Number 1 on Google: how it works, and what you can honestly expect from it

Everyone wants number 1 on Google. Nobody can promise that, and neither can we. What we can do: everything that can be done on your site's side, every week again, without you having to think about it, and show you honestly where you stand. That is Edge › Results › Number 1.

How it works

1. Enter your keywords (max. 20. Start with three to five that really bring in customers). Below the input are suggestions from your own Search Console: keywords where Google already shows you, just not at the top.
2. The edge checks which page Google currently shows for that keyword. If there isn't one, it puts an article in the waiting room (if Articles is on).
3. It compares your page with the number 1 result: length, subheadings, frequently asked questions, tables. The AI turns that into “what's missing” and “to do”, in plain language.
4. The title, description and H1 are written for the keyword by the SEO assistant (live straight away in Automatic and Autonomous, otherwise for your approval). Too little text? Then additional text is added via the edge.
5. Every two weeks, a supporting article on this topic that links to your page (max. 6 per target).
6. Every week, the position from the Google check, with the line since the start.

Winnable, solid or tough

For each keyword, you see who ranks above you and how tough that is. Small players: winnable in weeks to a few months. One big player: feasible with a few real links. Two or more big brands (SIDN, Hostnet, Exact, Wikipedia, Google itself): they have years and thousands of links. The edge does everything it can there, but the rest is links from other sites and time. Think in months to a year. We would rather tell you that now than have you disappointed after two weeks.

What only you can do

• Links from other sites. Customers, partners, industry sites, a listing in an app store or on wordpress.org. We never buy links and never add them automatically. That costs you more than it gains.
• Local searches. If the keyword contains a place name, create a local page under Edge › SEO › Local. It almost always beats a general page.
• The content itself. “What's missing” tells you exactly which topics the number 1 result does cover. Writing those up on your page is the most work and gains the most.

Why does Competitors show keywords that have nothing to do with me?

The list under Competitors comes from your Search Console. It includes everything Google has ever shown you for, even at position 60 for a single knowledge base article or a typo of your brand name. Since this version, these are shown separately, collapsed. They say nothing about how good your site is.