It appears that Google is testing a new way to show its search results, with only 7 results instead of 10 on the first page. It also seems that it is easier for one site to dominate these results. Together, these two things could change the face of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as sites have to fight even harder to get onto the front page.
An article at Search Engine Land shows examples of the new search results, depicting how the top Google result now not only features the main page of the website, but links to many of its child pages as well – for example, a search for eBay shows the actual eBay website as its main result, with links to child categories such as motors, buy, electronics, sporting goods, and cell phones listen underneath.
Thus far, only approximately 20% of searches are showing the 7 results instead of normal 10. It appears that Google is tying the new format for displaying 7 r4esults in with whether “sitelinks” appear with the listings. As you know “eBay” is a brand name, so searching it will often lead you directly to the brand page. In other words, if the term being searched in Google directly matches a domain, it is likely that Google will display 7 results instead of 10.
Even with the Google displays that are showing 10 results instead of 7, some domains are receiving more high rankings than others. Continuing its research on Google search engine results, Search Engine Land also reported that Google is giving multiple results from the same domain on the first page, showing how sometimes up to 8 of the top results can be from the same domain name.
As these changes and more appear on Google, it is important to have an SEO company you can trust to either keep your rankings high or help you improve, and keep you abreast of any changes that are occurring. Sales & Marketing Technologies is Central Florida's most established Digital marketing and web development company. Contact us today to learn more about how we can unlock your potential to thrive online.