[Hot] The Top SEO Metric of Success: Profits
In the SEO world "website ranking" is often touted as the most important metric of a website's success. After all, it's no big secret that the top Google result for any given query receives a majority of Google's traffic.
According to an oft-quoted study from Chitika, for example, a top ranking receives 33% of all traffic. After that, the drop-off is steep. The second result receives about 18% of all traffic. The third result receives 11%. If you're not on the first page, you're missing 92% of all traffic.
However, most SEO experts understand that ranking is only part of the equation. So why does the myth persist? Why do so many people believe ranking is all-important?
We asked Alex Stepman, of Stepman's SEO, why so many SEO firms market "first page rankings" as the ultimate SEO goal.
He pointed to the oldest of marketing tropes: emotional appeal.
"There's just something so appealing about a number one ranking," he said. "It's a visible, immediate proof of the success of an optimization campaign."
But is it the most important metric of success?
"Not necessarily," Stepman says. "A top ranking only tells part of the story--and often, a top ranking is not as meaningful as other metrics."
So how do you determine the value of a top ranking, specifically, for your website?
Ranking for the Right Keywords
Unfortunately, many websites achieve top rankings for keywords that do not necessarily attract business. Is your website the top result for a certain keyword? If so, what is the value of that top result to your business?
To estimate the value, ask yourself, "Is my website driving profits?"
If not, you might want to think about ranking for other, potentially more profitable keywords.
Read: "5 Steps to Finding the Most Profitable Keyword"
When is a top ranking for a keyword not beneficial?
Stepman related the story of a Philadelphia-area purveyor of handmade vegan products. When Stepman met the purveyor, he had been in business for seven years, and was happy to report that his site ranked first for a Philadelphia-specific search for a specific vegan food.
However, the vegan entrepreneur lamented, his website had not increased his profitability. He was performing well in the Philadelphia-area, yet he wanted to expand his reach, to other metro areas in the Mid-Atlantic region. He also wanted his customers to order directly from his website.
Upon reviewing the website, Stepman learned the interface was outdated, the content weak, and the functionality serviceable at best. In reality, the top ranking for the Philadelphia-specific search was mostly due to the company's physical presence in the area as the only local purveyor of a unique vegan food.
As currently constructed, the website of this local purveyor of handmade vegan products was terrible. In fact, Stepman wondered whether the current traffic he received might actually be hurting his business.
To truly expand his business, Stepman told the vegan entrepreneur, he needed to improve his website in every way. Only then should he try to rank for more keywords.
The Top SEO Metric of Success: Profits
In the SEO world we talk so much about the value of a top ranking, we often neglect to explore the value of a specific ranking. Do you have a top ranking? If so, it's value may be variable. And it is certainly not so simple as stating, "A top ranking receives 33% of all traffic."
The key, of course, is the profitability of any specific top ranking. As Josh Steimle writes for Forbes: "Rankings, backlinks, traffic, and even conversions don’t matter, unless they lead to increased profits."
Read: "SEO: Focus On The Only Metric That Matters"
In his article, Steimle relates the story of a decline in his own firm's ranking, and how this decline actually presaged a boost in profits. Closer analysis revealed that, although rankings had suffered, his firm's "bounce rate had been cut by more than half, visitors were visiting more pages on our site, staying longer on our site, and conversions were up 11%."
Much like the vegan entrepreneur, Steimle discovered his firm had been attracting the wrong type of traffic, but some studious SEO had shifted the dynamic: "What that tells me is that less of the traffic we don’t want is ending up on our site, while at the same time we are attracting more of the traffic we do want."
In the end, profits are about attracting attention, yes, but the right type of attention is crucial. A top ranking is to as important as a profitable ranking.
Profit-Driven SEO with Stepman's SEO
If you're looking for an online marketing company that understands how to effectively promote websites with profit-driven content that converts visitors, we suggest contacting our sponsor, Stepman's SEO: 215-900-9398.
