After you enter a query you're interested in, the search engine displays a page showing the search results (SERP). Usually, you can see around ten results for a query, although this number can vary. In addition to standard results, Google may also display, for example, ads, offers, maps, or news.
Google search results
The first four results (in the blue box) are ads, i.e. paid links from Google Ads. Organic results (outlined in green) are free, and their order depends on how well they match the phrase entered by the user, i.e. the keywords. Other factors that have a significant impact on the order in which websites appear in the search engine include:
• page loading speed;
• proper optimization of content and graphics for how they are displayed on the website;
• the quality of the written source code and its proper proportion to the volume of valuable content displayed on the website.
The aspects listed above can be checked by conducting a technical SEO audit, which you can commission from a digital agency or carry out yourself. It's worth knowing that with proper positioning, you can influence your website's position among organic results on the internet. One of the most important factors affecting a website's position online is its key phrases (keywords), which have a significant influence on where the site ranks.
What are keywords, and why are they important?
They're simply the words or phrases people enter into a search engine to find a product, service, or information they're interested in. Several of the most important types of phrases can be identified:
1. General keywords usually consist of one or two words. These are very broad terms that don't tell us what the person entering the query is specifically looking for. If a user types in “jacket,” for example, we don't know whether they mean a women's, men's, or winter jacket, or perhaps a light summer jacket. However, focusing only on these types of phrases in an attempt to rank a website well may not be the best idea, because competition for such keywords is enormous. Most often, the competitors are well-known major brands that spend huge sums from their budgets to get their pages shown among the top search results for the general keywords users enter.
2. Branded phrases are words entered by a user who doesn't know the exact address of a company's website. Most often, it's simply the company name or part of its website address. It can also be a trademark. A user will most often enter a phrase such as “women's Reebok jacket” into the search engine. If the company has a unique name and its website's domain name matches that name, the page they're looking for will appear first.
3. Long-tail phrases are phrases consisting of more than two words, where the user specifies more precisely what they're looking for. In the general-phrase example, the user entered “jacket”; here, they'd enter “black men's sports jacket for winter.” Such phrases make it much easier to position a website for specific customers.
4. Key phrases that answer customers' specific questions. Most often, these are questions about a store, product, or service. They can also describe specific problems, such as “LG TV black screen” or “cracked smartphone display.”
5. Key phrases that contain personal data. Many people looking to use the services of, for example, a doctor, lawyer, or simply a company, enter that person's first and last name, such as the company's manager. The information they find this way often determines whether they decide to use the services of that company or person. So it's always worth checking exactly what information potential customers see when they search for a given name or company name.
By tracking rankings and the queries entered into search engines, you can find out exactly what potential customers need. This applies not only to commercial companies, but also to other businesses that provide various services. The internet is now a vast source of knowledge, and it's where most users first turn when looking for a product, service, information, or simply entertainment. That's why it's essential to position your website or online store as effectively as possible. Carefully selected keywords placed on your website will definitely help improve its search engine rankings.
