If you look closely at the first page of Google for any competitive keyword, you will find tons of articles on it. Gone are the days of only organic text-based results on the page.
Today there are pictures, videos, maps, featured snippets, people have also asked for boxes and even podcasts.
Then there are the paid listings that are visible at the top of organic listings. SEO trends are changing rapidly and impacting search engine results pages (SERPs).
All of this translates into a reduction in organic reach, a sad click-through rate (CTR), and an increase in no-click searches.
In fact, 51% of all searches end without a click. With search engines doing their best to meet the needs of users on search pages, fewer users will scroll down and click on the list when they get the answer they want on the search page.
In this article, you will learn ten effective ways to increase click-through rate (CTR) using SERPs.
1. Optimize For Featured Snippets
The coveted number one position is no longer the goal of digital marketing professionals and digital marketing agencies. The focus has shifted to the zero position. According to the Ahrefs study, 12.3% of search queries returned snippets.
Search engines like Google pull data from the top 10 results to display it as a featured snippet. If your blog or website ranks on the first page of Google, you have a chance to get a featured snippet and increase your visibility.
To do this, you need to understand the purpose of featured snippets. The main reason search engines show featured snippets is that they want to provide a direct answer to a search query, and if your ad does, you stand a good chance of being highly searched for zero.
Second, featured snippets are displayed for long-tail keywords or question-based queries. Typically the goal is to provide short, precise answers to the user's question, and if your ad can do so by optimizing for long-tail keywords, you can rank for featured snippets.
2. Improve Your Rankings
According to a study conducted by Backlnko which analyzed 5 million Google search results, moving one spot up can increase your click-through rate by almost 30.8%.
Even though, this might vary depending on your current position and the position you have moved to. The same study also found that jumping from 10th position to 7th position did not have the same impact as moving from 6th position to 5th position or 2nd position to 1st position might have on your click-through rate.
Instead of striving for ranking on the first page of Google, you should focus on ranking in the top three positions as 75.1% of all clicks go to the top three spots.
3. Write Captivating Headlines
What's the first thing users will read when they see your file? He is the owner. It can literally make it or break it for you. That's why it's important to write headlines that grab attention.
Add an emotional element to the title, as research has shown that including positive or negative feelings in headlines can increase click-through rate by 7%.
The Backlinko study I referred to earlier also found that titles containing 15-40 characters have the highest organic click-through rate.
4. Meta Description And URL
Have you ever seen a search result up close? Containing? A search engine listing generally consists of three things
- Title
- URL
- Meta Description
Once you have optimized your title, you should focus on optimizing the URL and meta description for click-through rate. Add your keyword in the URL as it will increase your click-through rate by 45% over URLs that don't contain the keyword.
Like the title and URL, add your keyword in the meta description as well. Write a voice-activated meta description and try to make it as actionable as possible. Don't forget to add a call to action to get users to click on your cards.
Make sure every page on your website has a meta description because pages containing the meta description generate 5.8% more clicks than pages without a meta description.
5. Add A Schema Markup
Search engines use a spider to crawl web pages and create an index of all those pages. The easier it is for search engines to crawl your website, the faster they will crawl your website and the more likely your website is to be indexed and ranked.
By adding structure markup to your website, you can make it easier for search engines to understand what your website is about and how they cover the different pages of your website. There are several types of outline signs, and implementing the right type on your website can work wonders.
For example, a review scheme markup allows search engines to display ratings on organic results. If your rating is good, it can increase your credibility, build trust, and help you attract new customers by increasing your click-through rate.
6. Optimize For Google My Business
Do you have a Google My Business page? If your answer is no, then you miss it.
List your business on Google My Business and enter all the details of your business. Whether it's location-based searches, brand searches, or business or service-related searches, Google My Business results tend to show up.
Another benefit of using Google My Business is that it allows you to collect customer reviews and ratings, as well as allowing your business to answer user questions. Both can help you build trust and gain new customers. The more positive reviews your business has or the higher the rating, the better.
It also offers some useful features for customers, such as sharing company information with others or communicating directly with the company.
7. Run Well-Targeted PPC Ads
One of the best ways to overcome the decline in organic reach is to invest in PPC ads. Yes, they can be expensive in some areas and may not work as well in others, but if you're looking for quick results, PPC ads are your best bet, as long as your PPC targeting strategy is profitable.
Run PPC ads on branded keywords and prevent others from taking up your ad space.
When you run PPC ads, you attract targeted traffic that is more likely to convert into paying customers. This means that not only does it increase your click-through rate, it also increases your conversion rates. The key to success with PPC ads is choosing the right ad type for your industry.
8. Optimize Images And Videos For SEO
As mentioned above, SERPs are no longer limited to showing organic results. They also show featured images, videos, and snippets, to name but a few. What's even more interesting is the fact that SERPs that display images and videos are slowly but surely increasing in number.
This means that you can optimize your images and videos to increase your chances of ranking in these SERPs.
These are some of the ways you can use to optimize images for SEO.
Use specific keywords in image and video title, description, and alt text.
Place the image and video in a section of the page or in the content where it best matches the intent of the keyword.
Compress large images and videos.
Add a caption to images.
Use common image sizes and optimal image formats.
9. Give An Irresistible Limited Time Offer
Create a sense of urgency and use tactics like a countdown or mention the number of items remaining. When a user sees these things on your page, they rush to take the desired action.
Offer a limited-time offer that your target audience can't resist, and you'll see your click-through rate skyrocket.
Don't forget to add a call to action telling users what action to take next.
10. Optimize Social Media Channel To Show Up In Knowledge Panels
Last, but certainly not least, is the optimization of social media pages for knowledge panels. Search engines display these information panels to present all information about your business concisely. As a business, you can use it as an opportunity to link your social media accounts and allow users to contact you directly from search engine results pages.
For this process to work, all of your social media accounts must pass Google verification. You can also use property markup to highlight your social media accounts.
How can you increase your click-through rate using search engine results pages?
Let us know in the comments section.
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