It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You’ve spent ages building your website, optimising your content, and yet you’re still languishing on the second or third page of search engine results. You’re not seeing the traffic you expected, and as a result, your conversions are lacking.
But here’s the thing: just because your website isn’t ranking at the top yet, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. With the right search engine positioning strategies, you can boost your website’s visibility and get it to where it needs to be.
Search engine positioning refers to fine-tuning specific pages on your website to push them higher in search results. It’s a more focused, tactical approach than broader SEO. Instead of waiting months for improvements, positioning allows you to see faster results on high-priority pages. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, including some real-world case studies of companies that successfully boosted their search rankings.
What Is Search Engine Positioning?
Simply put, search engine positioning is the process of optimising specific pages on your website to improve their rank in search results. It’s all about taking a more focused approach than traditional SEO, which often focuses on long-term, site-wide improvements. With positioning, you concentrate on key pages that are just shy of breaking into the top search results.
Here’s an example: let’s say you have a blog post or product page that’s ranking at position 12. With a few targeted tweaks, you can move that page up to the first page of Google results. Positioning allows you to do that more quickly than SEO might normally allow.
This can be especially useful for small businesses that are trying to get noticed in competitive industries. By boosting a few key pages, you’ll increase your chances of capturing more organic traffic—and, in turn, more conversions.
Case Study: FreshBooks’ Blog Refresh Strategy
FreshBooks (https://www.freshbooks.com), a cloud accounting software company, was struggling with low traffic to some of their blog posts. After implementing search engine positioning strategies, such as refreshing older content, updating keywords, and optimising for mobile, they saw an impressive 95% increase in organic traffic within six months. By focusing on specific high-potential pages, FreshBooks was able to re-engage users and significantly improve their visibility in search results.
Why Does Search Engine Positioning Matter?
Getting onto the first page of search engine results is crucial. Studies have shown that the top three results on Google get 18.21% of all clicks, while those at the bottom of the page get significantly less traffic. If your site is stuck on page two or lower, your chances of being seen by potential customers are slim.
The benefits of good search engine positioning include:
- Increased visibility: The higher you rank, the more people see your site.
- Authority: Pages that consistently rank highly in search engines build trust with users.
- More traffic, more conversions: Better positioning drives more organic traffic, leading to more potential sales or leads for your business.
Case Study: HubSpot’s Blog Optimisation
HubSpot (https://www.hubspot.com), a well-known inbound marketing platform, implemented search engine positioning to improve the performance of underperforming blog posts. By updating old articles, adding more relevant internal links, and optimising meta descriptions, HubSpot was able to see a 106% boost in traffic to those specific pages, all in a matter of months.
Search Engine Positioning vs. SEO
So, what’s the difference between SEO and search engine positioning? While the two strategies share similarities, they are distinct in their approach and results.
- SEO is a long-term strategy that focuses on improving the overall structure and content of your website. It involves optimising multiple aspects of your site, from the technical side (like page load speed) to content quality and backlinks.
- Search engine positioning is a more targeted, short-term approach. It focuses on a few specific pages that are already ranking reasonably well but just need a little push to reach the top. It often delivers faster results because you’re focusing on a small portion of your site.
Both are important, but if you’re looking for quicker wins and want to see your pages climb in rankings fast, search engine positioning is the way to go.
Actionable Tips to Improve Your Search Engine Positioning
At Connect 3 Ltd, we work with small businesses to help them improve their search engine positioning. Here are six actionable tips that will help you get results fast:
1. Identify Your Target Pages
The first step in search engine positioning is identifying which pages will give you the most return on your investment. Focus on pages that are close to the top of search results—think position 11 or 12—and with a few tweaks, you can push them into the top 10.
Case Study: Backlinko’s Skyscraper Technique
Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko (https://backlinko.com), developed the Skyscraper Technique to identify and improve pages that were on the verge of ranking higher. By refreshing the content, adding more authoritative links, and targeting additional long-tail keywords, Dean was able to increase organic traffic by 110% in just a few months.
How to Do It:
- Use tools like Google Search Console to find which of your pages are ranking close to the top.
- Focus on high-value content or products that drive traffic and conversions.
2. Refresh and Update Existing Content
Google loves fresh content. By updating your older pages, adding new information, and optimising for mobile, you can significantly improve their ranking. Make sure to update external links, fix broken ones, and improve readability.
Case Study: The New York Times’ Evergreen Content Optimisation
The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com) noticed a decline in the rankings of some of its older, evergreen content. By refreshing the content, updating links, and adding multimedia elements like videos and infographics, they managed to increase engagement by 30% and reclaim top positions in Google search results.
How to Do It:
- Refresh older blog posts or pages by adding new information and improving readability.
- Optimise images with relevant alt-text and ensure your content is mobile-friendly.
3. Optimise Internal Links
Internal linking helps search engines understand your site’s structure and keeps users engaged for longer. It also allows you to pass authority from one high-performing page to another, improving overall rankings.
Case Study: Mailchimp’s Internal Link Optimisation
Mailchimp (https://mailchimp.com), a leading email marketing platform, revamped its internal linking strategy to improve the performance of key product pages. By adding more internal links from high-traffic blog posts to underperforming product pages, Mailchimp saw a 32% increase in conversions.
How to Do It:
- Add internal links to relevant, high-ranking pages on your site.
- Use descriptive anchor text that includes keywords and helps search engines understand the link’s purpose.
4. Improve Your Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Your page titles and meta descriptions are the first things users see in search results. By making these more engaging and relevant, you can boost your CTR, which will, in turn, improve your rankings.
Case Study: Shopify’s Meta Description Strategy
Shopify (https://www.shopify.com) noticed that despite having high rankings for some pages, their click-through rate was lower than expected. By refining their meta descriptions, making them more engaging, and including strong calls-to-action, Shopify increased their CTR by 25%, leading to higher traffic and sales.
How to Do It:
- Keep your meta titles and descriptions concise but engaging.
- Include relevant keywords and a call-to-action to encourage users to click through to your site.
5. Build Backlinks to Key Pages
Backlinks from reputable websites are one of the strongest signals Google uses to rank pages. Focus on building high-quality backlinks to the pages you want to improve.
Case Study: Moz’s Link Building Success
Moz (https://moz.com) used a targeted backlink-building campaign to improve the ranking of specific resource pages on their site. By reaching out to industry influencers and securing high-authority backlinks, Moz boosted the ranking of these pages by 15 spots in just a few months.
How to Do It:
- Create valuable content that others want to link to, like comprehensive guides or industry reports.
- Reach out to bloggers or influencers in your industry for potential backlink opportunities.
6. Monitor and Measure Your Results
Once you’ve implemented these changes, it’s crucial to monitor your results. Use tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs (https://ahrefs.com) to track changes in rankings, traffic, and conversions. If a page isn’t improving, it may need further adjustments.
How to Do It:
- Track your rankings using tools like SEMrush (https://www.semrush.com) or Ahrefs.
- Make data-driven decisions to optimise your pages further and track their performance over time.
Conclusion
Search engine positioning is an essential strategy for small businesses looking to grow their online presence. By targeting high-priority pages, updating content, optimising links, and building authority through backlinks, you can improve your website’s visibility and drive more traffic to your business.
Don’t forget that positioning is an ongoing process. Regularly updating your pages and monitoring their performance will ensure that your site remains competitive and relevant.