As search marketers, our goal is to own as much of the real estate on the search engine results page (SERP) as possible because this results in increased visibility and traffic.

The problem is that page one is constantly being updated.

Paid advertisements, information panels, maps, videos, featured snippets, and other similar elements are now competing with organic search results for the attention of users.

As you read this article, you will:

• Recognize how difficult it is to compete on search engine results pages.
• Gain an understanding of how to efficiently apply on-SERP SEO.
• Train your mind to think in terms of “traffic potential.”
• Get instant access to seven practical strategies that will improve your search presence right away.

Recognize the Difficulty of SERP Competition

The battle for position on search engine result pages (SERPs) is fiercer than ever.

There are now a wide variety of forms and categories of media elements that are ranked.

Most likely, the sudden drop in organic traffic from high-performing keywords is caused by the addition of new things to page one.

Now more than ever, the organic position is pushed further down the page, beneath paid advertisements, maps, media components, and featured snippets.

Because of this, we call these parts “position zero” because they come before even the best organic results.

The zero-click search format is one of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) that sees the most competition.

A search engine results page (SERP) is called “zero-click” if the answer to the user’s question is right there on the page and meets their needs without them having to click anywhere else.

The question now is, with the increasing level of competition in the SERPs, how can SEO experts maintain their level of effectiveness?

Use on-SERP SEO to compete with position-zero SERPs.

On-SERP SEO optimizes the first page.

Page one real estate should be optimized to increase CTR and organic visitors.

On-SERP SEO requires a paradigm shift.

It’s a plan to boost page-one search results and brand awareness.

It’s SEO claiming Google traffic from any SERP element.

To compete in zero-position SERPs, SEO professionals must coordinate different media sources to dominate page one.

SEO Success Requires a ‘Traffic Potential’ Mindset

While researching keywords, defining target pages, and deciding on keywords, there is one critical mindset shift to make:

Take into account the new reality of SERPs.

In conventional approaches to SEO analysis, you are accustomed to looking at the following:

• Keywords to search for
• The number of monthly searches
• The difficulty of the keyword

Today, you must adjust to:

• Featured excerpts
• Additional components of the media
• Organic CTR decreased.

You must now consider CTR when researching and choosing keywords.

Most search engine optimization services offer a traffic potential feature that can be used for this.

An example of a traditional search phrase with no clicks and zero positions may be seen here, courtesy of Ahrefs: “time Berlin”:

Ahrefs shows a large amount of search traffic, but 80% of searches are never clicked.

Instead of monthly search volume, analyze click potential.

Only then will your article have a high CTR and organic traffic gain.

By looking at real click potential, you can find terms that have a good chance of high organic rankings and search traffic.

6 Strategies to Boost Your Website’s SERPs

After we’ve succeeded in shifting your mindset, let’s talk about some strategies to immediately improve your search visibility.

As part of these strategies, we’ll talk about how to take control of different parts of the search engine results page (SERP). For example, we’ll talk about how to increase your presence in organic search, paid ads, knowledge panels, and photos.

1. Optimize Top 10 Keywords for Featured Snippet

Featured snippet optimization is an art, not a science.

Google seems to pull highlighted snippets of information from the top 10 ranks.

First, review your organic rankings to see whether any keywords have featured snippets (using tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, etc.).

These will identify keywords and sites for featured snippets.

The featured excerpt gives the user a direct answer without clicking or searching.

Depending on the query purpose, there are four sorts of featured snippets:

• Listings.
• Charts.
• Word.
• Videos.

Second, pay attention to the featured snippets that show up for each of the search results for your target keyword.

Long-tail and question queries are the most likely to yield featured snippets.

For the featured snippet, provide such queries or keyword terms as a subheadline.

Make a specific response to the subheadline just underneath it.

There are a variety of ways to structure this, including one paragraph, a list, and a table, depending on what Google prefers for that keyword.

The more factual and specific you can make your statements, the better.

It is common practice for Google to incorporate data and lists directly into search results.

Even comparison tables and lists can be marked up with schema if you so choose.

2. Optimize For Google Sitelinks

Sitelinks expand the visual space of search results by presenting your most significant pages.

You can’t force Google to show site links, but you can improve your chances by making sure your site is easy to navigate and using anchors and alt tags that explain what they do.

3. Add Schema Markup When Appropriate

Markup for products, businesses, and reviews helps Google figure out what your pages are about and what the site is for as a whole.

On schema.org, you can look over the many forms of schema markup and decide which ones to use on your website.

The review schema markup can make it possible for Google to display a star rating within your organic search results, which boosts the website’s truthfulness, credibility, and click-through rate (CTR).

4. Optimize and Make Use of Google Business Profile

Verifying and improving your Google Business Profile boosts local search results.

This helps with Google Maps.

All of your business’s features, perks, and details should be listed and shown on your Google Business Profile to provide crucial information.

Collecting reviews for the listing allows you to use review schema markup.

Bonus: Answer the listing questions. This extends your list.

5. Run Branded PPC Ads

You should still run advertisements on your brand terms even if search engine optimization (SEO) is your passion, organic search is your primary source of traffic, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is prohibitively expensive in your specialised market.

Users who are looking for your brand name have the best chance of clicking on one of your results after conducting a search for it.

Don’t ever let someone else occupy your important ad spot.

Always run a branded Google Ads campaign for brand phrases.

For the best visual impact, fill out all areas and apply ad extensions.

Shopping or hotel ads may be helpful in some niches because they show up in places where people are most likely to buy something.

6. Optimize Your Knowledge Panel

Knowledge panels on Google are designed to display all of the information that Google has about your company in one centralised location.

They can be displayed for businesses, nonprofit organisations, influential people, local businesses, various forms of media (movies, TV, books, music), products, and nutritional information.

If any of the preceding descriptions applies to your organisation, you stand to gain a significant competitive advantage by maximising the information displayed in your knowledge panel.

The Future Of SERPs & How To Win With On-SERP SEO

When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), one of your best skills is being able to look at the whole search result page and use it to your advantage.

On-SERP SEO is a great illustration of this concept.

If you use the seven practical strategies we’ve given you, you’ll get more space on the search engine results page (SERP). This means you’ll have more chances to catch people’s attention, which will increase brand awareness and click-through rates.

Also Read: 7 Essential Insights For SEO Client Reports