Search Engine Results Page Optimization: Converting Rankings To Clicks

Search Engine Optimization is not just about rankings. Once you get rankings, you must optimize the conversion of those rankings to clicks (and ultimately, to reader action). We call this Search Engine Results Page Optimization. In this episode, we talk about the three components of a search engine results page listing and how to optimize each element to convert.

We also talk about the impact of readability on search engine rankings and handle some listener feedback.

Show Notes

Does readability impact rankings? – Yes it does because it is going to impact how people view your article. If you are not targeting the right level of readability to your audience, they are not going to ‘like’, share or link back to your content. Also, Google’s intention is to put the best content on top and part of having a great content is having content which are easily read by your content. Your content has to be delightful and being readable is part of it. It might not be included in the algorithms today but over time, readability and things which are influenced by readability, will become more and more important.

The three components of a search engine results page listing and how to optimize each element to convert:

Whether or not someone clicks on your link, depends on whether or not your listing in the search engines has been optimized to convert the click. The title, the description and the URL are three things that you have control of and are calls for action for the readers. You are trying to influence a searcher to prefer your page rather than the other ones nearby.

Title tag – you need to have key words for Google SEO purposes but for the searcher, they are paying attention to this to decide whether or not to click on your link. So do two things: craft the title so that’s its interesting and encourages readers to click; and make sure it’s no longer than the number of pixels that Google is allowing you to show.

URL – you want the keyword for SEO but also so that readers can see that it’s clearly about what they want. You also want it not to look spammy. Make it look trustworthy and inviting to click on.

Description – it does not have much of an SEO impact from an algorithm perspective but it has big impact whether or not people click on your page. It must look enticing.

Links Mentioned In This Episode

JLD’s New Journal: The Mastery Journal
Impact of Readability On SEO- Link 2
Yoast SEO Plugin
Search Engine Land article on SEO listings

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Search Engine Results Page Optimization Episode Transcript

I hope everybody is having an absolutely fantastic day. I’m not sure whether or not I am. I’m telling you, I’m a fantastic day sort of guy, I kind of carry my own weather around with me, I think that’s a really important idea that I learned from Zig Ziglar when I was 18 years old.

I take my attitude with me everywhere I go and I’m a happy guy and I’m having a happy day, almost no matter what is happening. There are some exceptions, if there is something really bad going on or if I’m not feeling great or whatever, that can affect my attitude, but generally I’ll try to power through that because your attitude has a lot to do with your outtitude. That’s another Ziglarism.

So I have this kind of mindset about this, but right now I’m just not so sure. That’s because I’m friends with Pat Flynn. You guys know this. I was talking to Pat the other day and he was telling me all about how he has been getting up at 4:00 in the morning and getting all of this work done. I got all fired up and I decided I am going to record the podcast at 4:00 in the morning.

You may be saying, “Wait a minute, Mark. It’s Late Night Internet Marketing. How can you record the podcast at 4:00 in the morning? Wouldn’t that be early morning internet marketing?” I don’t know, I’m still trying to work that out. It feels awfully late to me. I’m looking outside the studio window and it’s still dark, so I think this qualifies as late night internet marketing still.

But, I don’t like it getting up at 4:00 in the morning. I normally get up at 5:30 in the morning, so I figured 4:00 in the morning not a big deal, I’ll just roll out of bed. Let me tell you something. I could barely work the coffee machine this morning at 4:00.

Pat, you’re a crazy man. Stop it. Stop influencing me. Stop getting in my head with these crazy ideas.
So this week I have some great stuff for you and I want to get right into it before I fall asleep right here on the mic…

(Episode 123 Transcript Continued…)