Can I Reach Page 1 of Google?
If there’s one question relating to SEO that gets asked frequently and consistently, it’s this: how can I reach page 1 of Google - and is it even possible? There’s good reason for business owners to ask it. Depending on the source, a good 90% (at minimum) of traffic comes from page one, and few people even make it to page 2, let alone continue to look through pages of search results.
Google, which is prioritizing user experience even more this year, wants you to find the answers to your questions and the solutions to your problem without navigating to another page, or even sometimes without scrolling down! So, as a marketer, it’s good to wonder if you can reach the almighty first page of Google so you can attract the most customers possible.
Reaching page 1 of Google is part of my success story.
When I was in the wedding photography business, the name of the game for my marketing efforts was SEO. I read, I researched, and I created a ton of content with the end goal of reaching page 1 in mind…and after some time, the effort paid off. Even though I put far less work into that website’s SEO now, I continue to reap the rewards of having potential customers find me on a regular basis.
There are two things to consider, though, before I can tell you whether this is possible for you:
For what exact search term do you want to reach page 1?
This is huge, and incredibly important to answer before you dive into the work. If you Google ‘Hampton Roads wedding photographer’ right now, it’s likely my name will pop up on the first page, and in some places even the first result (search engine results are affected by location and browser history). However, if you search ‘wedding photographers’ the result will be very different.
I knew I could get a high local ranking, so I focused on that as my strategy. As a solopreneur with a small-but-growing business, it just was not realistic to think I could be #1 on any search engine page related to wedding photographers. Instead, I focused on 3-5 key search terms that mattered most to me and would target my ideal audience, and the efforts have paid off for years to come.Are you willing to put in the work?
Search Engine Optimization doesn’t have to be scary, and it isn’t particularly difficult, but it does require some work. It would be crazy to think you could put up a post on Instagram and double your following overnight. In the same way, you can’t write one or two blogs and expect to show up on page 1 the next day.
It takes careful planning, time, and lots of consistency to start rising in the search engine rankings. If you can commit to just a little time each week, I promise it will be well worth it in the end. But if SEO is something you want to put a few minutes into once a month or less, you likely won’t see results - and you’ll get frustrated in the process.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it has been for my business to rank highly on Google, and how transformative it can be for you as well. If you’re not sure how to get started, I have a free download to help you along the way - and, as always, email me if I can answer any questions in the meantime!
