There are a lot of articles, advice columns, and blog sites dedicated to helping businesses rank number 1 on Google search results. But there’s one big problem: almost no one describes what they mean by being number 1 on Google. And if you don’t understand this, then you’re not likely to get anywhere.
“Ranking number one” on Google is actually a bit of a misnomer. It’s impossible to rank number 1 on Google for absolutely everything, unless you’re Google itself.
“Ranking number one on Google” in reality means ranking somewhere in the first page of the search results for your particular niche.
The site in the number one spot will change depending on the exact search terms being Googled, as well as the efforts of your competition. It’s never stagnant.
You’ll always be fighting for the top place to some degree, but the top spot isn’t as important as being part of the top results across a variety of search terms. And some more than others. Let us explain.
Broad Search Terms Matter, But Specific Search Terms Matter Most
Google searching isn’t stagnant. Users don’t just search for one thing and browse through all the results, they refine their search terms and browse among the top results on page one.
Depending on who you ask and which study you consult, the first page of Google captures up to 92% of search traffic clicks, with the first five results representing the best real estate.
There is a lot of information online about “how to find what you’re looking for on Google” but not a lot of information about how often we go back to the drawing board and search again.
To understand Google searching, we have to rely on our own experience. We’ve all searched for something as general as a “cafe” only to realise the search results included cafes from here to the North Pole. So we’ve gone back and searched for something like “cafe London” instead, and received more relevant results.
But what if all the new search results aren’t to our liking either? We might go back again (and again) and this time search “gluten free cafe Westminster London” to get highly specific results.
As internet users, we’ve all become used to this process, and do it almost automatically, without thinking.
If you own a gluten-free cafe in Westminster, it’s less important to be at the top of the search results for “cafe” than it is to be at the top of the search results for “gluten free cafe Westminster London”.
Hopefully it’s pretty obvious where we’re going with this. Your job isn’t to reach the top of the search results for extremely broad and unstable search terms, your job is to lead users closer and closer to your website every time they refine their search terms.
After all, there’s no point focusing your digital marketing strategies on users who are miles away and not specifically interested in your product.
Getting to the top of Google search results for your particular niche is what really matters. Popularity in much broader search terms flows from that single achievement.
Finding Your Niche
If you can do only one thing to improve your Google rankings, then find your niche.
Knowing who you are as a brand and expressing that clearly through optimised content is going to do far more for your organic search engine ranking than anything else in the long term.
The who, what, where, and why of your brand will establish your brand identity and where you belong on the internet.
You as a business can create all the web content you want in the world, but if it’s not driven by brand awareness, then it’s going to fall short.
Getting to number one, or the top five, or page one of Google search results actually means honing in on your niche, and expressing your brand’s uniqueness through keywords and content.
Once you know your niche, you can undertake SEO research and find the best keywords, hashtags, and top search terms for your particular brand, product, or service.If you need help identifying your niche and getting your brand on the first page of Google, contact us for a free marketing review and clarity on what it will take to get there.