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Google’s second page: why ranking below page one costs local businesses calls
If a customer searches “plumber Las Cruces” and you are on the second page of Google, you are close to invisible. The numbers are blunt.
What the studies found
Backlinko analysed about 4 million Google search results and found that only 0.63% of searchers click a result on the second page. In a separate, much smaller study of 259 US searchers, Backlinko found 0.44%. Both are under 1%, which is why we say less than 1% of users go past page one.
Backlinko is an SEO publisher, and click patterns change with the type of search. Local searches often show a map and a short list of nearby businesses first, so a strong profile can put you in front of customers even before your website does. The takeaway still holds: if you are not near the top, most customers never get to you.
What page one means for a local business
For a search like “roofer near me,” two things compete for attention:
- The map results. Google shows a few nearby businesses with their ratings, hours and phone numbers. These come from Google Business Profiles. A complete profile and good reviews help. See our post on the complete profile and reviews.
- The regular results. These are websites. Yours needs a clear page for each service, written for a customer, loading quickly on a phone.
What helps a local website get found
- One page per main service, with the service named in the headline.
- The towns you actually serve, written in plain words, with no lists of 50 cities you do not work in.
- The same business name, phone number and address as your Google profile.
- Real photos of real jobs, and a phone number that is easy to tap.
- A site that loads quickly on a phone.
Be careful with anyone who promises you a ranking. Google itself says nobody can promise a number one spot.
Check where you show up
- On your phone, open a private browser window.
- Search your trade and your town, for example “roofer Ruidoso.” Then try “roofer near me.”
- Write down who shows up first, and where you are. Results change with location, so check from where your customers are.
- Repeat in a month. If you are not on page one, the profile and the website are where to start.
Questions
Do these numbers apply to local searches?
Partly. The studies cover search results in general, not only local ones. For local searches, a map with a few businesses often appears above the regular results, so page one for local means both the map and the first results. The direction is the same.
Can I pay to skip the second page?
Yes, you can run ads, and ads appear at the top. That is a different channel from organic results and it stops when the budget stops. A complete profile and a good website keep working without ad spend.
Sources
- Backlinko: Google organic click-through rates (0.63% second-page clicks, about 4 million results). Backlinko is an SEO publisher.
- Backlinko: Google user behavior study (0.44%, 259 US searchers). Smaller sample; treat as a second data point.
Keep reading
Website: built to be found on Google · For roofers · Las Cruces · Ruidoso
More insights: Complete Google Business Profile · Online reviews · Response speed.