If only internet pages could be made sticky somehow. If internet users were forced to spend at least five minutes, or two even, on every home page they clicked to from the SERPs, the work of the average site owner would be a lot easier. A few minutes would give internet users the time to really see your pages, and decide that they liked what they saw.
As it is, all internet pages are non-stick, at least the ones that don’t plant viruses. Users can click back to the SERPs before your pages have even loaded. Your task, then, is to ensure that your content captivates them before they have a chance to turn around.
Your site’s search engine optimisation can achieve some of this. Placement of keywords in the right areas, well-written titles and good design are all things that factor in your rankings, and are all things that are likely to keep users on the page. You can discuss this with us at SEO Consult. The other thing you can do is ensure that your page content is up to scratch.
Your page content needs to satisfy at least four conditions for your target users to spend any time on it. Those conditions are:
Urgency
Time is a factor that should not be underestimated when it comes to the internet. It plays heavily on the minds of internet users, and affects their behaviour significantly. Or, perhaps, it is better to say that perceived time plays on their behaviour. An internet user will happily spend five minutes clicking through their options on the search engine results pages to find information in a bullet-point list which would have taken them two minutes to read on your page. An internet user’s perception of time isn’t logical.
Ask yourself these questions. Why should the user read your page now? Can it be put off? Is there another page close by that will provide the information in less time? Put the important information first, and worry about the details later.
Specificity
Internet searches are performed with a very specific goal in mind. The traffic you attract from the search engines is looking for something in particular on your pages. The clue is in the keywords. Your content needs to specifically address the topic of your chosen keywords. The question to answer is ‘What is the specific point of this content?’
Usefulness
In extension to the point above, the content of your pages needs to present information that is of use. If your page for the keyword ‘dog health’ merely states that dogs need food, drink water and may occasionally need to visit a vet, your users won’t be impressed.
A unique approach
If your site features the same kind of content that is can be found everywhere, why should users choose your site? Your SEO process should include defining a unique offer to your users, conveying it in your title and description tags, and following through with it when users get to your pages.
