ORGANIC RANKING

what is organic ranking?
​and why is it important?

Another name for organic ranking is natural ranking. The easiest way to explain this concept is to explain the results that you would get from doing a Google search. It could be Bing or Yahoo or other search engines but since the great majority of searches are done on Google, we will use that as an example. 

We will concentrate on the first page that comes up since that is all that most people look at. It is important to understand how it is laid out and what it means for your company. 

Ads
There is some variation, but typically at the very top there will be two or three ads that companies have paid for. The more they pay, the higher up they typically are.

Map Listings
Then there will be a map with dots showing locations of companies providing the service you are searching for. It used to be that up to 7 companies were shown on the map and were listed below it. Recently Google changed the format and now shows dots for lots of companies but only lists 3 companies below the map instead of the 7. There is a place to click to see more map listings, but it is very important to be in the first three because most people don't bother to click to see others.

More Ads
In a column on the right side are more ads. They are typically smaller and cost less than the ads at the top. It is impossible to say anything about the actual cost since it varies by niche and what other people are bidding among other things.

​​Organic Listings
Below the map and to the left of the second set of ads are the organic or natural listings. There are ten of them per page. An organic listing simply means that you didn't pay to be there like the ad listings did. You may have paid in other ways such as time and effort in making a good website, but these first ten sites are listed because the search engine has decided that they best meet the criteria of your search.

Why is the first page so important?
If you are on the second page or lower, very few people will see your website listing.

• 75% of searchers only look at the first page
• First 3 listings get 60% of the visits (clicks)
• 75% of people don't click on the ads

Even though only 25% of people click on the ads, they can still be very cost effective but as you can see it is important to improve your organic ranking as well

Why Don't Websites Rank on the First Page?

No one knows the entire method that search engines such as Google use to decide how to rank websites when you do a search. That is a closely guarded secret or everyone would be trying to game the system. But there are a number of things that are common sense and are widely recognized to make a difference.

1. Content - If your website is one page with little information and your competitor has a 15 page website with lots of useful information for customers they will show up before you do.
2. Keywords - This goes hand in hand with Content. Keywords are single words or phrases that people typically search for when they are looking for your product or service. The more content you have, the more keywords there are likely to be. But, they need to be present naturally in the text and not just a list of words that people might search for. Search engines will penalize you for that.
3. Mobile friendly - Many websites do not show up well on mobile devices like cell phones. Because over half of all searches are done on mobile devices the search engines will penalize you for not being mobile friendly.
4. Social media - Google, Bing, Yahoo, Foursquare, Foursquare and many other sites allow businesses to publish listings for free. They have paid versions as well with more features. Many businesses have done none of these listings, some have done one or two. Plus, many businesses put in some information but don't take the time to fill out the listing as thoroughly as possible. On top of just filling in the information their is a step to verify or claim the listing. The search engines reward you if you have done all the steps. That also means that potential customers can find out more about your business.
5. Citations - Citations are basically when other websites list information about your website. There are hundreds of possibilities. Some such as Yelp, Foursquare and others allow customers to write reviews of your business. Others act like an online yellow pages. It is important that your business name, address and phone number are consistent across all the sites because it hurts you if it is not consistent. It is also important that you are on as many as possible for two key reasons. The search engines take you more seriously the more places you are listed. Secondly, the more places you are listed, the more likely it is that potential customers will find you. If you have no listings and your competitor has 100, who do you think will win?
6. Links - Other websites linking to your website help as well. If someone or some company thinks enough of your company and your website to link to it, it is an indication to the search engines that your website is worthwhile and might be of interest to people who are searching online. The more links the better. The power of the website linking to yours makes a difference as well. One link from Wikipedia or NBC to your competitor will be worth more than dozens of links from friends' and customers' websites to yours unless one of them has as much power as Wikipedia or NBC. 

​Enchanted Marketing Can Make the Difference in Your Website Being Seen, Leading to an Increase in Leads and Sales

Enchanted Marketing can help with all 6 of the above issues and other issues as well. To find out more about how Enchanted Marketing can help you increase leads and sales, fill out the form above or call

443-955-5536