Small businesses use Search Engine Optimization campaigns to improve their online presence. These strategies increase the visibility of sites in search engines so customers can find them.
A holistic SEO strategy can increase rankings, website traffic, conversions, and leads. It can also drive more local customers to your physical business location if you have one.
An effective SEO plan takes time to develop though. It can take weeks, if not months, for an SEO strategy to show signs of success. How do you know if your SEO is having a positive impact on your business? In this article, you’ll learn seven metrics that SEO experts look for to determine whether an SEO campaign has done well.
1. Keyword Ranking
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One factor that SEO experts use to determine whether a local SEO is successful is to analyze keyword rankings relevant to a specific business. It’s critical because most customers type these terms into search engines to find businesses that can solve problems for them.
Unfortunately, most people only look at the top-ranked companies on the first page of Google and Bing. When a local SEO campaign is successful, the business site will float to the top of the first page of results. Top-ranking businesses receive improved brand recognition because these rankings also serve as free advertising for their brand. They also enjoy increased traffic to their online and physical sites, which can convert into sales.
Declining rankings can diminish the amount of traffic that your physical and online businesses receive. Your keywords are not always a sign that your SEO strategy is problematic; however, it is a significant indicator.
2. Organic Traffic
A second metric that professionals use to measure success is the amount of organic traffic sites receive after a Local SEO campaign launches. Experts define organic traffic as website visits generated by search engine results pages instead of paid advertisements. Generally, higher-ranked sites receive more visitors than their lower-ranking counterparts.
Organic traffic rates not only demonstrate how successful a local SEO strategy is. It can also indicate which articles the core audience prefers. Once the expert identifies their clients’ favorite material, they can provide better content to meet their needs. This strategy can spur sales and leads. Additionally, the professional can also develop systemic strategies to help the business attract more customers.
For example, find out how many people visit different pages on the company’s site. Next, compare how well each page ranks against competitors based on each keyword term. If some pages rank better compared to others, the business should consider adjusting its local SEO strategy.
Businesses should also remember that the amount of organic traffic they receive can impact their rankings. Google, and other search engines, use this signal to determine whether your site offers valuable and relevant content to visitors.
3. Conversion Rates
Conversion rates are another key indicator that experts use to determine whether an SEO campaign has succeeded. If certain pages receive higher organic traffic, the expert will see whether these visits have converted into leads and sales for the client.
If there are high conversion rates, it can indicate a demand for the client’s products and services. Pages with higher traffic rates can indicate the business should explore additional markets for their products.
The SEO professional will adjust a campaign if there is a lower overall conversion rate or organic traffic rate.
Additionally, conversion rates also indicate how many people followed the SEO expert’s call to action on the business site. For instance, if high rates of people sign up for a business newsletter, it can demonstrate that the SEO expert’s campaign was successful.
4. Backlinks
Backlinks are a fantastic way to determine the strength of your local SEO strategy. Sites will rank higher if another website links to a business site’s web page. According to Google, links and content are the two most important factors to boost your site’s ranking in its search engine. These links should be ones from authoritative domains. It’s essential to determine the quality of your backlinks.
When studying local SEO, professionals will see how many local businesses have backlinks to their site. These links can be referrals from businesses that offer complementary products. They can also include links from review sites with customer testimonials. Some professionals even analyze how many backlinks point to a company’s Google My Business (GMB) site since it organizes all information about backlinks to business.
5. Traffic Quality and Bounce Rates
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SEO experts also examine the quality of web traffic to consider whether a campaign has done well. For instance, they will check the number of pages each person views during an average visit. Additionally, they will see which pages are the most popular with visitors.
These professionals investigate the bounce rates of a site to ensure the success of local SEO campaigns. Google uses this metric to determine a site’s rankings. Most SEO experts use two different sources to determine whether traffic is staying on your website or leaving for a competitor’s. The bounce rate can also help the expert determine the source of your traffic.
For instance, if you have traffic from a referrer with a higher bounce rate, your content may not be relevant to the visitors. Additionally, it may be a sign that you’re using the wrong keywords in your local SEO campaign.
6. Domain Authority
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Domain Authority is a search engine ranking score developed by SEO software developer Moz. SEO experts use this score to determine how successful your business site will rank on search engine results pages. This metric will help you determine the strength of your backlinks. This issue can affect your local SEO authority.
You can earn a higher Domain Authority score by getting backlinks from quality referrers. Getting traffic-driving links from legitimate sites, instead of spam sources, can also increase your score.
7. Engagement Rates
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Another metric that shows your audience has a high level of interest in your brand is your engagement rates. This metric boosts your brand’s awareness with customers. It also shows you’re getting additional attention.
Local engagement rates may also have a greater impact on the local SEO process soon. For instance, Google now offers a Questions & Answers app to encourage website visitors to reach out to companies and get answers from them. They can also help companies understand their previous performance and how they can manage their customers’ expectations.
Are you a local business that needs to improve your local SEO strategy to improve your rankings in search engine results pages? Dialed In Web can help. We have SEO experts that can help get your business brand noticed. To set up a consultation, contact us today.
