The End of Page 1 Ranking: Google Continuous Scrolling and SEO

Last Updated on April 8, 2024

continuously scrolling through Google on your computer

Google is constantly changing the appearance of its search results. If you were attentive, you could, for example, observe a phase with and without the favicon of the URL (the web address).

Have you noticed on your cell phone that you no longer have to scroll, but that new results always load when you scroll? This feature was introduced in 2021 (since the end of 2022 also in Europe) and since fall 2023, endless scrolling or continuous scrolling has now also arrived on the desktop.

Translated from the original German article by Bettina Heuser

Not Just for Mobile Devices: Endless Scrolling on the Desktop Too

When you google, it looks the same as always at first glance. Depending on the search query, ads or elements from the horizontal search, i.e. videos, news or the “Local Pack”: map sections with three Google company profiles.

If you scroll down now, you won’t find the familiar scroll function, but more search results will be loaded.

I counted: after the similar questions (others were also searching), depending on the search query, two to three advertisements (sponsored) appeared, then on the former second page ten search results, then an advertisement, then again 10 search results and an advertisement and so on until I had 60 organic results and eleven advertisements in my search.

If you want more, you have to click on the “Load more” button again.

Click here for an example: https://www.google.de/search?q=Search+engine+optimization+Berlin

The Top 10, Page 1 Results, No Longer Exists. What Does this Mean for Your Organic SEO?

For a long time now, you have not been able to rank in the top 10 with your website in organic search because an average of eight organic results were displayed – the other space was distributed to ads, Google business profile, more questions, etc.

Find out more about how to rank better in organic search results: https://warrenlainenaida.net/category/seo/

Opportunities with the Continuous Scrolling for SEO

In my opinion, you now have a better chance of being found with your website in organic searches because the page feels like it goes on and doesn’t stop. Ad placement also has more leeway, in the truest sense of the word.

The Dangers of Google’s Continuous Scrolling

The concept of continuous scrolling plays a decisive role in social networks in order to be able to place advertisements at regular intervals. In Google web search, this function is only found at the top of what used to be the second, third etc. page of search results. It remains to be seen how long this practice will continue.

Did you know that Google generated advertising revenue of 224 billion US dollars in 2022? Even though ads only account for 7% of all clicks?

Source: Statista https://www.statista.com/statistics/266249/advertising-revenue-of-google/

How to Switch Off Google’s Endless Scrolling

Google gives you the option of scrolling through your search results almost as usual, except that you no longer go to a new page, but instead reload search results: www.google.com/preferences

Google preferences with continuous scroll turned on

Different SERP Structure Even Without Google’s Infinite Scrolling

In the SERP (Google search results page) you will also find an unusual result without continuous scrolling. For the search term “search engine optimization Berlin”:

+ Three Google ads,
+ One organic result
+ Google company profile (Local Pack with three entries incl. map preview)
+ Six organic results
+ Further questions
+ Three organic search results
+ Google business profile: three entries but without the map preview
+ One ad
+ Similar (others also searched)
+ More results

Click on More results to load more search results. So even without Endless Scrolling you have more entries than in summer 2023.

+ Four ads
+ Six Google business profile entries
+ Nine organic search results

The Search Results Page (SERPs) with Continuous Scroll

Again the search term “search engine optimization Berlin”. Endless scrolling is activated again.

+ Three Google ads
+ One organic search result
+ Local Pack (three entries)
+ Six organic results
+ More questions
+ Three organic search results
+ Local Pack without map
+ One ad
+ Ten organic search results
+ Local Pack without map
…

Your Google Business Profile & Continuous Scroll for Desktop

What strikes me most is the frequency with which the Google business profile is gaining space. This also fits with the change in our search behavior to search “nearby”.

It also fits with the following statistics:

98% of consumers have used the internet to find information about local businesses in 2022.
76% of consumers “regularly” read online reviews when searching for local businesses
Local and organic searches together account for 69% of all digital traffic
87% of consumers have used Google to review local businesses in 2022
42% of local searches include clicks on the Google Map Pack.

Source: onthemap.com/blog/local-seo-stats

If you are not yet using Google’s free Business Profile, or Bing’s free Bing Places, you really should. Find out more here: https://warrenlainenaida.net/8-ways-to-promote-your-small-business-online-for-free/#free-marketing-tip-#2

Google Search Results Page in Transition

I was just counting through the search results and now I have a different result – perhaps only briefly, but you can see that Google is constantly working on the quality of its search results.

These changes and updates help Google improve it’s service. They also help keep us interested in using Google as a search engine. Bing offers us credits for each search which we can use to create AI images, and ecosia plants a tree for each search. Even when we search something, we are offered freebies. Content Marketing, in all its myriad forms, is everywhere!

Image Content credentials: Post Image Generated with Bing Image Creator AI ∙ January 21, 2024 at 11:36 AM