The Deceptive Nature of Rankings: Unveiling 5 Reasons Behind Their Inaccuracy and Effective Solutions
Rankings. We all strive for them, hoping that our website will appear on the first page of search results. But are those rankings really as good as they seem? In this article, we will uncover the hidden truths behind rankings and explore five reasons why they can be deceptive.
Problem 1: Top 10 isn’t good enough – top ~3-5 minimum should be
So you’re ranking in the top 10 for several relevant keywords. That’s great, right? Well, not exactly. The truth is, if you’re not in the top 5 positions, you’re unlikely to get the traffic you need to drive significant revenue. Top 5 positions receive about 70-80% of all clicks, so anything outside of that will only bring in a fraction of the desired traffic. To truly see results, aiming for the top 3-5 positions is essential.
Problem 2: Your ‘good’ content isn’t actually aligned with what searchers want
You may think that your content is top-notch, but if it doesn’t align with what searchers are looking for, it won’t rank well. Big brands often get away with publishing mediocre content because of their authority and brand recognition. However, for smaller brands, it’s crucial to ensure that your content matches the content types that are currently ranking. Otherwise, even if your content is good, it won’t reach those coveted top positions.
Problem 3: Keyword cannibalization means on-page optimization is off, too
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website are competing for the same keyword. This can lead to poor optimization and a lack of coverage on related subtopics and questions. Even if one piece of content is ranking well for multiple keywords, it’s unlikely to rank well for all of them. To avoid cannibalization, it’s important to cover semantically related subtopics and optimize each page specifically for its intended keywords.
Problem 4: Your competition is incredibly fierce
Keyword difficulty (KD) is often used as a metric to determine how difficult it will be to rank for a particular keyword. However, KD doesn’t always accurately reflect the competition. It primarily measures the quantity of referring domains to each content page ranking in the top 10. This means that even if a keyword has a low KD, the competition may still be incredibly strong. It’s important to assess the domain strength and content quality of your competitors before deciding to target a keyword.
Problem 5: The quality and quantity of referring domains are out of your league
Referring domains play a significant role in determining search engine rankings. If your competitors have a large number of high-quality referring domains, it can be challenging to outrank them. This is especially true for highly competitive keywords that generate significant revenue. To compete, you’ll need a strong domain rating, high-quality content, and a substantial number of referring domains. Without these, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to rank in the top positions.
In conclusion, rankings can be deceptive. Just because you’re ranking well doesn’t mean you’ll see the desired results. It’s important to aim for the top 3-5 positions, align your content with search intent, avoid keyword cannibalization, assess the competition accurately, and build a strong backlink profile. By addressing these issues, you’ll have a better chance of achieving long-term success in search engine rankings.
