How to Measure SEO Performance and Results

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a vital aspect of digital marketing, and measuring its performance is crucial to the success of any online business. There are only two ways to measure SEO performance and results: organic traffic and the money it generates for the business. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that not all spikes in organic traffic translate to more sales.

Here are three organic traffic metrics that can help measure SEO performance:

Organic Traffic: Organic traffic represents all non-paid clicks that come from search engines. The "Search results" report under the Performance tab in Google Search Console provides the most accurate view of organic traffic over time. It is also essential to compare the results over time, preferably over comparable time periods to avoid seasonal swings. You can do this by clicking on the Date settings, heading over to the Compare tab, and selecting a year-over-year comparison for the period you're investigating.

Keyword Positions: Keyword positions refer to a website's organic ranking positions in the search results for particular keywords. Ranking well for relevant keywords is more valuable as it brings in more valuable traffic. To track your keywords, you'll need a third-party rank tracking tool like Ahrefs' Rank Tracker. You can get regular email alerts about the progress of your tracked keywords or check the Rank Tracker reports.

Share of Voice: Share of Voice (SOV) for organic search is the percentage of all clicks for your tracked keywords that land on your website. It measures how visible your brand is on the SERPs. To measure organic SOV, paste a representative sample of keywords that matter to you into Ahrefs' Rank Tracker. Head to the "Competitors overview" tab, apply your SOV tag filter, and check the "Share of Voice" column.

Organic conversions are also important to track as they directly tie your SEO efforts to generating revenue. Conversion tracking is crucial to make sure you track the right conversions. Setting up conversion tracking in Google Analytics 4 is not complicated, and you don't need any coding knowledge to do it. If you're running an e-commerce store, tracking the number of conversions, their value, and your average order value is crucial. For subscription-based software, tracking leads, trial sign-ups, paid subscriptions, and new subscriptions' tier is recommended.

In conclusion, measuring SEO performance is essential to the success of any online business. Understanding these metrics will help you make informed decisions and optimize your website to generate the most value for your business.