Search engines are constantly adjusting and fine-tuning their algorithms to provide their users with better, more comprehensive content. But there is another challenge that represents an even greater obstacle to digital marketers who believe in organic search.
Increasing click-through rates.
As the industry moves towards paid search, marketers who focus on organic search results need to maximize their presence on the vehicles search users are by now deeply familiar with – answer boxes, advertisements, carousels, and Google’s Featured Snippets, among others.
This is especially true for mobile users, who have started to click on paid search results far more frequently than organic results in the past few years. But organic search results do not have to decline in favor of expensive paid ads. Generating content that ranks offers a better ROI for high-competition keywords.
Marketers who believe in organic search results need to adapt their strategy to meet the new challenges posed by today’s digital landscape. Small businesses that can’t afford to compete with major multinational corporations’ ad networks need to think creatively in order to make their voices heard.
Fortunately, there is a way. Winning organic clicks is possible even while deep-pocketed institutions pour money into paid ads. Marketers need to learn how to improve click-through rates through great writing and meta content.
Today’s SEM campaigns need to be able to cross the gap between paid and organic search. In order to differentiate organic content from paid content, digital marketers need to focus more than ever on making search engine systems work in their favor.
For marketers, this means working their knowledge of search engine algorithms and their effect on click-through rates to deliver better, more comprehensive content than anyone else. It also means delivering that content in a way that can reach coveted Featured Snippet spots and other major marketing opportunities.
The primary way to do this is by improving click-through rates. Search engines will increasingly look to click-through rates to gauge the quality and accuracy of content moving forward.
So what is click-through rate and why is it important? Click-through rates refer to the proportion of impressions a search engine result makes compared to the number of people who click on it.
All of the most important 2019 SEO trends will take CTR into account. By developing content into a format that allows it to rank as a Featured Snippet while authentically drawing users to click, marketers can beat paid search results, and deliver great results for their marketing initiatives.
If a certain web page is optimized for a certain keyword, and it shows up as a first-page result for that keyword, things are looking pretty good. But in order to reach the number-one position, or to qualify as a special answer box or snippet, it has to outperform its neighbors.
For example, if a third-place result for a particular keyword is getting a much higher click-through rate than the second-place result, it won’t take long for the search engine to switch the two. Moz tests show that beating the expected click-through rate is the best way to advance in ranking.
There are some surefire ways to improve this ranking factor. Marketers who want to learn how to increase click-through rate need to adjust their approach in three major areas:
• Titles and Headlines. Titles and headlines can have a powerful effect on readers’ emotions. Marketers who master the art of writing enticing titles have an edge on every other aspect of SEM campaign. Use a headline analyzer to focus on emotionally satisfying, relatable headlines that produce results.
• Meta Descriptions. While meta descriptions are not themselves ranking factors, they do powerfully influence click-through rates. Like the title, this is one of the first things potential site visitors read. Make full use of the 130-character limit and include a call-to-action right in the description. Start with action verbs like “Sign up for...” and “Find out why...” to guide users’ actions.
• Write for Snippets. Those high-value Featured Snippets on Google SERPs are almost always 40-60 words long. Find the highest-performing keywords and address them using a snippet-friendly FAQ or glossary format within this word range and get on the path to significantly improving click-through rates.
While optimizing titles and meta descriptions while writing snippet-friendly content can significantly boost click-through rates, the process doesn’t stop there. Paying extra attention to site URLs is just one example of how industry-leading marketers improve click-through rates. A professional marketing team like Amplify can help identify more subtle and effective ways to generate leads for SEM campaigns.
Want to start generating more leads with a digital content initiative? Have our marketing team create SEM campaigns to bring in more clicks.