SERPs: The Benefits of Being No. 1
The benefits of ranking on the first search-engine results page (SERP) are more valuable than ever: 60% of clicks are generated by the top three SERP results, while the average CTR (click-through rate) for the top spot is 36.4%, according to a study by Optify.
Not all CTRs are created equal, however. Although head, or high-volume, search terms, yield higher CTR for position No. 1 on the first SERP, low-volume, long-tail terms, generate better overall CTR on page one.
Below, other findings from Optify's study, The Changing Face of SERPs: Organic Click Through Rate, based on analysis of organic keyword visits (Google US) gathered from Optify's software for a variety of B2B and B2C websites in December 2010.
The CTR curve (chart below) supports the traditional understanding of SERPs: Ranking on the first page is far more valuable than ranking anywhere else.
Moreover, the results show how moving keywords up within page No. 1 can yield accelerating benefits. For example, by doubling investments to move from the second position to the first, one could triple visits for that keyword.
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It also depends on what type of search the user in conducting. If someone is just looking for information, than ranking first might prove to be a lot more fruitful. However, users looking to buy are often more willing to scroll through a few pages of results before they click through. Ranking first for those keywords might not matter as much.