This article from Search Engine Watch highlights a study by Chitika breaking down the percentage of clicks the #1 through #15 rankings receive. The numbers are broken down below.
From our perspective, this is not a discouraging statistic. Here’s why. This emphasizes the importance of having multiple results on page 1. Yes, it is extremely difficult to achieve number 1 rankings. However, achieving multiple rankings lower on the page can be just as valuable. Let’s assume the following scenario in which you rank for different pieces of content on page 1 of search results.
YouTube video you posted: #3 ranking = 11.4% share of clicks
Facebook Business Page: #6 ranking = 4.4%
Your website: #8 ranking = 3.1%
Total share of clicks = 18.9%
This is better than having the #2 position in which case you’d be getting 17.6% of the clicks.
We can use BringShare as a great example of this. When searching “paid search dashboard” you’ll see that we do not rank #1. However, as you can see below, we have achieved the following rankings:
#2: Paid search features page
#3: Paid search dashboard explanation on zendesk support
#4: Blog post about new paid search features
#5: Images result #2 is a screenshot of our paid search dashboard
#10: YouTube video about the paid search dashboard
Together, we own 45.6% of the clicks on this keyword. That is better than having the #1 position!
What does this mean for your SEO strategy?
It means you need to diversify content across multiple authoritative platforms. By doing so, you have an opportunity to own more real estate in the search results thereby increasing your click share — and the organic traffic your clients receive.