Stepman's SEO combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective websites that drive profits.
According to an oft-quoted study from Chitika, for example, a top ranking receives 33% of all traffic. After that, the drop-off is steep. The second result receives about 18% of all traffic. The third result receives 11%. If you're not on the first page, you're missing 92% of all traffic.
However, most SEO experts understand that ranking is only part of the equation. So why does the myth persist? Why do so many people believe ranking is all-important?
We asked Alex Stepman, of Stepman's SEO, why so many SEO firms market "first page rankings" as the ultimate SEO goal.
He pointed to the oldest of marketing tropes: emotional appeal.
"There's just something so appealing about a number one ranking," he said. "It's a visible, immediate proof of the success of an optimization campaign."
But is it the most important metric of success?
"Not necessarily," Stepman says. "A top ranking only tells part of the story--and often, a top ranking is not as meaningful as other metrics."
So how do you determine the value of a top ranking, specifically, for your website?
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| You may celebrate a top ranking, but is it the true measure of SEO success? [Photo Source] |
Ranking for the Right Keywords
Unfortunately, many websites achieve top rankings for keywords that do not necessarily attract business. Is your website the top result for a certain keyword? If so, what is the value of that top result to your business?
To estimate the value, ask yourself, "Is my website driving profits?"
If not, you might want to think about ranking for other, potentially more profitable keywords.
Read: "5 Steps to Finding the Most Profitable Keyword"
When is a top ranking for a keyword not beneficial?
Stepman related the story of a Philadelphia-area purveyor of handmade vegan products. When Stepman met the purveyor, he had been in business for seven years, and was happy to report that his site ranked first for a Philadelphia-specific search for a specific vegan food.
However, the vegan entrepreneur lamented, his website had not increased his profitability. He was performing well in the Philadelphia-area, yet he wanted to expand his reach, to other metro areas in the Mid-Atlantic region. He also wanted his customers to order directly from his website.
Upon reviewing the website, Stepman learned the interface was outdated, the content weak, and the functionality serviceable at best. In reality, the top ranking for the Philadelphia-specific search was mostly due to the company's physical presence in the area as the only local purveyor of a unique vegan food.
As currently constructed, the website of this local purveyor of handmade vegan products was terrible. In fact, Stepman wondered whether the current traffic he received might actually be hurting his business.
To truly expand his business, Stepman told the vegan entrepreneur, he needed to improve his website in every way. Only then should he try to rank for more keywords.
The Top SEO Metric of Success: Profits
In the SEO world we talk so much about the value of a top ranking, we often neglect to explore the value of a specific ranking. Do you have a top ranking? If so, it's value may be variable. And it is certainly not so simple as stating, "A top ranking receives 33% of all traffic."
The key, of course, is the profitability of any specific top ranking. As Josh Steimle writes for Forbes: "Rankings, backlinks, traffic, and even conversions don’t matter, unless they lead to increased profits."
Read: "SEO: Focus On The Only Metric That Matters"
In his article, Steimle relates the story of a decline in his own firm's ranking, and how this decline actually presaged a boost in profits. Closer analysis revealed that, although rankings had suffered, his firm's "bounce rate had been cut by more than half, visitors were visiting more pages on our site, staying longer on our site, and conversions were up 11%."
Much like the vegan entrepreneur, Steimle discovered his firm had been attracting the wrong type of traffic, but some studious SEO had shifted the dynamic: "What that tells me is that less of the traffic we don’t want is ending up on our site, while at the same time we are attracting more of the traffic we do want."
In the end, profits are about attracting attention, yes, but the right type of attention is crucial. A top ranking is to as important as a profitable ranking.
Profit-Driven SEO with Stepman's SEO
If you're looking for an online marketing company that understands how to effectively promote websites with profit-driven content that converts visitors, we suggest contacting our sponsor, Stepman's SEO: 215-900-9398.
Stepman's SEO combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective websites that drive profits.