When it comes to improving the click-through rate for your website, Google Search Console can be the best option for you. It is a free tool that enables you to analyze high-end and poorly performing pages. If you want to improve your click-through rate or CTR, you can follow a few simple steps.
Google Search Console can be the ultimate solution for you if you want to experience a boosted CTR on your site from the SERPs. Google Search Console shows you which site needs improvement, and thus, helps you gather more traffic out of every URL listed in Google. With the help of this tool, you can analyze clicks from Google search and test if Google can understand your existing content and receive alerts about errors.
We have shared below seven simple steps by following which you maximize your CTR with the help of the Search Console.
Step 1
Measure your CTR results with Search Console:
The first thing that you need to consider is to recognize the current levels of your CTR. To measure your CTR results with search console, at first, open the Search Console, select the website you want to analyze, and then click on Search Traffic in the left hand. In the dropdown menu, select search analysis. Then click on the CTR checkbox at the top of the page. Once you check the CTR checkbox, you will see the CTR figures in the bottom right corner.
Now, look for the CTRs of your targetted keywords. If you find the number is like 10% or 20%, you have to improve it.
Step 2
Set your goals:
Setting a tangible goal that you can fulfill is a must before launching any optimization effort. Set the goals that you can follow. Remember, you will never be able to set a 100% realistic goal, and even an expert digital marketer can not create it. On every search result page, there are typically 15 links, 10 of which are organic, and the five paid. That means the readers have many options to choose from, and you can’t expect to get a click every time. However, by setting the right goals, you can get more clicks than your competitors.
Step 3
Improve poor performers by using high CTR pages:
To maximize your pages with the poor CTRs, you have to study the pages that perform well. Google Search Console works as a friend of yours in this case. You can use the tool to find your high performing pages. Click on the “Pages” button above the graph in the Search Console. It will show you a report that lists CTRs by ‘page URL’ instead of the search term.
Analyze the pages to find out the high-performing pages with great CTR and why Google prefers them. You can check their headlines, targeted keywords, and descriptions to discover how it distinguishes from your other poor-performing pages.
Apart from this, you can also review the structural differences between high-and-low performing pages.
Step 4
Analyze copy with AdWords:
Linking your website to AdWords enables you to analyze search traffic for the keywords and phrases and track customer activity on your site. To find your CTRs in AdWords, select “Campaigns” located at the top of the screen. Then look for the Interaction Rate column on the right. You can view a subset of campaigns by using the filter tool.
You can follow the ads that yield higher CTRs than others and use the same pattern to low-performing ads.
Step 5
Use Google Analytics to locate high performing content:
Another helpful tool that you can use to find out high-performing content is Google Analytics. This tool records user behavior on a specific page, such as page views, average time on page, bounce rate, and entrance rate.
To locate the high performing content, you can click on the “Behavior” in the left-hand sidebar, and then select “Overview from the dropdown menu. It will display the most-popular content pages during a chosen reporting period.
Step 6
Remember SEO best Practices
If you are unable to find out why some of your pages’ CTR is low, you can check the basics of it. Ensure that –
- Important keywords are in the meta description
- Meta descriptions are short, simple, and meaningful
- Targeted keywords are first in the title tag
- Meta descriptions are under 160 characters
- Meta descriptions are compelling
- Titles are of 60 characters or less
- All the meta descriptions and tags are unique
In short, with the best SEO practices, you can maximize your CTR.
Step 7
Measure results:
After you have completed all the above six steps, all you need to do is to keep patience and see the results. Remember, SEO is not an overnight practice. It takes time, but it works. You can gauge your results only with patience.
When you know how to maximize your click-through rate for a page, use it on other pages to see if it works. However, for the new pages, set a new goal, and look for ways to improve your CTR even more. Google always wants you to succeed, and this is why it provides the Search Console at absolutely free of cost. So, maximize your CTR with the help of this free tool.