What Are Organic Search Results and Why Do You Need to Increase Their Number?

When you read about search engine optimization (SEO), it is impossible not to encounter the term “organic search results”. You understand from the various articles you’ve found that they are important, but what are organic search results?

In this article, we will give you all the information you need to know on this topic. What’s more, we will also explain the difference between organic and paid search results, which one is more effective, and how to improve organic search results. We believe that the only way of helping you make the right decision for your business is by giving you all the data you need to make an informed choice. 

Let Us Start with the Basics: What Are Organic Search Results?

When a person is typing words in the Google search bar to look for information, they get a long list of results: websites that contain the words they searched for. Some of these results appear at the very top of the list. These are usually paid search results (more on this topic later in this article).

However, the large majority of websites represent organic search results. How exactly does Google select these websites and display them in a specific manner? Over the years, the search algorithm used by Google has improved tremendously. At the present, it relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language programming (NLP) in order to:

• Search for websites containing the keywords (terms) input by the user
• Match the user intent (the purpose of the search) with the website content
• Display the most relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy websites at the top of the search results.

The organic search results definition above reveals the importance of this concept for SEO. If your website appears among the first results displayed by Google for a search query related to your business, products, or services, chances are most users will click on your link. Once they reach your website, a great user experience, modern web design and high-quality content can determine them to become your customer.

How to Get Your Website to Rank among the First Google Organic Search Results

There is a rather unkind joke among SEO specialists that the best place to hide a dead body is on page 2 of Google organic search results. While unsavory, it has a point: very few people will browse further than the first page of search results. In most of the cases, the organic search results displayed there are quite sufficient to satisfy their need to learn something or find products/services they need.

For this reason, every business aims to appear on the first page of Google organic search results for their relevant keywords. The technique that helps achieve this goal is search engine optimization. By using a combination of several factors, SEO specialists can ensure that your website will meet the criteria Google uses in the selection of the best matches to a user’s query.

As we explained above, the Google algorithm has changed over the years, and it is continually changing. The search engine company is trying to refine the organic search results it displays so that they are as perfect a match as possible to the user’s needs. 

In order to do so, the Google spiders are crawling websites looking for elements such as:

• Fresh, unique content is constantly added to the website
• Secure website, free from viruses, spam, and malware
• Reputable website, containing information users can trust and rely on 
• Excellent mobile browsing experience
• Great user experience, even for beginners
• Fast loading pages

The Most Effective Ways to Improve Organic Search Results

Using the organic search results definition and the latest Google criteria for ranking, SEO specialists can create a tailored strategy for your website. The objective is to rank higher in Google organic search results not just in the immediate future, but for the long term. It is very important to understand that you cannot get among the first organic search results overnight.

SEO work is ongoing work and you have to wait for a little before you see the first results. Any reputable SEO agency will tell you that openly and honestly. Thus, you should never trust anyone telling you that they can get your website in the first place of Google organic search results – that is either a lie or the result of black hat (unethical) SEO tactics, which are soon discovered and penalized by Google.

So, what are the effective methods, playing by the rules, to improve organic search results? Here are a few things that SEO experts will do for you:

Perform a Thorough Keyword Research

Although SEO means much more than keywords at the present, it is the starting point if you want to see your site on the first page of organic search results. Keyword research is a very complex and specialized task because it involves:

• Finding keywords that most people will use to search for something
• Selecting keywords that are not highly competitive (you do not have to fight against big brands to rank for these keywords)
• Looking for long-tail keywords (less frequently used keywords, but which still have a significant search volume and are more specific)
• Long semantic indexing (LSI) keywords (synonyms, phrases, similar words to the main keywords).

Audit and Optimize Your Website

When we explained what are organic search results, we also told you what Google is looking for in a site – fast loading, secure, easy to use. The SEO experts will analyze your website – the code, the files, the content – and look for any vulnerabilities and ways in which it can be improved.

In general, the most common problems with websites, preventing them from ranking among top Google organic search results, are:

• Overly complex code
• Large files – photos and videos
• Obsolete third-party add-ons that are vulnerable to viruses 
• Outdated design
• The website is not optimized for mobile browsing
• Complex navigation menu, which does not allow users to find what they need quickly

A professional SEO agency has a team of designers, programmers, and testers who can identify these issues and fix them.

Optimize Existing Content with the Identified Keywords

Once the SEO team identifies the best keywords, they will skillfully introduce them in all the texts on your website. Consistency is the key if you want to see your site on the first page of organic search results.

Google has a few rules concerning the use of keywords:

• No keyword stuffing (meaning, you should not exceed 3 keywords per 100 words)
• No hidden keywords (added in white text on white background)
• The keywords must be relevant to the rest of the content on the page
• The entire content of the website must be relevant to the targeted keywords

The secret to adding keywords to existing text is finding logical and natural ways of introducing them in sentences. The text must be easy to read and understand. As a saying goes, you should write for people, not for Google organic search results.

Add Quality Outbound Links

Google will display high-quality, reliable, and authoritative websites at the top of organic search results. But how exactly does the search engine know that a website contains reliable information, while another doesn’t?

One of the key factors in this respect is called the outbound link. What is it and why does it matter for Google organic search results? Whenever you quote statistical data, research papers, official documents, etc, you should add a link within the text pointing to the original source. The more reputable the original source is, the more reputable Google will consider your website, as well.

Create a Content Strategy

When you are trying to rank for the first page of organic search results, you should have a constant flow of unique content added to your site. The easiest way of doing it is blogging. All ranking companies use a blog to keep their site up to date and promote their relevant keywords through fresh content.

An SEO agency can create your content strategy and provide you with high-quality articles, written by experienced copywriters.

Discover the Differences Between Organic and Paid Search Results

In this section of the article, we will discuss organic search results vs. PPC. PPC stands for pay per click and it is the most common form of paid search results. In essence, paid search results are ads that you schedule through Google AdWords.

These ads appear at the top of Google search results (above organic search results). Every time a user clicks on such an ad, you have to pay a specific amount of money to Google. 

The main difference between organic and paid search results is that ads will give you instant results in terms of increased traffic to your website. However, as soon as you stop a Google AdWords campaign (i.e., you stop paying for these ads) your flow of traffic will drop suddenly.

By contrast, organic search results obtained through a smart SEO strategy will take some time to show results. However, the flow of traffic to your site remains constant for a longer time, with less financial expenses.

Thus, if you want a quick boost in traffic for a short period of time (to promote a special offer) you should choose paid search results. If you want to grow your traffic over time and increase your customer base in a cost-effective manner, you should consider ranking in Google organic search results.

Hire an SEO Company that Puts Your Site among the Top Google Organic Search Results!

Direct Line Development is a team of professionals specializing in SEO, digital marketing, and web design. We know what are organic search results and how to get your website on the first page of Google search results for your relevant keywords.

We do not make unrealistic promises, and we always have written results you can see in the reports we will prepare for you on a constant basis. 

Our SEO experts are ready to help your website become more visible to potential clients. Call us now to discuss how we can put your site on the first page of organic search results: 267-626-2554!