How people use Google Search is a common question when talking about SEO. SEO’s objective is to make your website more appealing to search engines, but it is also intimately related to human behaviour. When calculating search ranks, Google’s algorithm takes into account user behaviour, and knowing how people engage with the search engine might help you create more traffic to your site. Experts examined user behaviour sessions to understand more about how people use Google and interact with the results. Their findings provide some useful information that might help you improve your SEO approach. So, we here at AZ Citation Services made a guide on how people use Google Search!
Research findings
One of the most noteworthy results was the speed with which searchers made their decisions. On average, it takes 14.6 seconds for a user to click on a result. Within 10 seconds, half of the users click on a result. Most searchers appear to read the titles and meta descriptions of the first few results and make a quick selection based on their first impression. SEO, NAP consistency, and similar things impact these numbers.
Because just 9% of searchers browse all the way down the first page of results, appearing towards the top of the SERP is important. According to the research, only 17% of searchers return to the search results page after clicking on one result.
The study found that being in the Local Pack for a local search query is crucial. Around 42% of people choose a result from the Local Pack, so if your website doesn’t appear in the Local Pack, you may be losing nearly half of your potential site traffic.
How to use this data
The user behaviour research sheds light on searchers’ preferences when it comes to selecting results. Knowing how people use Google search can be very helpful. When developing an SEO strategy, keep in mind that people are impatient and look for the first few results. Here are four local SEO suggestions to help you improve your site’s visibility and attractiveness to searchers.
Utilize long-tail keywords
You have a minimal likelihood of ranking highly for wide, general search phrases if you’re a small or mid-sized firm. It will be far more beneficial to concentrate on extremely specialized, long-tail keywords. The Google Keyword Planner tool may be used to find new keywords and determine their current search traffic.
Include your target keywords in the text, title tags, and meta descriptions of your pages. Allow keywords to emerge naturally in your text rather than forcing them into places where they don’t make sense.
Optimize your GMB listing
If you run a local company, you must be listed in the Local Pack. The easiest method to get a place in the Local Pack is to optimize your Google My Business listing. Make certain that all of the data is correct, full, and consistent. Include a description of your company, photographs, and a favourable response to client feedback.
Speed up your website
People want immediate results. Speed of website loading affects how people use Google search. Many searches click on a result within seconds of seeing it, indicating that they want answers as soon as possible. Because site loading time is a direct ranking element, a sluggish site might hurt your ranking. Even if you get to the top of the SERPs, according to Google research from 2016, more than half of mobile searchers would quit a site if it doesn’t load in three seconds.
One of the most effective ways to improve page performance is to use the Gzip program to compress your files, which will drastically reduce their size. Use Photoshop or similar image editing programs to reduce photo sizes. Browser caching, which saves part of your site’s information for returning users, can help speed up loading times.
Write good and optimized meta descriptions
If consumers see your website in the SERP, the meta description is your chance to win them over. The meta description is generally cut off by Google at approximately 160 characters, so make it as brief as possible. Explain what the website has to offer visitors and persuade them to click for additional information. Use one of your goal keywords at the beginning of the description if at all feasible.
When building your site and generating the content, keep both the search engine algorithm and the searchers in mind. Improving your ranking is the first step toward growing your audience, and getting searchers to click on your result and remain on the page is the second. Make advantage of your knowledge of user behaviour to make your website more interesting, useful, and enticing to potential consumers.
How to make your content more appealing to Google?
To make your content more appealing Google must consider it to be high-quality content. Cloaking, hidden text, and keyword stuffing are all expressly prohibited by Google rules. However, these are not the only consequences of bad SEO. Google does not condone anything just because it is no longer enforced. Will it hurt your search rankings if you utilize long-tail keywords in a unique way on occasion? Maybe, and if not, they could suffer in the future. This is due to the fact that you will not be able to witness the effects of your SEO initiatives immediately away. In reality, it is predicted that it will take up to a year for the first results to show. This time period, however, is contingent on a number of different criteria and requirements that your firm must fulfil.
It takes time and effort to generate great content, but it is what will keep users coming back to your site. It is critical to learn what Google considers to be high-quality content and optimize your site accordingly. Nonetheless, it is far from the most important factor of SEO performance. Find out what more you need to do to get your website on the first page of Google Search results.
