While watching the Red Sox this afternoon, (Yes I'm one of the 5 people in America watching spring training baseball today instead of March Madness) I saw a tweet on my timeline that read, "Is there still a page one on Google?" I clicked the linked and it dropped me into a LinkedIn Group discussion on the value of page rank in the modern SEO world.
(Disclaimer 1: I am an unabashed SEM guy, who does not believe in paying for SEO.)
That said I had to admit I was fascinated by reading how the other half lived. SEO analysts complaining that clients had unrealistic expectations about their services filled my screen. No one however was talking about the big elephant in the room. That elephant comes in the form of smart phones and tablets. No one was addressing the fact that on a smart phone or a tablet, most consumers choose from the first three links on their screen. Two of those links on a smart phone and all three on a tablet are paid positions. SEO on mobile searches is like the kid who sits at the end of the bench and only gets in the game when his team is too far ahead or too far behind to care.
(Disclaimer 2: I was that kid, so please do not think I am making fun of anyone other than myself.)
I took this screen shot several months ago on my Galaxy Note 2, which my wife says is as big as an iPad...... it's not. In fact it is not even close to the size of an iPad mini. (Yes I have checked.) Even with my unusually large screen, SEO's impact on this search would be extremely limited. At best your site is in the #3 position. The two links above, complete with their call now links, will get a majority of the clicks. I have read studies that estimate from the time someone speaks or types in their Google search term, on a mobile device, until they click a link a mere four seconds elapse. Four seconds is not enough time to scroll down the screen and read through 20 different organic listings to find the one listing that you were looking for. No, most people just hit the call now button and away they go.
I sat in on a presentation recently where the speaker used this graphic to demonstrate the new mobile search
paradigm. On mobile searches people either simply click to a well optimized mobile friendly landing page or they hit the call now button. They don't take the time while driving, shaving, riding the bike at the gym, watching American Idol or any of the other 1 million things people do while on their mobile phone, to scroll down the page. You are either there and get the conversion or your not and don't. There isn't a whole lot of gray area on this issue.
John Koestier reported in January that over 50 million smart phones were activated the week between Christmas and New Year's 2013. Industry leader Netsertive, states that the number of mobile devices in the United States has tripled since Q2 2012. Forrester Research points out in their new report, "The Future of Business is Digital," that by the end of 2017 74% of the US Adult online population will own a smartphone, and 46% will own tablets.
Look the mobile revolution is here whether you choose to participate or not. It's no longer acceptable to simply be on the first page of Google. You have to be at the top of the first page. They used to say that the best place to hide a dead body was on page two of a Google search. Now you can simply drop the body off at the bottom of the first page, no one is going down that far anymore.
So the answer is "YES" to the question that interrupted my ballgame watching experience, "Is there still a page one on Google?" Just like there are still cassette players, black and white TV's, and the occasional Ford Pinto floating around out there. The question that they should have asked is, "Is it simply good enough to be on Google page one?" The answer to that question is a much easier "NO." The game takes place at the top of the page. You need to be there. Unless you enjoy watching your website die a slow and painful death, in which case SEO away.
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