Why is there such a battle to be in the #1 slot of a Google search result page?  To be seen first, to have an online reputation of being the best? Producing the best information? Of course you want to be the best, but why not be #1 on result page 2 or 3? What’s the difference?

I recently looked at an incredible video on youtube that was an experiment using eye tracking technologies to see where a user would look on a Google Search Results Page if given a broad term keyword.  As the dots were forming (showing eye movement), they began to concentrate and then focus on the top 5 results of the google search page.

There is a reason why people and businesses vie for the top of the food chain rank when it comes to page results.  Habitually, the users scanning the internet for information have less time, and put less effort into scouring search results for the information they seek. According to a study done by Cornell University, they found that the top 3 Google results get 79% of all clicks. AOL did a similar study and found that 63% of clicks were concentrated on the top three search results.

This could be because Google has become a trusted company and their search algorithms have been proven effective, but when was the last time someone you knew (on average) looked into the second or third page results?  Most people, I think, would just refine their keyword or type in a long tail search to get the first page results they desired.

Do not go at the process of Search Engine Optimization by shooting in the dark.  Not only are you wasting precious time, but honestly, your site is probably not even being seen.