Search engines like life and business; it is all about constant improvement. Improvement is possible when something can be measured. Measuring SEO, however, is not simple. There is a staggering number of variables and components in the SEO efforts, and several metrics are required to gauge success. The complexity can be challenging, and it takes true grit to master the art and science of measuring SEO. In the end, the prize is worth it.
The value of an SEO comes from the ability to demonstrate results, and it is indicated by being able to point to the search results. It may sound easy, but it gets murky when you cannot measure your success ranking improvements alone. Lucky enough, there are a ton of other ways you can tangibly measure your SEO performance. The following metrics will help you measure the performance of SEO:
Organic Search Traffic
It is one of the most critical parameters
of your website, how many users visited your site. You should track your organic search traffic monthly and make sure that overall, it is increasing. You may have some drops once in a while due to seasonality and other variables. However, it is vital that, in general, you see an upward trend in organic search traffic to your site. Improvements in keyword positions also increase organic traffic to your website as your results are listed more prominently at the top where searchers are most likely to click.
Time Spent Page
Another critical metric you can view in google analytics is the amount of time your visitors are spending on your pages. It is especially important on your organic landing pages as these are the pages your organic visitors see first. The statistic is beneficial for understanding the search intent of your visitors and how you might improve upon that.
Total Percentage of Traffic That Comes from Organic Search
The higher the percentage of your total traffic that comes from organic search, the more you rely on organic search to drive traffic to your site. It would help if you aimed to have a high percentage of traffic come from organic, as this traffic is free once you have earned the rankings. It would be best if you paid attention to how much of your site comes from organic searches, and if you notice a drop in this percentage, rethink your SEO strategy. Equally, other sources of traffic are significant, and a shrinking organic traffic percentage may mean you have been paying more attention to social media traffic.