Every business in the digital ecosystem is competing to get higher ranking on search engines. But is this competition only for the sake of ranking? Is getting higher rank the ultimate goal of all these businesses? Apparently YES but actually NOT! Getting a higher ranking is just a way to strengthening the prospects of getting more clicks. The real competition is not just about getting placed on the top spot of the search engines but majorly about getting more clicks. Logically speaking, the higher a site ranks, the more clicks it receives. And the more clicks it receives, the higher would be the traffic on the page, eventually leading to increased conversions, sales, lead generation, and other macro goals of the business. But in reality, a higher ranking is not the only way to get more clicks. While higher SERP ranking does guarantee more clicks but there are many other ways to get more clicks, even more than the sites ranked higher than you. This blog talks about the simple ways to get more clicks than the sites that are ranked higher on the search engine result page. So without wasting any more time, let's discuss some simple ways to get more clicks even with a lower ranking.
Write Attention-Grabbing Titles
A title is the first thing which grabs instant attention and compels the users to click-open any page displayed on the search result page. It plays a pivotal role in boosting the CTR. So, in order to get more clicks, it is advisable to write title tags that grasp the fancy of the audience. The title should not just be appealing to the humans, but it should be optimized for different search engines. A killer headline helps in effective marketing, improving search engine rankings and boosting the click-through-rate. Writing a short title (55 characters max) while also keeping it relevant and irresistible is the key to grabbing more clicks. For some inspiration for the title, you can also check the title on competitor sites that are ranked higher than you.
Show A Well-Structured URL
URLs may not be the most important thing on the result page in terms of getting more clicks, but they do play a significant role. Adding the URL beneath the title tag helps in reinforcing the trust of the user on the site. It gives a visual confirmation of the page and makes them trust the information provided within. Instead of the long and complicated URLs, it is better to have short and relevant URLs reflecting the product name, service or other important information about the page. Adding a well-structured visual confirmation in the form of the URL on the search engine result pages can have a strong positive impact on the user's mind, thus boosting the clicks.
Leverage The Power Of Images
A picture is worth a thousand words. What might take a hundred words can be explained clearly through a single picture. According to a research by Getvero, adding pictures can lead to a 42% increase in the click-through-rate. Adding images next to a text listing can help you get more click than the competitors who are ranked above your site. Various eye tracking heat map show that the focus on an image on the search result page is the highest. Thus, adding images not only helps in grasping instant attention of the users but also in making them click open your site because of the interest and excitement built because of the image.
Highlight Breadcrumb Navigation
Another great way to get more clicks than the sites ranked higher than you is to add breadcrumb navigation on the search result page. Adding breadcrumbs on the page enables the users to know the site hierarchy of the website. The site name, page category, page name, and any other sub-categories, all should be mentioned on the breadcrumb as a part of the URL. This gives clearer information about the type of content that would be found on the page. The country name can also be added to the URL as a breadcrumb after the page title. This helps in targeting the local searches.
Add A Precise Meta Description
The meta description is the text that appears below the page title and snippet on the search engine result page. Although many SEO experts feel that the importance of meta descriptions is fading away, they still hold an important place in boosting the click-through-rate. Professional SEO service providers still believe in the power of meta descriptions and give them a top position in their SEO strategies. As these meta descriptions sum up the gist of the page in 155-160 characters, it is important to concisely include all the important information within the word limit. Including the benefits of visiting the page, contact information, unique selling proposition, interesting offers, sale etc., in the meta description can also help you get more clicks even if you are ranked lower on the result page.
Not just that, you can also get more clicks than the high-ranked sites by adding authorship, reviews, and ratings and optimizing the snippets. Incorporating each way discussed above one-by-one in the marketing strategy and following it up with an in-depth tracking of all the efforts can be great in knowing how effective your strategy was. Adopt the ways that result in significant increase in the traffic to maximize the gains. You'll not just witness an increase in traffic through these simple ways but gradually also see an improvement in the search engine ranking.