In the dynamic world of search engine optimization, it’s easy to get lost in the jargon and high-level strategies. You’ve hired an SEO expert, they’re implementing changes, and you’re hoping for the best. But how do you truly know if their efforts are paying off? The key lies in understanding and diligently reviewing your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Don’t settle for vague updates. Your SEO expert should be armed with concrete data, and you, as the client, need to know what questions to ask. This isn’t about micromanaging; it’s about smart collaboration and ensuring your investment is yielding tangible results.
Beyond the Buzzwords: Essential KPIs to Discuss
Here’s a breakdown of the critical metrics you should be discussing with your SEO expert, along with the specific questions that will help you gauge progress and inform future strategies:
1. Organic Traffic: The Lifeblood of SEO
Organic traffic is perhaps the most fundamental KPI. It tells you how many people are finding your site through unpaid search results. But simply knowing if it’s “up” or “down” isn’t enough.
- Specific Page Performance: “Can you show me the organic traffic numbers for our key landing pages (e.g., our services page, product category X, blog post Y) compared to the previous reporting period (e.g., last month, last quarter)? How do these numbers compare to the same period last year?”
- Identifying Trends: “For pages that have seen a significant increase or decrease in organic traffic, what are the specific search queries driving these changes? Can we identify new keywords we’re ranking for, or keywords where we’ve lost ground?”
- Conversion Focus: “Beyond just traffic, what are the conversion rates for these organic visitors on our critical pages? Are we seeing more leads, sales, or sign-ups from organic search?”
2. Keyword Rankings: Where You Stand in the SERPs
While individual keyword rankings are less of a direct KPI than they once were (due to personalized search results), tracking them collectively still provides valuable insights into your visibility.
- Targeted Keywords: “What are our current rankings for our core target keywords? Can you provide a report comparing these rankings to the previous period and, where relevant, to our competitors?”
- New Opportunities: “Are there any emerging keywords or long-tail phrases where we’re seeing unexpected gains? This could signal new content opportunities.”
- Lost Ground: “Have we lost significant ranking positions for any important keywords? If so, what are the suspected reasons (e.g., algorithm update, competitor activity, technical issues)?”
3. Backlink Profile: Your Site’s Authority Score
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a crucial signal of authority and trustworthiness to search engines.
- New Links Acquired: “How many new, high-quality backlinks have we acquired in this period? Can you provide a list of these referring domains and their domain authority?”
- Lost Links & Disavowals: “Have we lost any valuable backlinks? Are there any low-quality or spammy backlinks that need to be disavowed or addressed?”
- Competitor Analysis: “How does our backlink profile compare to our top competitors? What opportunities exist for strategic link building to close the gap?”
4. Technical SEO Health: The Foundation of Visibility
Even the most brilliant content won’t rank if your site has underlying technical issues.
- Crawlability & Indexability: “Are there any new crawling or indexing errors reported in Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools? How quickly are new pages being indexed?”
- Site Speed: “What are our current page load times, particularly for mobile users? What specific improvements have been made, and what impact have they had?”
- Mobile-Friendliness: “Are there any issues with our site’s mobile responsiveness or user experience on different devices?”
5. User Experience (UX) Signals: Beyond the Click
Search engines are increasingly prioritizing user experience. Metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and pages per session can tell you a lot about how visitors interact with your content.
- Engagement Metrics: “For our key landing pages, what are the bounce rates, average time on page, and pages per session? How do these compare to previous periods and industry benchmarks?”
- Identifying Friction Points: “Are there specific pages with unusually high bounce rates or low time on page? What could be causing this, and what changes are we making to improve engagement?”
6. Local SEO Performance (If Applicable): Dominating Your Local Market
For businesses with a physical location, local SEO is paramount.
- Google Business Profile (or Bing Places) Insights: “Can you provide data on views, clicks to website, calls, and direction requests from our Google Business Profile? How have these numbers changed?”
- Local Search Rankings: “How are we ranking for local keywords (e.g., ‘plumber near me,’ ‘best coffee shop in [city]’)?”
- Reviews & Reputation: “What is our average rating across review platforms, and how many new reviews have we received? How are we responding to reviews?”
The Crucial Follow-Up: Are Changes Working?
This is where the rubber meets the road. Your SEO expert is constantly implementing strategies, from content updates to technical fixes. You need to know if these efforts are yielding positive returns.
- Direct Impact Analysis: “We implemented X change (e.g., new blog post, website redesign, schema markup addition) on [date]. What specific data points demonstrate the impact of this change? Are we seeing the desired improvements in traffic, rankings, or conversions for the affected pages?”
- Learning from Setbacks: “Not every change will be a home run. For changes that didn’t produce the expected results, what did we learn? What adjustments are we making based on that insight?”
Demand Real Numbers from Real Sources
Insist that your SEO expert pulls data directly from the following reliable sources:
- Google Analytics (GA4): For comprehensive website traffic, user behavior, and conversion tracking.
- Google Search Console (GSC): For organic search performance, keyword rankings, technical SEO issues, and index coverage.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: The Bing equivalent of GSC, crucial for understanding your performance on Bing.
- Google Business Profile Insights (or Bing Places): For local search performance and engagement.
The Bottom Line
Your relationship with your SEO expert should be a partnership built on transparency and data. By consistently asking the right questions and demanding clear, measurable KPIs from verifiable sources, you’ll not only hold your expert accountable but also gain a deeper understanding of your website’s performance and the true impact of your SEO investment.
Don’t just hope your SEO is working – verify it with data!
Recent Comments