How to Rank your Product on the First Page of Google even if Nobody Knows it
José María Lopez
Helping companies to find clients, engage customers and grow revenues | Marketing | Speaker | Writer
In this article, I will show you the steps you need to follow to rank your product on the first page of Google even if nobody knows it. I will use real examples to explain my methodology and after reading the article you will be able to do it on your own.
This is a lesson learned the hard way by spending hours studying the search results on Google. I have been working in different industries trying to rank products and services on this search engine. It is a hard task because you need to figure out what keywords people will use to find your product. If you don’t use those keywords, your potential client won’t ever find you.
Why is it so important for a company to be on the first page of Google?
Because almost every purchase starts online. Around 80% of shoppers use Google, Yahoo, or Bing as an important purchase information source. The situation is especially critical in the B2B industry. Around 90% of the b2b buying journey starts on the Internet and Google leads the search engine field. Everyone wants to be on the first page of Google and the competition is fierce.
Image Source:?Reliablesoft
But, what makes being on the first page of Google so special?
Do you know that 75% of people will never scroll past the first page on a Google search? Reports show that the first organic result in Google Search has an average click-through rate of 28.5% and after the first page the click-through rate decreases.
Image source:?Search Engine Journal
Defining the user’s intent or How people use Google Search
The user’s intent means the purpose of the users when they type a specific search term into an online web search engine. Google’s mission is to help searchers to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible, consequently, the top organic results usually reflect the user’s intent.
There are three kinds of user intent: The informational search query, the navigational search query, and the transactional search query. In this article, I will focus on the informational search query.
Informational Search Query
Do you know that around 80% of searches fall into the “informational” category? Informational search queries are related to non-transactional information. People try to find useful information to satisfy their needs.
If your product is new and nobody knows it or your company is just starting out, you won’t have domain authority, and users won’t type your company name in Google search.
Your first step is to understand user intent. When users enter informational search queries, they combine informational phrases and some industry terms.
Informational phrases: How to do, What is, Ways to, How can, Why, Where, Who, Alternatives, Guide, Whitepaper, Study, Survey, Tips, Learn, Examples
Some industry terms: Best Shoes for Running, Flowers are poisonous to cats, Most Resistant laptops in the Market, Best Screwdrivers for home, etc.
For example:
To sum up, when thinking about search intent you need to keep in mind that informational intent is the beginning of your customer journey. Those users are in the awareness stage of the customer journey.
How to Align the User Intent Search with your Customer Journey
We have already explained the User Intent Search, our next step is to align it with the Customer’s Journey. The customer journey refers to the customer’s path, via touchpoints, to their decision to purchase an item. It is divided into three stages:
In this article, I will study the awareness stage and how to align it with the user intent search.
Awareness Stage and Informational Search Queries
Customers in the awareness stage usually tend to search for informational queries because they are trying to identify their needs. I have chosen at random three different products and created some typical informational search queries, after that I studied the search results.
I will show you something very interesting, and it will make you consider your current strategy at the awareness stage. Here are the informational queries:
What are the most resistant laptops in the market?
Who is competing for these keywords? I have written down the results of the first page and divided them into three main categories: Specialized media outlets, affiliate marketing websites, and e-commerce platforms. Here are the results:
Specialized Media: Techradar.com, Pcmag.com, Zdnet.com, Bayustudio.com, Windowscentral.com
Affiliate marketing Blogs/Media: Durabilitymatters.com, Digitaltrends.com, Netbooknews.com, Laptomag.com
Ecommerce platforms: Amazon
What are the best shoes for running?
Specialized Media: Runnersworld.com, Esquire.com, NYmag.com
Affiliate marketing blogs: Runrepeat.com, T3.com, Gearpatrol.com
Ecommerce Platforms: Fleetfeet.com, Runnersneed.com
What is the best screwdriver for home?
