorithm regularly.
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