With the word "Google" now synonymous with research -- not to
mention becoming a verb in business vernacular: "to google" --
conventional wisdom says any given Web site has to be among the
first 30 results of a search in order to be seen. Well, now comes
incontrovertible proof via a new study from Oneupweb
(Suttons Bay, Mich.), the search- engine-optimization (SEO) and
-marketing (SEM) firm, that shows clear traffic and sales benefits
to being listed on the first three pages of Google results.
In a nutshell: Higher positions sell better. Nothing new there
and, as the Web has made a comeback in the last couple of years,
promoting a Web site still is as difficult as ever. But what this
survey does show is "the surprising high conversion rates change in
just those initial months," says Lisa Wehr, president of Oneupweb.
"While we feel the study is a breakthrough because it provides hard
data, the conclusions aren't new."
Oneupweb reviewed data collected by its proprietary conversion
analytics technology, ROI Trax, to determine average increases in
traffic and conversion rates when sites move higher in Google
search results (see chart 1). The study also shows
conversion rates are affected by a site's position on Google
(see chart 2). The first month a site appears on the first
page of a Google search, conversation rates go up, on average, an
incremental 42%; during the second month, conversation rates nearly
double.
Wehr says the study is the first to link search-engine results
to sales conversions. What's in it for PR people? "This study
provides a broader base of data than a single case study and should
help PR professionals demonstrate that good positions on search
engines affect sales," she says.
One of the more salient findings for communicators: PR needs to
be included in SEO in two ways. First, integrate into all campaigns
the content PR creates for optimization: Web pages, press releases,
newsletters, bylined articles and white papers. Second, SEO
tracking shows how good PR improves sales -- a connection that has
been difficult to make. "This study helps a potential client, and
the whole industry, understand the degree of opportunity available
with natural optimization," Wehr says. "In short, PR execs need to
become experts on how search impacts their company (and their
jobs)."
Contact: Lisa Wehr, 231.271.8700, lisa@oneupweb.com