Have you seen this title before? If you have, it’s because I wrote a sales email with the same title. Writing a blog based on a sales email is not cheating because it’s what we call content multiplication. You take a piece of content and duplicate it on other platforms. For example, the podcast you record gets broken up into smaller parts and posted throughout the week. Now, one podcast gets turned into several days’ worth of content.
That podcast becomes a blog, which gets posted on several social media platforms and becomes the source of your monthly newsletter. I’m simply doing what we preach to our clients because it works. Marketers also tend to find innovative ways to preach the same message. I am peeling back the curtain because our company is built on giving away as much information as possible for free. When you give value, you increase your credibility and will get value back. So, why am I talking about invisible billboards? Great question.
Why Google Is a Billboard (The Good News)
Billboards are crafted to grab the attention of people passing by, delivering messages quickly and effectively with bold visuals and concise text. They are carefully placed to ensure maximum visibility to reach a broad audience. The goal is to make a memorable first impression, sparking interest and engagement from those who see them.
Similarly, appearing on the first page of Google search results provides immense visibility and impact. This prime online real estate is where most users seek information. Securing a spot on Google’s first page demands intelligent SEO strategies and sometimes an investment in advertising. Like billboards, top search results must present their messages clearly and compellingly, considering the short time users spend looking at them. This high-value placement makes billboards and the first page of Google an excellent way to reach and influence a large audience.
Now, The Bad News
There are only twelve spots, and four of them are reserved for paid ads. Okay, that still leaves eight spots to fight for if you want to get there organically rather than outbidding people for the paid ones. Most people click on the first organic result (about 30%). The last spot? It gets about 3%. About 60% of the people will choose one of the first three organic results. That’s the sweet spot.
Because my family is from Boston, I did a quick search to see how many law firms were in one of the greatest cities in the world. There are over 2,000 law firms, 500 of which are small or solo ones. (Boston only has 650,000 people in it.) Again, there are twelve spots, three of which get the majority of traffic. Even if you broke this down by practice area, there simply isn’t enough real estate to house all these firms on the first page.
The bad news is that everyone thinks that keywords will get them there. Everyone is fighting for the same spot through the same technique. The other side of the coin is that there is far more to SEO than just keywords. I know because I used to do it.
People Get Taken Advantage Of
Never listen to someone who guarantees your firm will land on the first page. Some people claim to have inside sources to get your firm on it. I’d advise you to not listen to either one. There are pages of reasons why, but a quick, simple one is that Google’s algorithm changes.
People will pay upwards of $10,000 a month for the possibility of getting on that page. They are paying for a billboard space they may never see for an indefinite amount of time. My next blog will tell you the cheapest and easiest way to get to the first page. (Hint: It’s by having prospective clients type your name into the search bar.) There are very easy ways to make this happen. I told you, we love giving away free information.
Spotlight Branding
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