“Be #1 on Google” – this is, perhaps, one of the overly used phrases in the SEO industry. It is part of the sales pitches of many companies offering search engine optimisation services. It is also posted on the sites of many SEO agencies.

For someone who knows nothing about this digital marketing strategy, repeatedly seeing this can give you the notion that this is the primary objective. The truth is that even some Irish SME owners who have been doing SEO for quite a while now think that this is the result they are working towards.

But is landing on top of search results pages what website optimisation is all about? Is being number one on Google and other search engines the main and only goal?

SEO – Not Only About Ranking High on SERPs

In May, the SEO world went abuzz when John Mueller, a Google Webmaster Trends analyst, made this comment – “Ranking isn’t always the goal.”

This surprised many as a statement of this kind is rarely heard in this industry.

As mentioned earlier, “Be #1 on Google” has turned into a catchphrase that made people believe that landing a first-place position is the be-all and end-all of search optimisation.

But before you fret, note that he did not say that ranking is not a goal. So, you don’t have to worry about your efforts being all for naught.

It is important that your site has a high position on SERPs. However, a first-place or first-page position would not matter if it is a query that no one is searching for.

You see, ranking #1 for a long-tailed keyword that no one is searching for is easy simply because no one is trying to rank for it.

While it may seem like a major achievement, it is actually not something worth celebrating. This high position does not have a significant impact on your site, nor does it bring value to your business.

Why?

Since no one is using this query, it is unlikely for it to bring qualified traffic to your site.

This puts into focus the importance of proper keyword research. In case you didn’t know, the process involved in identifying which keywords to use has greatly changed. Nowadays, understanding the intent behind the query matters.

The Ultimate SEO Goals

What you want to happen when you optimise your site is not just to rank high on relevant keywords but to increase website traffic, get qualified leads and have more sales.

Achieving these goals is only possible if you have a well-designed SEO strategy – one that involves proper keyword research, well-written content and technical SEO, to name but a few.

Remember:

Ranking well on a query that nobody searches for would not increase your website traffic.

Similarly, your world-class content would not amount to anything if it’s about something that no one is looking for.

Meanwhile, if you have excellent content for a widely used query, it is going to go to waste if it is not indexed.

A page that is not indexed cannot be ranked. When it is not ranked, people would not know about it. Hence, it is imperative that your site is technically optimised as well.

In summary, ranking high matters, but it is not something you have to do for every keyword there is. Moreover, it should not just be the primary goal of optimising your website. At the end of the day, what matters are not just ranks and clicks but leads and sales – a truly experienced SEO specialist knows this.

Want to get more traffic and leads with SEO? Work with 3r – the trusted SEO company by many Irish companies! Give us a call on 019609023 or visit our website to learn more about our services.