Why the Top 3 Search Results Are the Only Finish Line That Counts!

Imagine you're at the races, watching the horses thunder towards the finish line. You placed a "win, place, or show" bet, and your horse is coming in second or third. It’s a decent return – not the jackpot, but something. In the digital world, SEO follows the same principle. If your website isn't in the top three search results on Google, you're not winning big money. The sad reality? If you're ranked at the bottom, you're like a horse that’s hardly remembered – as Jerry Seinfeld might put it, your website’s name might as well be “Glue Stick.”*

Search result rankings work the same way: if your business website lands past position 6-8, it’s not just a weaker showing – it’s almost invisible. Being ranked low is like standing at the back of a crowded stadium where your audience can’t see or hear you. According to Backlinko, the top three positions scoop up over 50% of the traffic, while positions 4-10 share around 31%. Going from position 2 to 1 gives you a nearly 75% boost in click-through rate while moving from position 3 to 2 can increase it by 43%.

The takeaway? Winning in search is like winning at the track: if you’re not near the front, you’re practically out of the game. And this isn’t just about showing up on page 1 – it's about claiming one of those precious top three spots.

Even better, longer keyword phrases (four words or more) earn higher click-through rates – up to 32%, compared to 17% for one-word queries. This makes sense: longer phrases reveal a more intentional, motivated searcher, so securing top positions for these specific queries can yield better-qualified traffic.

With new developments like Google’s AI Overview summaries, capturing these top spots may become more challenging, especially in areas like news and trending topics. But for local businesses, the strategy remains: top spots bring visibility, and visibility brings calls, visits, and sales.

Think of it this way: winning in search isn’t just about crossing the finish line – it’s about being the one they remember. Positioning your business website at the top for keywords that matter can be the difference between simply running the race and dominating it.

Being in position 1 on the web for search terms with little or no traffic won't help you grow your business. I see many businesses who have been told (or think) their website performs well yet can't understand why their phone isn't ringing. This is where quality marketing analysis excels in driving quality traffic at volumes that help move the needle for a business. Reach out to me to begin the conversation about the state of your web marketing.

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*In the olden days glue was made by boiling down animal hooves and bones, to extract collagen. Synthetic glue is cheaper and has a longer shelf life than glue made with animal collagen. A few companies in Canada still make animal glue from horses.