In the ever-evolving world of SEO, practical experiments are key to staying ahead. While theoretical knowledge is important, real progress happens when we test and challenge established norms. Every SEO strategy, regardless of its success or failure, presents a valuable learning opportunity.

That’s why I’m so passionate about SEO testing. Google, while occasionally offering insights, won’t reveal all the secrets to achieving groundbreaking SEO results.

Today, I’m excited to share six remarkable SEO experiments we conducted this year, the insights we gained, and their implications.

1. Does Organic Search Click-Through Rate Still Matter?

We know machine learning, particularly Google RankBrain, is transforming SEO as we know it. RankBrain is now used for all Google searches and it impacts “a lot” of queries.

Is RankBrain (or other machine learning elements) influencing rankings? And if so, how? That’s precisely what we wanted to uncover: what’s a good click-through rate for organic search.

We analyzed 1,000 keywords from Google Search Console for our nexus-security site. The findings were intriguing. Our top position’s average CTR rose from 22 percent in April to 24 percent in July and further to 27 percent by September.

This clearly showed our top-ranked results achieved their highest CTRs by September. Conversely, lower positions (4-10) experienced a decline in clicks.

The click curve is undoubtedly shifting. This aligns perfectly with what we’d anticipate from a machine learning algorithm: prioritizing the best answers based on user engagement, resulting in fewer people needing to scroll down for relevant results.

So, does organic CTR still hold significance? Absolutely, now more than ever.

2. Is Organic CTR a Direct Organic Search Ranking Factor?

We’ve established the importance of CTR. But what about the connection between organic CTR and organic search rankings?

While Google employees have stated they don’t use CTR directly for ranking purposes, could clicks indirectly influence search results?

We designed an experiment to determine whether CTR impacts SEO rankings. Our goal was to identify any clear correlation between organic search CTR and organic search position. The biggest hurdle was that CTR and ranking are inherently intertwined.

To isolate the natural relationship, we calculated the difference between an observed organic search CTR and the expected CTR:

Our data revealed that pages surpassing the expected average organic CTR for a given position were significantly more likely to rank within the top four positions – our unicorns! For instance, a page exceeding the expected CTR by 20 percent likely appeared in position 1.

Conversely, pages falling short of the expected organic search CTR tended to rank in positions 6-10 – our donkeys. A page with a CTR 6 percent below the expected average often landed in position 10.

So, does CTR impact organic search rankings based on this data? It certainly seems plausible.

3. Can Revamping Your Titles Boost Your CTR?

If higher click-through rates bring rewards, how can we effectively increase CTR?

Your headline is the first thing people see in search results. Compelling content is useless if the headline is dull.

SEO has evolved beyond the simplistic title tags of 2008. At nexus-security, we’ve been moving away from overly optimized titles like “Guerilla Marketing: 20+ Examples and Strategies to Stand Out.”

This old headline followed SEO best practices, with the primary keyword upfront and a character count within 60. However, it lacks excitement.

So, we conducted a CTR optimization experiment. Our content and SEO manager, Elisa Gabbert, modified only the post’s title to “20+ Jaw-Dropping Guerrilla Marketing Examples.” This new headline aligns with a successful template that emphasizes the list format, emotional impact, and content type (examples):

We made no other changes to the article text, images, links, or any other element.

After updating the headline, the article’s CTR soared to 4.19 percent (from 1 percent) and its ranking climbed to position 5 (from position 8).

This proves that simply changing your title can indeed increase your CTR.

Don’t be bland! Craft captivating headlines Write brilliant headlines that entice clicks. (Of course, ensure your content lives up to the headline’s promise.)

4. Do Website Engagement Rates Affect Organic Search Rankings?

While creating clickable headlines is crucial, avoiding clickbait is equally important. Engagement metrics matter. If users feel misled and immediately return to the search results, Google picks up on it.

Dwell time is paramount. Time on site serves as a more accurate indicator of dwell time than bounce rate.

My hypothesis is that Google utilizes dwell time (which is proportional to time on site but not directly measurable) to validate click-through rates. These metrics help Google determine whether users found what they were searching for.

So, do engagement metrics like bounce rates, time on site, and conversion rates influence organic search rankings?

To test this theory, we gathered data engagement rate data. We examined whether the bounce rate of the pages/keywords we rank for correlated with their ranking:

The “kink” in the graph is hard to miss. Landing pages with bounce rates below 76 percent were more likely to appear within the top four positions. Conversely, landing pages with bounce rates of 78 percent or higher tended to rank in position five or lower.

What about time on site?

This graph illustrates that keyword/content pairs with good time on site are more likely to secure top organic positions (1-6). Conversely, weak engagement often results in positions 7 or lower.

And what about conversion rates? Our data shows that higher CTRs tend to correlate with higher conversion rates:

Why is this? When you successfully entice someone to click on your offer, that excitement often translates into a purchase or sign-up.

Higher CTRs, engagement rates, and conversion rates all lead to increased leads and sales. This data strongly suggests that improving engagement metrics and conversion rates also positively impacts organic search rankings.

5. Do Engagement Metrics Influence Featured Snippet Selection?

Google’s Featured Snippets, occupying the coveted Position 0 above organic results, come in various formats, including text, lists, images, and charts. But how does Google’s algorithm pick Featured Snippets?

To investigate, we first explored whether Google’s traditional organic search ranking factors influenced Featured Snippet selection. We analyzed data from 981 snippets earned by the nexus-security site.

Clearly not. If they did, the top-ranked position would always secure the snippet. Surprisingly, Google features snippets from content ranking as low as position 71!

While clear and concise on-page copy is undoubtedly important, word count alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

We delved deeper into a page that appeared as a snippet for searches related to Bing Rewards points. Our Google Analytics and Search Console data revealed two intriguing insights:

• An unusually high CTR (21.43 percent) despite an average position of 10.
• Exceptionally high time on site (14:30), three times the site average.

This strongly suggests that engagement rates play a significant role in Featured Snippet selection.

6. What’s the TRUE Connection Between Organic Rankings and Social Shares?

The correlation between social shares and organic search rankings has been a hot topic for about five years (see ranking factor studies by SearchMetrics and Moz). Many assume social shares directly influence rankings, despite Google’s repeated denials.

My belief is that visible social share counts aren’t the primary factor. What truly matters is high social engagement.

We tested this to uncover the true relationship between organic rankings and social shares. Here’s what we found:

Our data revealed that Facebook posts with exceptionally high engagement rates (above 6 percent) also boasted organic search CTRs that exceeded expectations. In essence, Facebook engagement four times higher than average translated to organic search CTRs four times higher than average.

Why is this? We believe the same emotions driving social media sharing also motivate clicks on the same content in search results, particularly for headlines with exceptionally high CTRs.

These correlations were even stronger for unicorn content (blockbuster pieces driving significantly more traffic than typical content). Unicorns with high social engagement almost always had high organic CTRs, and vice versa.

Conversely, these correlations were significantly weaker for donkey content, which exhibited inconsistent engagement rates and CTRs.

So yes, high social engagement rates correlate with high CTRs, and vice versa. That’s the true connection between search and social – it’s all about how engaging your content is!

What Does This All Mean?

As these six experiments highlight, SEO continues to evolve, rewarding pages and websites based on user engagement.

This means optimizing for engagement is paramount.

In other words: Optimize for PEOPLE! Craft headlines that demand attention and then deliver exceptional, memorable content that encourages visitors to stay on your site and share your work.

Here’s a summary of all six experiments:

Did any of these experiments surprise you? What SEO experiments would you like to see next?