If you’ve ever scrolled through SEO-focused social media, you’ve probably seen this exact cartoon. Two shady-looking characters are hauling a rolled-up “body” toward a door marked “Google PAGE 2”. One whispers, “You sure nobody will find the body?” The other replies with a grin, “Yea, nobody ever looks here.” Below it, the punchline in bold: “The best place to hide a dead body is page 2 of Google.”
Why This Meme Resonates So Hard With SEO Pros
SEO specialists don’t laugh at this cartoon — they nod in exhausted recognition. Because the data backs it up completely:
- Roughly 92% of all Google search traffic stays on page 1.
- Only 0.78% of users ever click a result on page 2.
- The top 3 organic positions alone capture more than two-thirds (68.7%) of all clicks.
- Even position #10 on page 1 gets only around 1.6% CTR, and by the time you slide to page 2, the click-through rate often drops below 1%.
In other words, if your website ranks on page 2, you’re technically visible to Google… but practically invisible to humans. It’s the digital equivalent of witness protection.
The Dark Humor Behind the Cartoon
The two men in the cartoon represent every SEO who has ever:
- Spent months optimizing content, building backlinks, and chasing technical perfection…
- …only to watch their page stubbornly sit at position #11 or #12.
- Celebrated hitting page 1 for a split second before a Google update or AI Overview knocked them right back into the void.
The “dead body” is a perfect metaphor for anything you want to disappear: bad reviews, old content, a failed product launch, or (most commonly) your competitor’s website. Page 2 is where Google buries things it still indexes but no one will ever see.
And the meme has been around for over a decade for a reason. It was already circulating in 2014 on sites like HuffPost and Inbound.org. Twelve years later, it’s still being reposted because the truth hasn’t changed — even with AI Overviews, zero-click searches, and mobile-first everything. Users are more impatient than ever. They find what they need on page 1 or they refine their query.
What This Means for Your Business in 2026
If your site is stuck on page 2 or worse:
- You’re missing out on the vast majority of potential traffic.
- Your competitors on page 1 are eating your lunch.
- You might as well be “hiding a dead body” — your content is indexed but effectively invisible.
Google’s algorithm has only gotten stricter. AI summaries now resolve many queries without any clicks at all. That makes page 1 real estate even more valuable — and page 2 even more of a ghost town.
How to Escape Page 2 (And Never Go Back)
SEO pros who “get” this meme also know the way out:
- Target realistic keywords — High-volume terms are brutal. Long-tail, buyer-intent phrases are your fastest route to page 1.
- Create content that actually answers the search — Google rewards depth, freshness, and user satisfaction.
- Build real authority — Backlinks from reputable sites still matter more than almost anything else.
- Optimize for the new SERP reality — Featured snippets, People Also Ask, and AI Overviews now steal clicks. Structure your content accordingly.
- Track and iterate relentlessly — Use Google Search Console to monitor impressions vs. clicks. If you’re getting impressions but zero clicks, you’re probably on page 2.
Final Thought
The cartoon is funny because it’s true. In the world of SEO, page 2 isn’t just a ranking — it’s a digital graveyard. The best place to hide anything you never want found.
So next time you’re frustrated with your rankings, just remember the two guys in the cartoon dragging that body. They’re not criminals. They’re just SEOs who finally accepted reality.
And if your site is currently on page 2… well, at least now you know the perfect place to hide the evidence. 😉
