The Myth Of Guaranteed First-Page Search Rankings

There is no way to guarantee that a blog post or article will rank on the first page of search rankings, and not even SEO can do this.

Even if you pay for ads, your ad is not guaranteed to be on the first page. Why? Because you are not the only person paying for that keyword.

Today, I want to explore this deeper. Unfortunately, many people fall victim to this scam. They pay SEO experts who guarantee that they will rank. If you already did that, then too bad for you. If not yet, then let me explain why. 

SEO Is A Basic Expectation, Not a Guarantee

If you want to become a boxing champion, you must be physically able to fight. In addition, you must have working limbs and eyesight. These are just basic expectations, but they do not guarantee that you will be a champion. 

Without eyes and limbs, you can’t even go up the ring and fight. 

SEO is like that. Having it and doing it does not guarantee the first-page spot. But without it, you are not even in the race. 

SEO is a must but not a secret to ranking, and your focus must be on the quality of your article and your user’s experience. If you think about it, the one thing you must provide to users to get that first-page ranking is value. 

SEO is fundamental, but do not forget that many bloggers do the same thing. If there are 100 of you targeting the same keyword and all of you did your SEO perfectly, who will rank? Indeed, SEO has nothing to do with it. 

Google Ranks Articles Based on Metrics

Value is your focus after doing SEO. Google measures value in many ways, and below are some examples: 

• CTR – more clicks send a signal to Google that your content is relevant to what the user is searching for; improve your CTR to get better ranking results.  
• Average Session Duration – the longer people stay on your site, the better the algorithm will think of your content. 
• Bounce Rate – a high bounce rate is usually indicative of poor-quality content, but not always. 
• Pages per Session – the more pages a user consumes, the more likely Google will recommend your other pages to users who fit the same profile.

Google also takes into account social signals, such as shares on Facebook and other platforms. So, if you want to rank on page one, focus on the metrics you see in your Google Analytics dashboard. 

As you can see, all these metrics boil down to one thing: quality of information. Users will stay longer on your website if you provide them with valuable content they need, not spammy articles that do not add value. 

Ads Rarely Work as a Guarantee

Some SEO experts claim that SEM is a guarantee. No, it is not, and paying for ads does not guarantee a spot on the first page. 

Why? 

Because you are not the only one advertising for that keyword, and there are hundreds of you. Besides, the impression for your ads relies on many factors, such as your targeted locations. 

In addition to this, some companies put a higher bid for clicks and impressions than you did. So no, ads do not guarantee a first-page ranking. 

If it does, then it only means that you must spend a ton of money. If you put the highest bid for a keyword for PPC ads, Google will likely rank your content, not because of SEO but because you paid. 

But there is a problem, how long can you keep this up? If you spend thousands of dollars on ads, do you really think that the clicks will generate revenue for you? Will you get a return on investment from these ads?

Ads are excellent only if you are selling products, and they work best if you have a landing page with an offer. Ads are a waste of money for bloggers who earn revenue from Google AdSense. The amount of money you spend on your ads is far higher than the revenue you generate from ads on your blog. 

There is Always a Tough Competition

If you do your SEO right, you got skin in the game. If you provide a high quality of content and meet high ratings in your Google Analytics metrics, you may rank on the first page. 

However, know that the internet is a never-ending journey, and it is a battle that has no end. Therefore, you need to keep producing articles that meet Google’s expectations and the expectations of your audience. 

It would help if you kept up with the times and trends. Your content three years ago might be the best, but time changes and modern technologies emerge.

As such, you need to keep on producing the latest content. But, at best, you need to have a publication plan. First, list down topics that would help your readers. Then, hire an affordable freelance writer who can rank articles on Google based on the quality of their work. 

Use social media, and make sure you only send your content to people interested in your niche. Be on the lookout for websites that rank for specific keywords and write a longer and better article than what you already have. 

Summary: The Myth of Guaranteed First-Page Search Rankings

There is no way to guarantee first-page rankings on Google. The world is so big, and there are millions of web pages published every day. So, it is a never-ending battle for that sweet spot on the first page of the SERPs. 

Do not pay SEO experts who claim that they can put you on the number one spot. These people are merely exploiting your lack of knowledge of how SEO works. 

My advice: Focus on SEO because it is a basic expectation. Focus on quality if you want to rank on the first page.