Whether you’ve employed someone to undertake search engine optimisation for you, or you’ve undertaken the steps yourself, sometimes it can be frustrating when you don’t see the results straight away, or even after a series of months. Thanks to social media, many of us have become desensitised to websites and videos that have ‘gone viral’ and as a result, expect the same when we begin utilising SEO techniques.
However, while the results and growth in organic traffic may not seem instantaneous, if you’re undertaking proper white-hat SEO techniques, they will come. As they say, good things come to those who wait.
If you are still doubtful, or are unsure of the processes of how organic traffic is built, follow these steps to ensure that you know you’re achieving the best results possible for your website.
Research your rankings and keyword improvements
When you’re thinking ‘Is my SEO working’, it may not necessarily show an improvement in traffic, seeing that your website has improved in its search engine rankings is a substantial example that your website is on the way to achieving more organic traffic online. This shows improvement, and that the effort that you’ve employed has paid off, and will continue to do so. Not only does an improvement in your rankings mean that you’re adding the right stuff to your website, but it also means that more and more online users are able to see your website more easily, which in turn will continue to generate more organic traffic.
Furthermore, thanks to Google Analytics, you can determine what keywords are bringing in the most traffic. By looking up the date range from before you started using SEO techniques, to the current date, you will be able to see very easily the effect that positive keywords are having on your website.
Utilise summary reports
Summary reports contain vital information that not only show the improvements that your website has made, but also the aspects that may need extra work or energy. If you don’t understand summary reports, then it is easy to get lost in the information, or become unsure as to what you should be looking for.
Whether you’ve compiled them yourself through the use of online analytics tools, or whether the person you’ve employed has created them for you, it is important to go through them to determine what aspects you deem the most necessary, and what you need to work on.
Sometimes, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of material that is available online, or to get disheartened when you haven’t seen immediate results. A summary report can succinctly show you what improvements you’ve made, what numbers you’ve achieved, and what has been a success for your website.
Use all metrics necessary
If you have found that your traffic or rankings have not markedly improved, try not to be disappointed. You can still determine if your SEO efforts have had a positive effect on your website by utilising other available metrics. Metrics such as total links vs. total link goals, fans, shares, website bounce rate and time spent on website are all examples of what you can use to see what effect your SEO has had on your website.
If you are planning on utilising these metrics however, it is important to create a benchmark before you start, so that you can easily decide whether or not there has been an improvement.
Have patience
Above all else, if you are asking ‘Is my SEO working?’ and are continually utilising the correct and ethical SEO techniques available, or if you have hired someone to do so, have patience and faith. Results will not become apparent overnight, and sometimes certain results take longer to achieve then others.
By continually monitoring online metrics, reports and your ranking, you can have an overall awareness of how your website is faring, what aspects have had a positive impact on your website, and what steps you need to take to generate greater results. If you enjoyed learning about the key areas to focus on for your business for a better SEO strategy, let us know or ask us ‘Is my SEO working?’ if you need more help.