Enhancing your online presence through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) revolves around the strategic visibility of your business in search results, specifically for keywords and phrases of significant value. Marketers often prioritize elevating their position on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), a practice that holds considerable merit.
As per Backlinko’s data updated until October 2022, the top-ranking result on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) attracts an average click-through rate of 27.6%. In contrast, the second result experiences a rate of 15.8%, while the third result receives 11%. Notably, the click-through rates sharply decline beyond these positions, becoming negligible once you extend beyond the first page of results.
Numerous SEO myths circulate regarding methods to enhance page rankings. However, adopting a holistic perspective reveals that individual page rankings do not solely dictate increased website traffic. A pivotal indicator of a website’s comprehensive SEO well-being is its “site visibility.”
At Vital, we’ve undertaken experiments to augment our clients’ sites’ visibility on Google, unveiling a highly effective technique applicable to nearly any website. Before delving into the specifics of these tactics, let’s establish a common understanding of site visibility and elucidate its significance to your business.
Understanding Site Visibility on Google: Maximize Success
Site visibility, also referred to as “search engine visibility,” denotes the proportion of organic traffic your website garners from its search result rankings on Google. It aligns closely with the average click-through rate for a particular position held on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for a given keyword.
To illustrate, if your page secures position #2 on the SERP, your site visibility for that specific keyword would hover around 15.8%. While this individual keyword visibility is insightful, the paramount metric for your business is the cumulative site visibility across all keywords. At Vital, we employ tools such as SEMrush to gauge the comprehensive search visibility of our clients’ websites, as well as our own.
The site-wide visibility metric provides a comprehensive score that considers every keyword for which your website holds a ranking. In the case of the aforementioned client, they currently enjoy a commendable 12.35% of organic traffic across all the keywords they rank for — a noteworthy achievement.
Given that the primary objective of SEO is to increase website traffic, enhancing your overall site visibility on Google holds paramount importance. Now, let’s delve into strategies to achieve this goal. Continue reading for insights on effective approaches.
Four Fundamental Strategies to Enhance Your Website’s Visibility
Elevating your visibility on Google involves achieving higher rankings for a broader spectrum of keywords. While the instinct might be to generate more content, implementing a foundational search visibility strategy can yield significant results. Here are essential starting points:
1. Prioritize Less Competitive Keywords
While the desire to secure the top position on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for high-volume keywords is universal, achieving this feat can be challenging unless you already command considerable authority in Google’s algorithms. The determining factor in this challenge is known as “keyword difficulty.” Utilizing tools such as SEMrush during keyword research provides valuable insights by presenting both the search volume and the associated keyword difficulty score.
For instance, consider the scenario where you operate in the life insurance industry. The ideal scenario would be to rank for the broad term “life insurance.” However, a glance at the keyword difficulty score swiftly reveals the impracticality of securing a prominent position for such a highly competitive term.
Instead of pursuing overly ambitious objectives, consider setting attainable targets. A strategic approach involves selecting specific search terms with lower search volumes. For instance, explore inquiries like “How does whole life insurance work?” This more focused keyword, while generating less overall search traffic, presents an opportunity to cater to a niche audience with a distinct query.
By tailoring your content to address detailed topics or specific queries within your industry, you increase the likelihood of achieving higher rankings for these less competitive terms. This method allows you to capture the interest of a targeted audience genuinely seeking the particular information you provide, contributing to a more effective and achievable SEO strategy.
That’s a bit better, but for many businesses, it might still be challenging. Let’s dig even deeper into more precise and specialized keywords with lower search numbers. For example, consider “How does cash value work for whole life insurance?”
Bingo.
I get it – 20 searches a month may seem low. But bear with me. Even though this example is a bit extreme, if you manage to write a blog post each month that ranks for a term with just 20 searches and no keyword difficulty, you’ll gradually enhance your site’s visibility. As per Google’s way, the more visible your site becomes, the easier it gets to start ranking for more competitive keywords.
2. Enhance Your Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Recall my earlier mention that your click-through rate (CTR) is influenced by your position on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). While it holds true, it’s essential to note that the reported average, such as the 39.8% for the top search result, is just that—an average. Performance within the top spot can vary, with some content surpassing this figure and others falling short.
Crucially, your CTR stands as a pivotal ranking factor for Google. Therefore, securing position number one comes with the imperative of achieving, if not surpassing, the expected 27.6% click-through rate. Falling below this threshold puts you at risk of losing the top position to the detriment of your CTR, creating a cascading effect on your overall search performance.
3. Leverage Click-Through Rate Enhancement
The encouraging aspect is that this dynamic works reciprocally. Consider this scenario: if you find yourself in the third position for a specific keyword, the expected click-through rate is 11%. By surpassing this benchmark, you not only enhance your chances of ascending in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) but also elevate your overall click-through rate, consequently amplifying your site visibility.
The key lies in scaling the improvement of your click-through rate across a multitude of keywords, not confined to just a select few. Achieving this scalability is a game-changer.
To outperform the averages and bolster your click-through rates, invest in the expertise of a proficient copywriter or refine your own writing skills. The strategy revolves around crafting title tags and meta descriptions that are not only more compelling but also more aligned with searcher intent compared to your competitors.
Illustratively, consider the case of the keyword “Marketing Plan Template,” where Vital secures the #2 spot, a commendable position just beneath HubSpot. This exemplifies the potential of effective copywriting in maximizing click-through rates.
