The Power of Being First
October 3, 2005 | Category: Page OptimizationWhen choosing primary keyphrases, it may be tempting to optimize for something really competitive, in hopes of getting a position on the second or third page. As much as you may like the idea of ranking for something highly popular, it is usually better to start off with a less competitive niche phrase.
In ideal circumstances, you should try not just to be on the first page, but to be listed first on the first page. The power of being first is demonstrated by a recent study, which found that 42% of searchers will click the first result on a page one. Compare that to just 12% who click the same result when it moves down to position number two.
That’s why one of the most important things to do when you first start a site is to scour Overture’s keyword suggestion tool to find an appropriate primary keyphrase for your homepage. Ideally, the phrase that you optimize for should have at least 1000 monthly searches (some exceptions can be made to this rule in the case of highly specific niche topics), and it should be something you have at least some chance of ranking number one for.
That’s not to say that if you find an extremely popular keyword that you can rank #2 for, you shouldn’t jump at the chance. But keep in mind that when it comes to niche terms, being first in line is a distinct competitive advantage.
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Published by WealthStream Innovations
[…] If you want to research a keyword further, you can also look at the incoming links for some of the other results on the first page as well. In general, however, it is best to try and find niche terms that you have a chance of ranking number one for. […]
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