It’s common knowledge among SEO experts that websites that are more highly ranked on search engine result pages (SERPs) get more clicks from users. One might also be aware that only the top few spots on Google’s SERP, for example, command the vast majority of all clicks on the page. Researchers at Cornell University have performed < a href="http://www.seoresearcher.com/distribution-of-clicks-on-googles-serps-and-eye-tracking-analysis.htm">a study that solidified these common beliefs with some interesting data which links clicks and eye movement tracking.
The results
As per the graphic below, the study revealed that in essence, the top 2 results were most important to users performing searches. While the eye attention percentage was very similar between the top 2 links, (28 vs. 25%) the number of clicks was almost 4 times greater on the very first result. That indicates a combination of increased relevance and user trust in the first result: even after consideration of the top 2 ranks, a user will be more confident that the top result will give them the best of what they are looking for.
Beyond the second result, attention and clicks dropped off severely. In essence, the first two results gathered about 70% of all clicks. Beyond the 7th result, we can observe the effects of page-fold on users: items that require scrolling to be seen are virtually invisible.
What does it all mean?
This unique study shed some light on how users behave when they arrive at a Google SERP, and the findings point to the importance of the very top result above all else. This means that as a business owner, it is not only about getting your site to the first page of Google. It is now more than ever about getting to the very top if you want to drive traffic to your site. And as we all know, traffic from search engines represents leads.
How do you get to the top?
Getting your business website to the top of Google search results is a complex science that involves implementing a variety of strategies that work best when finely tuned to your particular situation. No campaign is the same, and once your site reaches the top it can’t just be left alone. SEO at this level is an ongoing process that must be constantly fine-tuned according to measurement of concrete results.
This process describes BlueHat’s Hybrid SEO solution perfectly
get your site highly ranked organically (as per the graphic above) but results in a link to your site above the first organic result, in the form of Pay Per Click ads. With more than one result in the highest positions on the Google SERP, your business website will see a rapid and sustained increase in leads flowing to your door.
