Whether you’re a seasoned SEO expert or new to the world of search engine optimisation, getting onto the first page of Google is undoubtedly a big part of the job! Getting your site, or your client’s site, onto that first page of the search results is invaluable for growing organic visibility. It’s no wonder so many SEOs want it to happen overnight – literally. The question is, can you get on the first page of Google in 24 hours? Read on to find out…
The Value of Page One
Put simply, the goal of any SEO is to get their site to rank on the first page of the search results (or top 10 in the world of infinite scroll for their desired keywords, preferably in the top three positions.
Think about it – when was the last time you scrolled to the second page of Google? You may venture there every now and then, but it’s likely you click through to the most convenient search result that seems to answer your question best.
More visibility to users means increased click-through-rate, and increased click-through-rate (hopefully) means increased conversions whether that’s buying through your ecommerce site or filling out an enquiry form.
To understand just how important ranking position is, October 2023 data from firstpage.com outlines that:
Position #1 generates an approximate CTR of 39.8%.
Position #2 generates an approximate CTR of 18.7%
Position #3 generates an approximate CTR of 10.2%.
…That’s a big difference!
So, Can it be Done?
While there are certain steps to be taken to help your climb the rankings faster, it’s a challenge that shouldn’t be dismissed. Well established sites who tick all the boxes can still face challenges trying to rank on page one that quickly.
Even the most experienced SEOs cannot guarantee you’ll end up on page one of Google within 24 hours. Sometimes Google can index content very fast, other times not. It’s not an exact science, and there’s certainly no step-by-step guide you can follow to secure (or maintain) your spot in the top 10 search results.
This is not to say it cannot be done at all. In fact, we’ve done it here at MRS. Our Benefits of Google Search Console blog jumped straight into 7th place on page one on the day of its upload!
So, if you are eager to make your way onto page one within 24 hours, we discuss the certain factors that will help or hinder in your efforts below…
Getting on the First Page of Google
1. Consider Your Site’s Authority & Competitiveness
A key factor which may sway your ability to climb the rankings fast is your site’s domain authority. Domain authority (DA), or domain rating (DR), is a variation of a metric used on SEO tools like SEMrush, Moz and ahrefs. You will need access to one of these tools to measure this on websites.
Now, to be clear, Google doesn’t look at or consider this score – it’s from a third-party tool after all. However, domain ratings are a great indicator internally for you to establish how competitive a search landscape is for a specific keyword. Your DA or DR score will tend to be out of 0-100, with 100 being the highest score.
On ahrefs, a website’s domain rating essentially measures the quality of a website’s backlink profile and how this equates to authoritativeness. You can use these scores to measure whether you have a chance of ranking for the keyword you want to rank for.
Let’s say your site has a domain rating of 13 for example, and you want to rank for a specific keyword. If all of the sites currently featured on the search engine results page (SERP) are at a much higher rating than yours, such as 45+ for example, then you’re unlikely to compete here if the topic has already been well covered.
However, this could also work in your favour. If you find websites ranking for a target keyword that have a lower DR than your site – theoretically you’ll be able to compete better!
Our advice? Make sure you assess the SERP for your desired keyword and ask yourself whether your site’s current DR can stand up to the test.
If you don’t have access to a third-party tool as mentioned above, have a look at the search results manually and see who is positioned there. If you see recognisable publications dominating page one then you should be able to guess how competitive it’s going to be.
2. Assess Your Topical Relevancy
Another important element to consider when trying to get your site to rank on the first page of Google in a short space of time is your website’s topical relevancy. Ask yourself – are we the relevant expert to be writing about this?
Determining how relevant your site’s overall content is to a particular keyword or topic is yet another signal to Google of how authoritative your site is in that field and ultimately, whether it should rank you over your competition.
Through both onsite elements, such as content and keyword targeting, and offsite signals such as backlinks from relevant publications, search engines build up an understanding of what your website is about and where your expertise lies.
Take MRS for example. By creating up-to-date content on our specialisms, SEO and PPC, and earning backlinks from relevant digital marketing publications, we’re signalling to Google that we’re experts in our subject niche.
So, when you’re creating content that you want to rank on page one for, consider how relevant this topic is to you and your offering. If you don’t think it makes sense for you to be writing it, it’s like that neither will Google.
3. Ensure Your XML Sitemap Updates Automatically
Crawlability, and ultimately indexability, are crucial if you’re trying to rank your site quickly. What’s the point in having great content if Google can’t find it?
That’s where XML sitemaps come in. XML sitemaps essentially list the entirety of the URLs available on your site, making it easier for bots to crawl and discover them. While there are many elements to consider to make sure your site is crawlable and indexable, accessible and up-to-date XML sitemaps are the first place to start to ensure Google’s crawlers find your new or updated content.
4. Fetch Your Content via Google Search Console
Another trick of the trade that should become part of your go-live routine is fetching your URL for indexing through Google Search Console.
Just hit publish on your latest blog or updated a core service page you want Google to crawl again? All you have to do is:
- Head to your Google Search Console property,
- Go to the URL inspection tab,
- And whether your URL is already on Google or brand new, click ‘Request Indexing’ to add your URL to the virtual crawling queue.
This two-second job might just speed up the indexing (or re-indexing) process if you’re in a hurry to rank on page one…
4. Consider Your Social Presence
Having an active social media presence across a number of platforms is a must. Not only does this act as an important trust signal to Google, but post engagement, sharing and ultimately reach can also support your SEO efforts.
So next time you write a great piece of content, hit share on your social media platforms and get some engagement going.
Top Tips
We’ve been in the game a long time here at MRS, and while we’ll admit we can’t always jump onto page one in a little under a day, here are our top tips:
Leverage an Existing Performing Keyword
Noticed you’re ranking on page two for a relevant keyword you’d like to target? Great – take advantage of it! Current rankings can often be overlooked, but they can act as a great opportunity to push your SEO that bit further to see real results.
Optimise for Low-hanging Fruit
Know your audience and don’t reinvent the wheel. It’s easy to overcomplicate with elaborate strategies, but one of the simplest steps to make in your SEO is to take advantage of quick wins. Make sure you frequently review any quick win opportunities via your Search Results queries report in Google Search Console or third party SEO tool.
Link, Share, and Re-index, Re-index, Re-index!
We mentioned it earlier, but we can’t stress this enough! Re-indexing is a great way for Google to see you’ve made changes to your content much faster, so don’t overlook it. You should also make your content easily accessible – link it on social, share it on platforms and avoid any orphan page scenarios! The more internal links you have pointing to a piece of content, the more important Google sees it as.
Make Page One Your Target
Fed up of being left behind in the search results? Climb the rankings with the SEO experts at MRS Digital. Reach out today and see how we can help you do just that.
