The Real Cost of Ranking on Page 2 (And How It's Killing Your Inbound Leads)

There’s a dark place on the internet where most content goes to die. It’s not your competitors’ websites and it’s not outdated platforms.

It’s page 2 of Google.

If you’ve got pages that are stuck there, you’re missing out on valuable traffic and prospects.

The knock-on effect is obvious - less inbound leads, sales opportunities and revenue.

Let’s unpack what it’s really costing you, why it's happening, and what smart brands are doing to fix it.

Page 2 Might As Well Be Invisible

There’s a saying in digital marketing:

“The best place to hide a body is page 2 of Google.”

It’s funny, but it’s also painfully accurate.

According to Backlinko, the #1 result on Google gets 27.6% of all clicks. Page 2? Less than 1%. That’s not a dip. That’s a drop off a cliff. So if your high-intent keywords - the ones your ideal customers are typing in — are showing up on page 2, you’re not even in the conversation.

What That Costs You (In Real Numbers)

Let’s do the maths.

If 1,000 people per month search for a term like “B2B SEO agency UK” and you’re ranked #11 (top of page 2), you’ll likely get around 10 clicks.

Rank in the top 3? You’re looking at 400+ clicks from the same audience - every single month.

That’s 390 missed opportunities to earn trust, start a journey, and generate inbound leads.Over a year? That’s 4,500+ lost chances to win business.

And that’s just one keyword.

Why Rankings Slip (and Stay There)

If you’re on page 2, it’s not bad luck. It’s usually one of these:

• Outdated content that doesn’t match search intent anymore
• Weak technical SEO (slow site, broken links, poor structure)
• Missing backlinks and lack of content authority
• Flimsy internal linking that fails to guide users (and Google)

But most critically?

You’re treating SEO like a checklist instead of a strategy.

The brands owning page 1 aren’t just “optimising” - they’re investing. In search-informed content. In architecture. In authority.

Your Buyers Are Making Decisions Without You

The brutal reality?

If you’re not ranking, you’re not relevant.

That might sound harsh, but in today’s decision-making journey, buyers are 70% through their research before ever contacting a supplier.

If you’re not ranking when they’re asking:

• “What’s the best SEO agency for SMEs?”
• “How to increase inbound leads in B2B”
• “Marketing agency vs in-house: which is better?”

…then your brand isn’t part of the shortlist. You’re not even seen, and trust follows visibility.

If you're invisible, you're not credible.

Smart Brands Are Owning Page 1 (And the Buyer Journey)

Top-performing brands aren’t chasing clicks. They’re building trust at every step of the funnel.

Here’s how they’re doing it:

• Creating content hubs around buyer intent: “best-of” guides, comparison pages, FAQs
• Answering mid-funnel questions: “Is it worth the cost?”, “How long will results take?”, “Can this scale?”
• Investing in content refreshes - not just publishing and forgetting
• Building backlinks by promoting valuable content, not fluff

They’re not obsessing over hacks, they’re committing to long-term visibility.

So… What Can You Do About It?

Here are 5 steps you can take right now to start moving off page 2:

1. Run a Search Visibility Audit

Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs or Semrush to see:

• Which keywords you’re ranking for
• Where you're stuck in the rankings
• What pages are underperforming

(Or we can do this for you in minutes — scroll to the end.)

2. Refresh Existing Content

• Update older blogs with new insights and stats
• Add internal links to and from new posts
• Improve headings, meta titles and structure for clarity

Google rewards freshness and usability.

3. Build a Content Moat

Create content that your competitors haven’t:

• Comparison pages (you vs others)
• Buyer’s guides
• “Why choose us?” pages that speak directly to objections

4. Get Serious About Backlinks

Your competitors aren’t ranking by accident. They’re being recommended — by journalists, industry blogs, directories.

Start earning backlinks by:

• Publishing genuinely helpful content
• Reaching out to partners and communities
• Submitting to high-quality directories (not spammy link farms)

5. Optimise for People, Not Just Algorithms

Google’s Helpful Content update prioritises human-first content.

Speak like your customer.

Answer the questions they’re really asking.

Structure your content for humans, and you’ll earn search engines’ trust as a bonus.

What This Really Means for You

If your inbound numbers are flat or declining, this may be exactly why.

It’s not that SEO is dead.

It’s that you’re on the wrong page - and paying the price in silence.

The truth is: your customers are out there. They’re searching. Right now.

If you're not on page 1, someone else is answering their questions, earning their trust, and winning their business.

Want to See Where You Stand?

We’ll run a free Search Visibility Snapshot on your brand. No fluff. No jargon.

You’ll get:

• Your current keyword rankings
• Top opportunities you’re missing
• Simple, actionable next steps

Or drop us a DM if you want to chat it through.

Final Thought

Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s value. It’s trust.

And it’s revenue.

Don’t let page 2 cost you another sale.