Google Introducing Continuous Scroll to Desktop Users
- Industry News
- By Michael LaMarca
- 2 minutes read
Google is bringing continuous scroll to desktop for English/U.S search results pages.
What is continuous scroll?
SEOs and keyword aficionados often speak of first page vs. second page visibility.
With continuous scroll, page one has gotten a whole lot longer. Google will be hosting up to six pages worth of URLs on the first page, making it easier to find better content with fewer clicks.
How will continuous scroll affect my SEO strategy?
The jury is still out on the impact of continuous scroll on your SEO effectiveness, but there’s a lot to be excited about.
For example, paid ads, snippets, media, People Also Ask results, and other features demand the first page of Google’s search results.
Continuous scroll makes it more likely that a searcher will find your page, as they will pass dozens more results before facing the dreaded Next Page prompt.
Continuous scroll’s impact on CTR
Organic channels are measured by the visitors they attract, not the visibility on Google’s first page (which is now eerily reminiscent of the CVS receipt received after buying a pack of gum).
Naturally, you want to know how this change affects click-through rate.
Judging from this analysis on the impact of continuous scroll on mobile CTR, results ranked below the 10th position showed an increase, between .01 percentage points to .07.
What does this mean? The traditional model for forecasting CTR can be thrown out the window, as lower-ranked search results will likely get more attention, and clicks.
You’re still targeting the high-traffic driving first page, but there is great opportunity beyond ever before.
How to optimize for continuous scroll
As always, you want to optimize your content with the top rank in mind. This is where the majority of clicks will continue to land, ad eternum.
However, continuous scroll allows searchers to sift through more results, creating an opportunity for lower-ranked content to be found. Content that accurately and concisely answers your audience’s question will be rewarded—even without top-ranking position.
By leveraging every bit of customer data available, you can produce engaging content that captures the scrolling eye of your audience—earning you that precious click and creating a fan along the way.
Schedule a free demo here to see how Conductor’s People-First SEO platform can help you optimize for the new Continuous Scroll feature.
