Measure the success of your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy
Let’s imagine you’ve done a load of stuff to improve search engine optimisation (SEO) on your organisations’ website. Now you’re eager to see if all the hard work is having an effect.
But how do you measure the results of your team’s SEO tactics?
Use our tips to check if your SEO is working or not. You can also learn how long it can take before you see positive results.
Measure the success of on-page SEO
When it comes to on-page SEO (tactics you use on your website) you can get insights by looking at:
- Google ranking – check if your pages show higher on Google when people search for related topics. Higher rankings mean better on-page SEO.
- Visits from search engines– if this increases over time, your on-page SEO is probably working.
- Engagement – check bounce rates and average engagement per session to see if visitors are spending longer on your page.
- Conversion rates – check what actions people are taking, and how those match your goals (for example, filling out a form). Better on-page SEO often leads to more conversions.
- Page speed – check if your pages load quickly. This will help visitors and search engines such as Google.
- Mobile-friendly – check if your pages work well on mobile devices. According to Statista, “mobile phones accounted for 47.78 percent of web traffic in the United Kingdom” in an average month in 2022.
Keep an eye on these things to get a good sense of how well your on-page SEO is doing. Then you can make improvements where you need to.
Measure off-page SEO success
“Off-page SEO” is a set of strategies you can use outside your website to improve its rankings. You can get more visibility by taking the following actions.
Track backlinks from other sites
Track the number of backlinks pointing to your site, using a data analytics tool such as Hotjar. Measure the growth of backlinks every month to see if your off-page SEO tactics are working.
Find out more about making the best use of data analytics tools.
Track referral traffic to your site
Check the amount of traffic coming to your site from referral sources such as search engines or social media sites. Tools such as Google Analytics can help track your traffic.
Check your ranking on search engines
Find out how your website ranking is performing for targeted keywords. You can do this by using tools such as SEMrush and Ahrefs.
Track conversion rates
You can use conversions (for example, newsletter sign-ups) to measure the success of your SEO tactics. Tracking conversions will also allow you to check return on investment (ROI) against agreed goals for the content.
Don’t forget about social media activity
Track social media shares, likes, and comments on your content. Find out if these are leading to more engagement with your content.
Do competitor analysis
Compare your off-page SEO metrics with competitors to get a sense of performance and areas for improvement. Tools you can use for competitor analysis include Ahrefs and Google Trends.
Check if your site is being penalised
Check if your site has been penalised by search engines. When your site gets a Google penalty, your target audience won’t be able to find you.
The marketing expert Neil Patel says: “Think of Google penalties like a red card in soccer. The referee (Google) says you did something wrong, forcing you to sit out the rest of the game.
“When you receive a penalty, your website, much like the soccer player, must sit it out until you find a solution.”
Google penalties can be given for things such as:
- viruses and spyware
- hidden links or text
- lots of irrelevant keywords
You can use Google Search Console to check this.
Analyse traffic quality
See if people are engaging with content by analysing on-site metrics such as:
- bounce rate
- time on site
- pages per session
How long it takes to see results from SEO
It can take:
- several months before you see any change in search engine rankings
- six months to a year to get improved traffic
Time taken can vary because of:
- competition – if you’re in a highly competitive niche, it might take longer to see results compared to a less competitive market
- the current state of your site – if your website is new, it might take longer to gain interest compared with an older site which has built up authority
- content quality – high-quality, relevant content tends to rank better over time, but it may take longer to generate attention
- keyword choices – long-tail keywords (of 3 to 5 words) often work better at first than competitive short-tail keywords (1 or 2 words)
- technical SEO and site structure – focusing on the technical side of your website (for example, site speed and security) will influence how quickly search engines index and rank your site
You’ll need to be patient and keep plugging away. SEO is an ongoing process. By monitoring your SEO success you can make changes and give yourself every chance of finding a winning formula.
Learn the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid with SEO.
Get SEO strategy help from us
Understanding SEO is vital for your organisation’s online visibility and reputation. At Llibertat we understand the nitty gritty of SEO, as well as the technical side.
Get in touch to find out how we can help with your SEO tactics and content strategy.