4. Crafting Effective Title and Meta Description
Examining the example, it’s evident that the title is exceptionally clear, aligning seamlessly with the search intent for those seeking a how-to guide with templates. Likewise, the succinct and focused meta description reinforces the promise that the searcher will find precisely what they seek.
To fortify our position against potential competition, a proactive step might involve collaborating with our marketing team to incorporate appropriately tagged and formatted images within our post. This preemptive measure aims to mitigate the potential impact of competitors, such as visme.co, especially considering the truncation issue in their meta description, which could be undermining their click-through rate.
Analyzing the fourth result from a high-authority domain, while it includes the relevant keyword in its title, there are noticeable drawbacks. The content’s age, dating back to 2013, might impact its relevance. Moreover, the meta description, pulled directly from the article, lacks the persuasive touch needed to encourage clicks. This presents an opportunity for us to distinguish ourselves by consistently updating and optimizing our content for both relevance and persuasiveness.
3. Elevate Your Website’s Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)
Returning to the Topic of Keyword Competitiveness: Recall the 100% Competitiveness Score for “Life Insurance”? Now, let’s identify who is successfully ranking for it.
Ah, there we have it – Liberty Mutual takes the lead. Perhaps you’re familiar with them. Now, let’s uncover the next contender in line.
2. Geico
3. Allstate
4. Prudential
…you catch my drift. (Consider this: a U.S. News article evaluating the top life insurance companies in December 2022 languishes on the second page of the SERP, of all places.)
What’s the explanation for this phenomenon? It boils down to a matter of name recognition. Individuals searching for “life insurance” typically seek precisely that—life insurance. The inclination to click on a result from a familiar brand outweighs the appeal of, let’s say, Uncle Charley’s Life Insurance Blog.
Yet another critical element in this puzzle is Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness, commonly referred to as E-E-A-T. Google didn’t attain its substantial market share (approximately 83% of the global search market, as reported by Statista) by delivering questionable search results. To maintain the integrity of its outcomes, Google meticulously evaluates the experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness of the information source.
Several factors contribute to the determination of E-E-A-T. Historically, it was known simply as E-A-T, but Google introduced the additional ‘E’ for experience in December 2022. The rationale behind this addition, according to Google, is that there are situations where the most valuable content comes from individuals with firsthand, real-life experience on the given topic. In essence, for certain subjects, Google recognizes that searchers seek practical insights, not just theoretical or widely available information (often found on platforms like Wikipedia). We appreciate this recent update as it places a premium on real-world experience, particularly as AI tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent. This emphasis on genuine expertise aims to counteract the potential “dumbing down” of content resulting from the regurgitation of information, even when it originates from expert sources already present online.
In addition to ensuring the publication of high-quality, authoritative content derived from genuine experience and expertise, enhancing your website’s E-E-A-T can be achieved by acquiring links to your content from other reputable sites within your industry niche. The most widely adopted method for accomplishing this is through strategic link building. To delve deeper into leveraging link building to enhance your E-E-A-T and subsequently elevate your site visibility.
4. A Rapid Method to Amplify Your Website’s Exposure
As mentioned earlier, link building stands out as a means to enhance site visibility; however, it’s crucial to recognize that not all links carry the same weight. Google places greater emphasis on links originating from highly authoritative and credible sources — essentially, sites boasting superior E-E-A-T credentials. Equally important is the relevance of the linking sites to your industry. To illustrate using the insurance context, a link from a Forbes article on life insurance holds significantly more value than, for instance, a link from your grandmother’s gardening blog. (Unless, of course, Grandma happens to be a prominent TikTok influencer in the insurance realm. One can never rule out such possibilities.)
Parsing the Link Landscape: Discerning Quality from Garbage
Not all links are created equal, and some find themselves relegated to the realms of aggregator sites and other spam-laden sources. Fortunately, there exists a remedy known as link “disavowal,” allowing Google to disregard these undesirable links when determining your site’s ranking and visibility. The intricacies of Google’s algorithms, however, have left a lingering uncertainty regarding whether disavowing spam links would positively or negatively impact site visibility.
Enter Google’s latest algorithm update, prompting us to conduct a conclusive test for our esteemed client, Blue Water Mortgage. On February 8, our SEO strategists disavowed a total of 60 spam links directed towards Blue Water Mortgage’s website. The results were nothing short of remarkable — the site’s search visibility witnessed a near-instantaneous surge. Witness the transformation for yourself: [Insert Relevant Data/Visuals].
Having established its efficacy, we will be systematically eliminating spam links for clients, including our own website. This forms an integral component of our overarching strategy to enhance site visibility and drive increased traffic.
Boost Your Website’s Presence on Google with Expert Assistance
The four strategies we’ve detailed are not only feasible but also highly effective. However, the journey to enhance site visibility doesn’t conclude here. Numerous additional measures can significantly impact site visibility, page rankings, and overall traffic. These include:
- Enhancing site performance and speed
- Ensuring an optimal mobile user experience (U/X)
- Crafting “sticky” content that captivates and retains users for extended periods
- Augmenting the number of internal links within your site
- Optimizing content for featured snippets
If you find these possibilities intriguing, we’re here to guide you.
Conclusion:
Congratulations! You’ve now equipped yourself with the knowledge to revolutionize your website’s visibility on Google. Implement these strategies, and watch as your site climbs the ranks, attracting a flood of organic traffic.
