When is the top spot not the whole lot?

 approx 3 minute read

Everyone has to brake for the corners in life. But what’s important is that you can accelerate out of them. It’s a tough time for businesses right now. Where we find ourselves on the other side could matter more.

Get me top of the Googles

Every socially distant cat and his dog is obsessed with being top of the Googles. And rightly so. Historically, holding the no.1 organic position was a surefire way to win gallons of web traffic.

But like any 21 year old, Google’s appearance has changed somewhat in recent years. When it comes to being found online, what does the new layout hold for your business?

Like any well organized kitchen cupboard, organization, structure and labeling can go a long way.

Perhaps now is the time to do a bit of organizing around the place?

What’s SERP?

In the next few minutes, we’re about to say SERP a lot. So you need to know that SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. It’s the page you are shown once you search for something and it resembles a big long list of websites that might be relevant to your search.

At least, it did. Things have changed.

Have you done something new with the place?

The layout of the SERP has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Have you noticed? In the past you’d expect a list of 10 or so websites and a few ads but today it’s a much more visual experience.

So whereas the number one listing used to dominate, the net of user attention is now cast much wider over the whole page. That means you don’t have to necessarily be top to be the top dog in terms of impact, or clicks gained. BUT you do need to work on being seen at all.

Here are just a handful (we’re being serious) of features that go way beyond the traditional organic listing.

Sure, we’ve kinda got used to them like a bad smell but the number of ads varies significantly. Some people may ignore ads altogether but the fact is they get attention. Google didn’t become one of the richest companies in the world for nothing.


More ads. Product Listing Ads. This is ‘shopping’ for stuff essentially.


Google’s attempt to answer your query without a click. A little bit like an answer box. But instead showcasing a section from a chosen website.


Or rich results, as they’re now called. Can feature extra stuff like images and reviews etc


This is where you ask a question, and Google answers it for you, right there on the page. Only really works with facts, Nothing too deep, ok?


Powerful local search listings in your area. On a map. With reviews. Amazing for finding local business services.


An epic snapshot of images relevant to your search term. Doesn’t mean you can legally use them though. If you’re looking for marketing images, you should get in touch.


Links to related videos. On YouTube of course. But you should be there. YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest search engine!


Newsworthy search term? Make way for some of the top stories from legitimate broadcasters.


One of our favourite features. Peek into the psychology of the masses by uncovering the similar questions people ask.


AMP stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages. AMP is optimised for mobile web browsing and intended to help webpages load faster.

It’s an ongoing project

Search Engine Optimisation is an ongoing project. You have to stay on top of it for a chance to be on top of it.
Google changes all the time (nine updates a day, to be precise) so it’s an ongoing challenge to stay as relevant as possible.

You could do that yourself.
Or you could speak to a local SEO expert.
Get started by requesting a free audit