Specialized Media: Bobvila.com, Popularmechanics.com, Thespruce.com, Cnet.com
Affiliate marketing blogs: T3.com, Pocket-lint.com, Cordlessdrillzone.com, Reviewed.com
Ecommerce Platforms: Amazon.com
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The three searches show a similar pattern. Google offers search results from authoritative websites such as popular media outlets and specialized affiliate marketers. So here comes the big question: How to attract and engage your audience at the awareness stage?
Best Practices for the Awareness Stage
Collaborate with Influencers, Media and Affiliate Marketers
I will be honest with you. It will be difficult for you to rank on the first page because you are competing with media outlets with high traffic. Those competitors that have been around for a long time are going to dominate the top page rankings for popular industry keywords. My suggestion is…
If you can’t beat them,
join them!
The best option is to collaborate with them. You need to find the right influencers, media outlets, and affiliate marketers and ask them to review your product and include it in their buyer’s guides and ranking lists in exchange for a commission, free samples, or a fee.
They will promote your product on their websites with high traffic and better organic positioning. Consequently, your client will find your product easily and will be more confident about this third-party recommendation. As a result, your website will gain authority with quality backlinks, traffic, and potential sales.
Craft your own content using long-tail keywords
At the same time, you have to craft your own content aimed at answering the informational search queries of your potential clients. Try to improve your organic positioning using long-tail keywords because they are easier to rank for and the search engine result page is not overcrowded with industry influencers and top blogs.
Image source:?SEMRUSH
Some of the best tools for keyword research are free:
Google Ads Keyword Planner.?You just need to sign up for an account and you will be able to find the most relevant search intent keywords for your campaign.
Google Search Console. Measure site traffic and performance and identify issues to help your site perform better in Google Search.
Here are some effective content types that you should craft at the Awareness Stage :
Create your own tools to help your potential client
Users frequently are looking for a tool that will let them solve their problems. Hubspot is a good example, its most visited web pages are free tools: The Free Email Signature Template Generator, Make my Buyer Persona Generator, etc.?
Neil Patel does the same and provides freemium tools like Ubersuggest. In fact, I used Ubersuggest to identify Hubspot’s most popular websites.
Image source:?Ubersuggest
In other words: people that search for “Email Signature Generator” don’t want a piece of content about how to create an Email Signature. They want a tool that will let them create an Email Signature Template.
You can think about what potential issues may encounter your clients at the awareness stage and their informational search queries. Here are some examples of free tools:
The Free tools drive viral spread because they require low customer work and deliver high value. At the same time, they build trust and improve organic positioning.
Pay to show on the first page of Google Search
Finally, you can also consider running advertising campaigns to attract more traffic via Pay Per Click, Google Display, and YouTube campaigns. Top organic results usually reflect the searcher’s intent.
I suggest that instead of promoting your brand at the Awareness Stage, you could match the searcher’s intent and create ads that mimic the organic results to drive traffic.
You could launch a PPC ad using this headline:?“Top 40 CRM software ranked – Discover the leaders in CRM”.
This headline matches the searcher’s intent. The user will probably click on the ad and will land on a landing page analyzing many CRMs, yours will be among them and you will have the opportunity to stand out for its features and benefits.
Conclusion
Showing up on the first page of Google is nearly impossible if nobody knows your brand or you are new. You will compete with media outlets, affiliate marketers, and e-commerce that have been producing content for years.
My suggestion is to collaborate with them and use their authority to promote your product. At the same time, I suggest creating content that satisfies informational search queries and offering free tools that can help users at the awareness stage. Finally, I also suggest running ad campaigns that mimic the organic results of informational search queries.
What strategies have you used to rank on the first page of Google?
P.S. Before you go, you may also be interested in the following articles:
POST WRITTEN BY
Jose Maria (Chema) Lopez
A Madrid Polytechnic University International MBA has worked as global marketing director in B2B and B2C international leading companies implementing global marketing and communication strategies to ensure business objectives and to optimize brands reputation and visibility on a global level.
Marketing & Branding Manager | Machine Learning, Data Science
3 年Thank you for sharing Jose. Very useful!