We often get asked, what merics we should track for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? SEO success hinges on understanding the language search engines speak – data. By tracking key SEO metrics, you can unlock a treasure trove of insights into your website’s performance, user behavior, and ultimately, the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. But not everyone have analytical mindset or good with data and where do you even begin? This quick guide will equip you with the knowledge to identify and track the essential SEO metrics that matters and easy to understand.
Traffic Metrics: The Bread and Butter of SEO
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Organic Traffic: This metric is very important, all of the business owners wants traffic. Better yet, good traffic. This metric showcases the total number of visitors your website attracts from search engines. Witnessing a steady rise (or drop) in organic traffic can show you if your SEO efforts are paying dividends and driving qualified leads to your doorstep or you need to do something different.
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Clicks and Impressions: Dive deeper into traffic data with clicks and impressions from Google Search Console. Impressions reveal how often your website appeared in search results, building brand awareness. They also can show if Google “likes” you website, when you have thousands impressions a day or dislike, when you have not even one dozen. Clicks, on the other hand, indicate how many users found your listing enticing enough to click through. By analyzing the click-through rate (CTR), you gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your title tags and meta descriptions. The bigger CTR the better.
Engagement Metrics: Keeping Visitors Hooked
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Average Session Duration: We don’t just want to have traffic, people may come to you page and close it (bounce, see below) and this will not be good. If you ever wondered how long visitors stick around after landing on your website this metric provides the answer. A higher average session duration indicates that your content is engaging and resonates with your target audience. And remember, it measured is seconds, so think again about your website design.
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Bounce Rate: This metric reflects the percentage of visitors who depart from your website after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate suggests a disconnect between user intent and your landing page content. Analyze bounce rates to identify pages that need optimization.
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Pages per Session: How many pages do visitors typically explore during a single website visit? Pages per session provide clues about user engagement and whether your website’s internal linking strategy successfully encourages visitors to delve deeper into your content. You want them to visit more pages, engage and then finally complete your desired action – make a purchase or send a request – and if they only visit one page this may break your marketing funnel, keeping people in the top of the funnel.
Technical SEO Metrics: The Foundation of Success
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Core Web Vitals: These Google-defined metrics assess loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and visual stability – all crucial factors influencing user experience and SEO ranking. Ensure your website excels in Core Web Vitals to keep both users and search engines happy. Google rates technical SEO high and if your website doesn’t performs well then it may be not chosen for the next impression.
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Indexed Pages: Not all your webpages are created equal and if your page is not indexed you do not exist for Google. This metric shows how many of your website’s pages are included in search engine databases and have the potential to rank in search results. Regularly monitor indexed pages to identify potential indexing issues. They may fall out and number of indexed pages changes constantly with each week.
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Coverage Errors: Leverage Google Search Console to uncover indexing errors that prevent specific webpages from being properly indexed. Addressing these errors ensures your valuable content reaches the intended audience.
Beyond the Basics: Metrics for a Holistic View
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Keyword Rankings: While not a direct SEO ranking metric, tracking your ranking for important keywords allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. As your SEO efforts gain traction, you should witness a positive shift in your keyword rankings. We always want to have as many keywords in the top 3 (top 1 is the best, of course) as possible and we want them to be with a high search volume.
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Referring Domains: Backlinks are the golden currency of SEO. Track the number of websites linking back to yours, particularly high-authority websites in your niche. A strong backlink profile significantly bolsters your SEO ranking and website credibility. You will have to build your backlinks first by guest posting on other website or better yet, you can create shareable content which will acquire links naturally.
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Conversions: SEO isn’t just about website traffic; it’s about driving results. Track conversions, such as sales, signups, or downloads, to measure the return on investment (ROI) of your SEO efforts. Analyze which keywords and landing pages are driving the most conversions to fine-tune your SEO strategy for maximum impact.
Putting it All Together
By monitoring this comprehensive suite of SEO metrics, you’ll gain a clear understanding of your website’s search engine performance, user behavior patterns, and areas for improvement. They are easy to understand and can give you a lot of data for further development of your SEO strategy. Remember, SEO is a continuous journey and you want to monitor it monthly. Sometimes you may not see progress within days or weeks, as SEO is a slow process and can take months to see effects. Read our other blog about how long does it take to see a result from SEO.
Regularly revisit your metrics to track progress, identify opportunities, and refine your strategy over time. With dedication and data-driven insights as your guide, you’ll unlock the SEO mystery and propel your website towards the top of search engine results pages.
If you need help navigating world of SEO, Cape and Plymouth SEO offer full range of marketing services from social media to brand building. Contact us for a free consultation and website assessment.
We also offer monthly video walkthrough and explanation of all metrics for our clients, so your dta will be presented to you in easier to digest way.