Top Search Engine Analytics To Monitor, Evaluating SEO Strategies, and Knowing When to Pivot

Written by Nicole Mckinnon

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for driving organic traffic to your website. However, monitoring the right metrics and knowing when to adjust your strategy can be challenging. As a Google Premier Partner, our Jacksonville advertising agency knows SEO like peanut butter knows jelly. 

That’s why we prepared this simple guide about the top search engine analytics you should be monitoring, how to tell if your SEO strategy is working, and when to pivot if it isn’t.

If you don’t have a strategy in place yet or don’t even know where to start, be sure to check out our blog post on mastering SEO first to read our favorite tips for increasing your search ranking. Or contact us for an intro call and we can help get you started!

Top Search Engine Analytics To Monitor & Why They Matter

Organic Traffic 

• Why it Matters: This is the most direct indicator of your SEO efforts. An increase in organic traffic suggests that your site is ranking higher on search engines and more visitors are landing on your website. 
• Pro Tip: Ensure your website pages are keyword-rich with high readability on each page. 

Keyword Rankings

• Why it Matters: Tracking where your targeted keywords rank can help you understand the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. Some keywords are easier to rank for than others, so it’s important to ensure the keywords you’re optimizing for are making progress. 
• Pro Tip: To outrank your competition, ensure you’re targeting keywords that your competitors are ranking for.  

Bounce Rate

• Why it Matters: A high bounce rate may indicate that your site content isn’t meeting user expectations or that your keywords are attracting the wrong audience.
• Pro Tip: Ensure that your website is optimized for page speed. Users are more likely to “bounce” if your website isn’t loading properly. 

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

• Why it Matters: A higher CTR indicates that your meta titles and descriptions are compelling and relevant to searchers.
• Pro Tip: Ensure that your meta titles and descriptions include the exact keyword you’re targeting for each page. 

Backlinks

• Why it Matters:  A backlink is a link on any website that is not yours that links a user to your website. Quality backlinks can significantly improve your site’s authority and search engine ranking, however, they can be difficult to attain without a backlink strategy in place. 
• Pro Tip: Ensure your website is linked on listing management websites like Google Business Profile, Apple Maps and Yelp. 

Page Load Speed

• Why it Matters: Faster page load times improve user experience and are favored by search engines.
• Pro Tip: To increase your page load time, ensure the image sizes on your site are optimized properly. Image files that are too big will take site pages longer to load. 

Conversion Rate

• Why it Matters: Ultimately, conversions (e.g., sales, sign-ups) are what matter most. Higher conversions mean your SEO efforts are attracting the right audience.
• Pro Tip: Before you set up conversion tracking, be sure you’re specific about what you want Google to track as a conversion. If you want to track how many times a user fills out a form, but Google is only tracking how many times a user lands on the page with that form, your conversion analytics will not be accurate. 

How to Know if Your SEO Strategy is Working

1. Consistent Increase in Organic Traffic
   • Monitor organic traffic over time. A steady increase is a good indicator of successful SEO efforts.
2. Improved Keyword Rankings
   • Track your target keywords. If they’re moving up in the rankings, your SEO strategy is likely effective.
3. Higher CTR
   • An increasing CTR means your site’s snippets in search results are attracting clicks.
4. Lower Bounce Rate
   • A decreasing bounce rate indicates that visitors find your content relevant and engaging.
5. Quality Backlinks
   • An increase in the number of high-quality backlinks suggests your content is gaining recognition and authority.
6. Better User Engagement
   • Metrics like average session duration and pages per session can show that users are engaging with your content more deeply.

Knowing When to Pivot Your SEO Strategy

1. Stagnant or Declining Organic Traffic
   • If you see no improvement or a drop in organic traffic over several months, it’s time to reassess your strategy.
2. No Improvement in Keyword Rankings
   • If your keywords aren’t improving despite your efforts, it may be time to try different keywords or tactics.
3. High Bounce Rate
   • A consistently high bounce rate might indicate that your content isn’t resonating with your audience.
4. Poor Conversion Rates
   • If your traffic is high but conversions are low, you may be attracting the wrong audience or your site’s user experience might need improvement.
5. Negative ROI
   • SEO should ultimately deliver a return on investment. If you’re spending time and money on SEO without seeing any tangible results, it’s time to pivot.
6. Algorithm Changes
   • Major search engine algorithm updates can affect your rankings. Staying updated and adapting your strategy accordingly is crucial.

It’s Time to Optimize Your Search Engine Analytics. Our Team Can Help! 

Monitoring the right metrics is essential for understanding the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. If your website has stagnant or declining search performance, it’s likely time to pivot your strategy. Luckily, we can help! Contact our analytics team today to ensure your SEO strategy is optimized so your website ranking can keep growing.