What words do your potential customers type in the search box when they go to Google looking for a product or service like yours? Once they type in these words and get their search results, where do you see your business listed…or do you see yourself at all? If you don’t see your company right away, you might be missing out on scores of leads who will most likely click a site within the coveted “Google golden triangle area” of the search results page.

So what is the Google Golden Triangle? It looks a little something like this…

Search Engine Optimization experts are continually researching and learning more and more about how to help site owners improve their rank and get into this highly desired spot on the results page. Studies have shown that once a user gets a results page, the quickly scan the page in an “F” shaped pattern. People tend to scan down the page briefly then across the page horizontally. Users are making a quick look searching for visual cues such as relevant words or brands and then scan to the right when something catches their attention.

You might be wondering, “How do these people know where I look on my computer screen?” Many search marketing firms have done eye tracking studies to get these results. Using heat maps like the one below, researchers are able to track and record where a user’s eyes go on the page and have provided data on site visibility and click through.

The results of studies of this type are clear. The red coloring on the heat map shows where the most visibility occurred. In studies such as these, 100% of users looked at the top left corner of this triangle area. The percentage goes down continually as the results are further down the page or to the right. It is clear that page position and rank are critical when it comes to organic search results, as well as pay per click campaigns. Also noted, the visibility of organic listings “above the fold” is much higher than those below the fold showing that users are much more likely to click within this “golden triangle” than to scroll down for further results.

One other striking bit of information from these maps is the amount of time spent looking at the side sponsored ads. Many business owners believe that pay per click is the only way to go in the search marketing world, but clearly this is not the only place to be. While PPC is a beneficial advertising and marketing tool, it is only one tool in a large sea of internet marketing strategies.

It is crucial to have your site optimized for SEO and to budget for ongoing SEO work if you want to achieve and maintain better results in the search engine results . This is the best way to find your way closer to, or inside that golden triangle and get improved results on your site and in your business.

Remember, having a website in today’s internet driven marketplace is a must, but you can’t stop there. Doing the work to have your site FOUND is just as important. Hundreds, if not thousands of new sites are put up daily and yours can easily be lost in the mix if not for quality SEO work. So, when planning your budget for 2011, be sure to add or continue the investment in an expert SEO service. You’ll be glad you did as you watch your site climb in the search results in the New Year!