Despite CTR manipulation, the ranking doesn't get any better

[kekhead2]

hi, for my keyword which has a difficulty of almost 30 I don't rank, the competitors in the top 3 who rank have a little more backlinks but not high quality ones, then there are also some who have fewer.
Can anyone take a look at my page and the keyword to tell me what the problem is?
ctr manipulation does nothing,

 

[CakeRake]

has ctr manipulation worked for you in the past? I dont think it works at all so im asking, it might be hurting you

 

[TechEinstien]

CTR manipulation have very little effect. Is your content better than your competitors?

 

[kekhead2]

No, I tried ctr because some people here in the forum swear by it.. I really haven't felt anything so far (1 month test). The content should be just as good as that of my competitors (I did a lot of text work) but you also have to say that it is a local service.

 

[mmartinez93111]

hi, for my keyword which has a difficulty of almost 30 I don't rank, the competitors in the top 3 who rank have a little more backlinks but not high quality ones, then there are also some who have fewer.
Can anyone take a look at my page and the keyword to tell me what the problem is?
ctr manipulation does nothing,

Keyword difficulty around 30 is definitely achievable, but ranking depends on more than just backlink quantity. I’ve seen similar cases where a site's on-page optimization and content relevance were the real issues, not just backlinks.

Here are a few things you might want to check:

• Content Quality: Are you providing more value or depth than your competitors? Google increasingly rewards content that fully addresses user intent.
• On-Page SEO: How are your title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags structured? Sometimes small tweaks here can make a big difference.
• Internal Linking: A strong internal linking structure can boost your keyword rankings by passing authority between pages.
• User Experience: High bounce rates and poor page speed can hurt your rankings too, even if you have good backlinks.

CTR manipulation can help short-term, but without a solid foundation, it won’t stick. If you'd like, feel free to PM me your page and keyword, and I can give you some tailored advice. Always happy to help out a fellow IMer!

 

[kekhead2]

Yes, I'm aware that there are many factors, but I'm desperate.
You have to know that there are people ahead of me in the ranking who don't care about SEO, the landing page is rubbish and not optimized, it hardly has any backlinks etc. and I've really put a lot of energy into it and I don't understand why it's not going up.

 

[mmartinez93111]

Yes, I'm aware that there are many factors, but I'm desperate.
You have to know that there are people ahead of me in the ranking who don't care about SEO, the landing page is rubbish and not optimized, it hardly has any backlinks etc. and I've really put a lot of energy into it and I don't understand why it's not going up.

I get your frustration—SEO can be tough, especially when you see poorly optimized sites outranking you. It’s important to remember that ranking isn’t always about who has the 'best SEO' but about who aligns best with Google's current understanding of user intent and experience.

Here’s a systematic approach to uncover what might be holding your rankings back:

1. Check Competitor Relevance: Even if their pages seem low-quality, it’s possible that Google sees their content as more relevant to the search intent. Do a thorough competitor analysis to figure out what they might be doing right. Are they targeting a slightly different intent? Sometimes, even small keyword differences can play a big role in rankings.
2. Content Depth & User Intent: Does your page fully satisfy the intent behind the keyword? Even if you’ve optimized the technical aspects, Google prioritizes user experience. If their content—despite being 'bad'—addresses the user query better than yours, Google may still favor them. Analyze the top 3 results to see if there's something in their content that Google might see as meeting user intent more effectively.
3. Engagement Signals: Google increasingly factors in user engagement metrics like time-on-page, bounce rate, and return visitors. If your page isn’t getting enough interaction, it may not rise. Try improving the layout, design, or interactive elements (like videos, FAQs, etc.) to keep users engaged longer.
4. Backlink Quality and Relevance: It’s not just about the number of backlinks but also the quality and relevance. If you have a ton of backlinks from irrelevant or low-authority sites, they may not be passing much value. Check your link profile and focus on acquiring links from highly relevant and authoritative domains in your niche.
5. Technical SEO and Core Web Vitals: Ensure your site’s technical SEO (site speed, mobile-friendliness, structured data, etc.) is up to par. Core Web Vitals are now a ranking factor, and if your site performs poorly in these areas, it could explain the ranking issues. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Ahrefs/Screaming Frog to diagnose any technical weaknesses.
6. CTR & Meta Optimization: You mentioned that CTR manipulation isn’t working, but have you tested your title tags and meta descriptions? Optimizing them for higher click-through rates (without manipulating) can help Google view your page as more relevant and drive up your rankings.

