Search Engine Result Pages, also called SERPs, are a key part of the Google SEO system. The SERP, is the actual page where your website result is listed. On that same SERP, you will be competing against similar results for higher positions on the page. This is what drives competition in Search Engine Optimization.
First Part: Ads
Ads are at the top of most SERP pages. Google queries that don’t have ads targeted at them (aka they don’t churn out leads for businesses) will not display ads at the top of the page.
Google Adwords is a cost-effective way to promote your business online and can be a great investment to start getting leads online. I have worked with many customers between having large ad budgets and very small budgets, and the platform works well for both types. As business starts investing in AdWords, they
may be inclined to spend more money on the platform since it is PPC (Pay Per Click). This is a term that describes a form of advertising based on clicks only, and the value of the clicks.
For industries with the high cost of leads like home improvement, locksmiths, and A/C repair, you will notice that the big leaders in the industry have the most Ads on Google. Why is this? As competition increases for specific keywords, the cost of the clicks will also increase. If the average cost of a lead is high, the average cost of the click will follow suit.
Part Two: The Google Map Pack
The Map Pack is an essential tool for all local businesses. For local keywords, it creates a stack of three tiles near the top of the SERP to direct leads to local businesses that have strong reviews, high volume of traffic, and good website SEO. These factors can be optimized to increase your businesses rank on the Google map pack, which could increase the flow of local traffic to your phone and your website.
The Map Pack is an enigma to many businesses and even SEO professionals. That’s because the algorithm for calculating rank is constantly changing and being adjusted per industry. Regardless, businesses need to increase rank on Google Maps just to keep in line with their competition. That’s a tough situation.
Part Three: Organic Results
Organic results are the bulk of what people mean when they are referring to ranks on Google. Getting the #1 spot for a keyword is incredibly difficult but can have a bounty of rewards if done correctly. As you can see from this graphic, the #1 position for a keyword will receive about 35% of the estimated monthly traffic. Position #2 will get about 20%, Position #3 about 10%, and it gets much lower going on.
Even though you may be ranked on the first page for a keyword, it doesn’t mean you will get any traffic. Putting your listing at position 2-6 can guarantee you a bit of the monthly traffic, while also setting you up to overtake the #1 position. Competition is fun, isn’t it?
