Top SEO Metrics You Need to Know

You probably know that strong search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the cornerstones of successfully marketing your business. The problem is that “good SEO” is a bit of a vague and moving target. There is no singular score or number that tells you if your SEO is working in your favor, so how do you know if your hard work or investment in search optimization is paying off?

There are several metrics that show you how your SEO strategy is performing, so gauging your success involves analyzing multiple pieces of data. Our experts at McCauley Marketing Services are consistently tracking these metrics for our clients to look for new ways we can further strengthen their businesses. If you are assessing your own search optimization, these are a few of the top pieces of data you need to know.

Organic Traffic

The first goal of search engine optimization is to bring more viewers (i.e., potential customers or patients) to your site. That means one of the top metrics you want to track is the amount of traffic on your site. Specifically, look at your organic search traffic: the users who reach your site through regular search results, not an ad or other links. You should evaluate your organic traffic overall and separate it out per page on your site so you can see which pages are getting organic traffic (and which are lacking).

Location-Based Traffic

You don’t just want to know how many users are coming to your site; you want to know where those users are located, too. In particular, if you have a brick-and-mortar business rather than selling products and services online, users from your local area have a greater potential for becoming customers or patients. If you see that a lot of your traffic comes from distant locations, it means you need to focus more on local SEO.

Goal Conversion Rate

Your goal conversion rate is the percentage of site visitors who complete a specific action on your site. They progress to the next step in your sales funnel, such as submitting a contact form, making a purchase, or clicking on your phone number. Technically, there are a lot of factors beyond your SEO that affect your overall conversion rate.

If your conversion rate is poor, it likely means that you aren’t attracting the type of users who are likely to become customers or patients. You may need to aim your SEO toward different demographics or industries. A good conversion rate is vital to ensure that your customer base and profits increase.

Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR)

For strong SEO, you don’t only need to optimize your content so your listings appear in search results. You also need to make those listings enticing enough for users to click on them. The percentage of users who click on your search result after seeing your listing is your organic CTR.

Getting Professional Help for Your SEO

Search engine optimization is a complex and ongoing part of your marketing strategy, and data analysis is only the beginning. Call McCauley Marketing Services today to learn more about how our expert team can develop a customized SEO strategy, turn your performance around, and track your results. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more marketing tips.