“If you ain’t first you’re last,” says fictional race car driver Ricky Bobby. But that doesn’t always hold true on the internet.
So what’s better than being number one? We’re taught to believe nothing trumps taking home the bragging rights of achieving first place. Who wouldn’t want to receive a shiny trophy or a bright blue ribbon? But it turns out, there may be at least one thing that may count as much or more where your Google ranking is concerned: coming in at zero.
As Randy Milanovic of Kayak Online Marketing explains, coming up in Google’s search box might actually be better than being first in the search results. Milanovic refers to this placement as “Search Zero”
Why?
Because if you’ve used search engine optimization correctly, and established your website or blog’s online presence with robust content and relevant keywords, Google may suggest you to users who use its search engine — and that’s what you want, isn’t it? You want your website, blog, or company to be your clients and prospects first option — and the one Google suggests to them.
Of course, being the “Search Zero” result isn’t a participation trophy. You have to put in the work to tip the odds in your favor by using a responsive web design, featuring content that bolsters your reputation and minimizing typos and errors on your site, says Milanovic.
If you aren’t Google’s suggested content for “Search Zero,” there’s no need to worry. Concentrate on implementing a user-friendly design and a content strategy that addresses search engine optimization uses relevant keywords and minimizes errors. If you haven’t started a blog (or started one but have let it lapse), remember that a blog can be used to build up your knowledge base. Try anticipating users’ questions or problems and building the answers you can provide into your posts. And it goes without saying (but we’ll say it again): Monitoring your Google Analytics can help you determine where to make changes.
Over time, consistently keeping an eye on these things will help improve your Google rankings.
Are you ready to rev your website’s engines, so to speak? Take advantage of our free training videos, which address many of the tips that can help your site rank higher.
