seoClarity: In Mobile World, Search Result Placement Is Critical to Clicks
Search engine optimization - and where a website appears in search results - can have a significant impact on click-through rate (CTR), especially for mobile search, according to a study released last week by SEO analytics provider seoClarity.
The study - the first of a three-part series analyzing CTR for mobile and desktop users - collected data over 90 days during the summer to avoid any seasonal impact on the results.
First and foremost the study found that if you're not first, you might as well be last. The most significant findings of the CTR study are those showing mobile behavior. The first ranking result comes in at 27.7 percent CTR, and drops to just 9.2 percent for the second-placed search result. This study claims to be the first to compile a comprehensive data set of CTR for mobile.
When reviewing desktop metrics, CTR rates fell by 7.9 percent from the first ranking result to the second.
The study also included desktop results for branded versus non-branded CTR. As evidenced by the chart below, the top-ranked branded result has a 22 percent higher CTR than the number two spot. However, once you reach the fifth ranking result, the CTR stays consistent through the 10th ranking result.
When reviewing the data for non-branded keywords, a much more consistent decline in results is even clearer.
To provide more insight into the results, SEW spoke with Ryan Heuser, senior technical account manager of seoClarity, and primary author of the study.
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seoClarity: In Mobile World, Search Result Placement Is Critical to Clicks