Have you ever thought about how users interact with the search results page? It is not as simple as one might think! Check out this week’s video, so you can have a better understanding of search visibility.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Welcome back to another Wednesday Workshop from DealerOn!
You know that having things like SEO and SEM in your digital marketing tool belt are important for online success; but many don’t stop to consider how users actually view the search engine results page.
Optimizing for “little blue links” is only half of the equation.
Today, we’re going to talk about how users interact with search results, so you can better understand where to maximize your efforts.
Do you think that users read the search engine results page like a piece of paper from top to bottom? If you do, you’re not alone.
However, a recent study suggests that users actually view search results more like a game of pinball. The user’s gaze travels across the search engine results page in a nonlinear fashion.
After entering a search query, the user might start at the Knowledge Panel or other product listing, then travel to the top to view ads or featured snippets, and then they may travel down to the bottom of the fold to look at the image carousel.
This means that users may view the search results differently depending on the contents.
This goes way beyond a list of blue links. It’s also images, videos, Google My Business listings, featured snippets, map results and more.
So, how can you apply this information to your digital marketing efforts?
First of all, it’s important to note that being the first result on the page isn’t as important as it used to be.
What matters now is visibility throughout the search engine results page, as the layout can vastly affect how users interact with it.
You’ll want to invest in your Google My Business listing, image optimization, content & blog optimization, paid ads…basically anywhere you can to get better visibility in search results.
Also, understanding how the search landscape is changing may require you to rethink what you know about digital marketing.
Nowadays, most Google searches don’t even result in a click.
Users often find all of the information they need directly from the search results page, without ever going further.
While a lack of website traffic may seem problematic, failing to optimize for changes in the way users search could leave you with much bigger issues.
That’s all the time we have left for today’s workshop.
If you have questions or comments leave ‘em down below, and we’ll get back to you shortly.
Thanks for watching. We’ll see you with another Wednesday Workshop from DealerOn!
