Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) without paying for advertising. When someone searches for a particular term or phrase on a search engine, the results page will display a list of relevant websites in order of their ranking.
According to data from firstpage.com, in 2022 it was found that the top ranking position on the search results page typically had a click-through rate (CTR) of 39.8%. This is significantly higher than the CTR for the second position, which was 18.7%, and nearly four times higher than the CTR for the third position, which was 10.2%. If you happen to find yourself down in 7th place, you can expect to get only 3.4% of the clicks. One interesting fact, the top advertising position only received 2.1% of the clicks.
Considering these statistics, it is clear that organic SEO can provide better results than simply relying on Google Ads for your traffic. How effective can it be? We know from the data above that 40% of the clicks from a SERP go to the first organic result. If you were searching Google for mobile x-ray services in Modesto, CA, this would be your results page:
Modesto is the largest city in Stanislaus County, California with a population of over 200,000 people. Our client, Landes Mobile X-Ray currently holds the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th positions, as well as the featured business profile. They did not have to pay for an ad or any other type of listing to achieve these top positions.
We were able to achieve this with a combination of on-page SEO and mobile optimization.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO refers to the practices and techniques used to optimize individual web pages in order to rank higher in search engine results. There are several elements that are important for effective on-page SEO, including:
Focus Keyword
One way to boost your organic SEO is by choosing and using a focus keyword on each page of your website.
But what exactly is a focus keyword? It’s a specific word or phrase that summarizes the main topic of a webpage. By including the focus keyword in the title tag, headings, and throughout the content of the page, you can help search engines understand the content and purpose of the page.
Page Title
The title tag is a crucial element of a website’s HTML code. It appears in the browser’s tab at the top of the screen, and is usually the first content that Google sees. Your title should include your focus keyword.
Meta Descriptions
The meta description is a short summary of the page’s content that appears in the search results. While not as important for keywords as it used to be, it is the text that people read when deciding if you are the business they are looking for.
Headings
Headings are HTML tags used to indicate the importance of text on a webpage. H1 tags are usually used for the main title or heading of a page, and H2 tags are used for subheadings or sections within the page. There should only be one H1 heading on your webpage, and it should include your focus keyword.
Alt Tags
Alt tags are used to describe images and other non-text elements on a webpage. Including relevant keywords in alt tags can help improve the page’s relevance for search engines and make it easier for users with visual impairments to access the content.
Content
The content of the page should be well-written, informative, and relevant to the topic of the page. Including relevant keywords in the content can help improve the page’s relevance for search engines and make it more useful for users. For more information on creating content that works, please see our 7 Tips for Creating Engaging Content article.
Mobile Optimization
On Landes Mobile, we really focussed on the speed and mobile responsiveness of their website. We knew that these factors were important for both the user experience and search rankings, especially with Google’s mobile-first indexing.
Mobile-first indexing means that Google primarily uses the mobile version of a website’s content to rank pages and determine how they will appear in search results. This is in contrast to the previous method, where the desktop version of the website was used for indexing and ranking. With the majority of people accessing the internet from mobile devices, mobile speed and responsiveness is crucial to rank well in search results.
To optimize the speed of the website, we implemented various techniques such as compressing images and minifying code. These efforts paid off, as the faster loading times not only improved the user experience but also made it easier for Google to crawl and index the site.
In addition to speed optimization, we also made sure to design the website to be mobile responsive. This means that the website is able to adapt to different screen sizes and devices, ensuring that it is easy to use and navigate on a wide range of devices. By prioritizing mobile responsiveness, we were able to help Landes Mobile X-Ray provide a seamless experience for users accessing their website on mobile devices, further improving their search rankings.
Overall, our efforts to optimize the speed and mobile responsiveness of Landes Mobile X-Ray’s website have played a significant role in their strong organic seo rankings under Google’s mobile-first indexing algorithm. By prioritizing the mobile user experience, we were able to improve the accessibility and usability of the website for both users and search engines.