Since you've already put a lot of effort into your site, it might just need a few adjustments. I'd recommend reviewing these factors and keeping in mind that SEO is dynamic. Even poorly optimized pages can outrank solid content if they align better with what Google currently favors.

 

[l0cke]

hi, for my keyword which has a difficulty of almost 30 I don't rank, the competitors in the top 3 who rank have a little more backlinks but not high quality ones, then there are also some who have fewer.
Can anyone take a look at my page and the keyword to tell me what the problem is?
ctr manipulation does nothing,

You may need to improve your content and on-page SEO, because if competitors with fewer or weaker backlinks are still ranking higher, backlinks probably aren’t the main problem.

 

[laur.laurix]

I get your frustration—SEO can be tough, especially when you see poorly optimized sites outranking you. It’s important to remember that ranking isn’t always about who has the 'best SEO' but about who aligns best with Google's current understanding of user intent and experience.

Here’s a systematic approach to uncover what might be holding your rankings back:

1. Check Competitor Relevance: Even if their pages seem low-quality, it’s possible that Google sees their content as more relevant to the search intent. Do a thorough competitor analysis to figure out what they might be doing right. Are they targeting a slightly different intent? Sometimes, even small keyword differences can play a big role in rankings.
2. Content Depth & User Intent: Does your page fully satisfy the intent behind the keyword? Even if you’ve optimized the technical aspects, Google prioritizes user experience. If their content—despite being 'bad'—addresses the user query better than yours, Google may still favor them. Analyze the top 3 results to see if there's something in their content that Google might see as meeting user intent more effectively.
3. Engagement Signals: Google increasingly factors in user engagement metrics like time-on-page, bounce rate, and return visitors. If your page isn’t getting enough interaction, it may not rise. Try improving the layout, design, or interactive elements (like videos, FAQs, etc.) to keep users engaged longer.
4. Backlink Quality and Relevance: It’s not just about the number of backlinks but also the quality and relevance. If you have a ton of backlinks from irrelevant or low-authority sites, they may not be passing much value. Check your link profile and focus on acquiring links from highly relevant and authoritative domains in your niche.
5. Technical SEO and Core Web Vitals: Ensure your site’s technical SEO (site speed, mobile-friendliness, structured data, etc.) is up to par. Core Web Vitals are now a ranking factor, and if your site performs poorly in these areas, it could explain the ranking issues. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Ahrefs/Screaming Frog to diagnose any technical weaknesses.
6. CTR & Meta Optimization: You mentioned that CTR manipulation isn’t working, but have you tested your title tags and meta descriptions? Optimizing them for higher click-through rates (without manipulating) can help Google view your page as more relevant and drive up your rankings.

Since you've already put a lot of effort into your site, it might just need a few adjustments. I'd recommend reviewing these factors and keeping in mind that SEO is dynamic. Even poorly optimized pages can outrank solid content if they align better with what Google currently favors.

Thanks ChatGPT.

 

[blackhat64]

Were you using BOTS? or REAL humans?

 

[kekhead2]

using clickseo.io

 

[fb3003]

using clickseo.io

i still have not seen any successful sustainable ranking improvement using CTR manipulation.

how is your on-page compared to the top 3 sites? in particular around H tags, title and description.?

 

[4440]

Correct me if i'm wrong.
CTR is used to re-rank the first 10-ish positions, which means you have to be in the top 10 first.
Then Google uses CTR or other user data to re-rank the results among the top 10.

 

[Maggie Adams]

Check your content quality, on-page SEO, user engagement, backlink quality, technical SEO and competitor strategies.

 

[blackhat64]

using clickseo.io

looks like they use BOTS, i mean, how can they gather 30 REALL people per day SIGNED INTO their google accounts? nope

 

[Seoexpertgaurav]

Yo, sounds like you've done the backlink comparison already, which is solid. But ranking’s not just about quantity—quality matters too.

Maybe check if their content is more aligned with search intent or if they’ve got better internal linking going on? Also, page speed and user experience might play a part. Drop the URL if you want, I can take a quick peek