When was the last time you searched for something on Google? Okay, now when was the last time you searched for something on Google, scrolled down to the bottom of the page, and went on to page 2 of the search results?

For the great majority of you, the answer is “I can’t remember”. And that’s because recent studies suggest that we’re increasingly reliant on the first page of search results. Whether that means people are less patient, or search engines are just that much better, only about 10% of people ever reach page 2.

That means, in the world of search engine optimization, your first goal has to be to get on the first page. And if you can’t get on the first page organically for critical keywords, you need to start buying ads on page 1.

But it does not stop there. On page 1 there is still a huge disparity between the different positions.

According to the most recent numbers from Compete.com, here is the breakdown of clicks on the first page:

• Position 1 = 53%
• Position 2 = 15%
• Position 3 = 9%
• Position 4 = 6%
• Position 5 = 4%

That means 87% of all first page clicks are on the top 5 listings. So if you can’t crack the top 5, you are still better off buying an ad on page 1.

Google, as well as the other major search engines, have become a make or break part of any business. And for those companies out there that continue to ignore their organic search rankings, the end is near.