“I want to be #1!” – So you want to show up first on Google? But why? So they click my website! I’m with you. But Getting to #1 is HARD. So give up now? Let’s break it down.

What do you want to be #1 for?

If it’s for the fastest 100m sprint that’s great, but tricky. Want to be #1 champ at the pie eating contest? Not so admirable but definitely doable.

Getting a website to the first position for “plumber” is never going to happen for the average person. Too many big companies in the way. So how about “24 hour emergency plumber in London”, very much achievable.

But isn’t that a little specific? Certainly is less popular but if the phrase makes sense for your business, then how valuable is one click, five, fifty that turn into paying clients? It only takes a small number to start making a real difference.

Not only #1 gets clicks

We can’t all be #1 but the truth is, we don’t all need to be. Of course most people click the first result, but we all quickly scan the list looking for something that grabs our attention. Provided you are on the first page, you will get clicks. A smaller amount but let’s not get greedy! Its progress we are after, world domination can wait until next week.

In short

When we start out on our SEO journey to the top of Google, be pragmatic. Choose slightly wider and less competitive keyword phrases. You will have a larger slice of a smaller pie rather than refused a table at the restaurant altogether. You can use this foundation to build on, grow your audience and your search engine ranking will improve along with it.