When you hire an SEO company to improve your online visibility, it’s essential to know if they are delivering the results you expect. SEO is an ongoing process that requires constant adjustments, so it might be difficult to determine whether the work being done is effective or not. However, there are clear indicators to help you assess if your SEO company is on track.
In this article, we’ll show you three simple steps to evaluate your SEO company’s performance. These steps will help you keep track of your website’s progress and ensure that your SEO investment brings tangible results.
Step 1: Monitor Your Website’s Traffic
One of the primary reasons businesses invest in SEO is to boost website traffic. If your SEO company in India is working effectively, you should see a noticeable increase in traffic to your website. Here’s how to track it:
Use Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the most reliable tools to monitor your website’s traffic. By setting up goals and tracking metrics like page views, bounce rate, and session duration, you can easily see whether your traffic is growing over time.
-
Look for a steady increase in organic traffic: Organic traffic is traffic that comes from search engines like Google. If your SEO company is doing its job, organic traffic should rise steadily over time. Compare month-to-month traffic to see if there’s any growth.
-
Check for growth in relevant keywords: One of the ways SEO works is by ranking your website for specific keywords. Use tools like Google Search Console to track which keywords are bringing people to your site. If your SEO company is doing well, you should see an increase in rankings for those targeted keywords.
-
Evaluate traffic from long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search terms that often have lower competition. These keywords can bring highly targeted visitors to your site. If you notice more visitors coming from long-tail keywords, your SEO company is likely targeting niche markets effectively.
Key Metrics to Watch
- Traffic Sources: Ensure that the majority of traffic comes from organic search, not paid ads or referrals.
- Bounce Rate: If your bounce rate is dropping, this means visitors are engaging with your site, a positive sign that the right people are finding you through search engines.
- Session Duration: Longer session durations often indicate that your content is valuable and relevant to visitors.
Step 2: Check Your Keyword Rankings
Keyword rankings are one of the most important ways to gauge the effectiveness of an SEO campaign. A good SEO company will work to improve your rankings for the keywords that matter most to your business. Here’s how you can track keyword rankings:
Use Rank Tracking Tools
There are several tools available to track keyword rankings, including:
- Google Search Console: This free tool shows you which keywords are driving traffic to your site and how your site ranks for those keywords.
- Ahrefs: A comprehensive SEO tool that tracks keyword rankings and compares your website’s performance against competitors.
- SEMrush: Another popular SEO tool that tracks keyword rankings and provides valuable insights into how well your site is doing in search engines.
Look for Improvements in Targeted Keywords
When evaluating your keyword rankings, focus on these key factors:
- Targeted Keywords: Make sure the SEO company is focusing on keywords that are highly relevant to your business. These should be terms that your potential customers are searching for.
- Top 10 Rankings: Check if your targeted keywords are ranking on the first page of Google, particularly in the top 10 positions. Websites ranking higher in search results typically get more traffic and have better visibility.
- New Keywords: As your SEO company works to improve your rankings, you should also see new keywords driving traffic to your site. This indicates that the SEO campaign is expanding your reach and helping you target a broader audience.
Compare Rankings Over Time
SEO is not a quick fix. It takes time to see significant changes in rankings. However, over the course of a few months, you should notice consistent progress. If your keyword rankings are moving up, that’s a positive sign that your SEO company is making strides.
Step 3: Evaluate Conversion Rates and ROI
At the end of the day, SEO should lead to more conversions for your business. Conversions could be defined as purchases, form submissions, sign-ups, or any other action you want visitors to take on your website. This is where the true value of SEO becomes clear. If your SEO company is working effectively, you should see a return on investment (ROI) from the traffic they help generate.
Track Conversions Using Google Analytics
Google Analytics allows you to set up goals, which can help you track specific actions visitors take on your website. Here’s how to monitor conversions:
-
Set Up Goals: In Google Analytics, you can set up goals to track specific actions on your website. For example, you can track form submissions, newsletter sign-ups, or product purchases. Monitoring these goals helps you determine if your SEO efforts are converting traffic into actual business outcomes.
-
Monitor Conversion Rate: The conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take the desired action on your website. If your conversion rate is increasing along with traffic, that’s a clear sign that your SEO company is bringing the right kind of traffic to your site. A higher conversion rate indicates that more people who visit your site are taking action.
Evaluate ROI
SEO can be a long-term investment, but it’s important to measure your return on investment (ROI) over time. ROI is calculated by comparing the revenue generated through organic traffic to the cost of the SEO services. If you’re seeing a positive ROI, your SEO company is likely doing a good job.
You can track ROI by:
- Tracking Sales or Leads: For e-commerce sites, measure how much revenue your site generates through organic traffic. For service-based businesses, track how many leads are generated.
- Compare Costs to Revenue: Compare the cost of SEO services to the increase in revenue or leads. If you’re seeing a positive difference, it’s a sign that the SEO company is working.
What to Do If You Don’t See Results
If you don’t see any significant improvements in traffic, rankings, or conversions, it’s important to discuss the situation with your SEO company. Good communication is key to any successful partnership. Ask for a detailed report of the work that has been done, and see if there are areas where adjustments can be made.
Here are some possible reasons why you might not see results:
- Slow Progress: SEO takes time. If you’re not seeing immediate results, give it a few months and reassess the situation.
- Technical Issues: Sometimes, technical problems with your website (like slow loading speeds or poor mobile optimization) can hinder SEO efforts. Ask your SEO company to perform a technical audit.
- Incorrect Keyword Targeting: Your SEO company may be focusing on the wrong keywords. Ensure that they are targeting keywords that are relevant to your audience and business.
- Competitive Industry: If your business operates in a highly competitive industry, it might take more time and effort to outrank competitors. In such cases, consider setting more realistic expectations.
Conclusion
It’s essential to regularly assess the performance of your SEO company. By monitoring traffic, checking keyword rankings, and evaluating conversion rates and ROI, you can ensure that your investment in SEO is paying off. Regular communication with your SEO company will also help ensure that the strategy is aligned with your business goals.
If you follow these three simple steps, you’ll have a clear picture of whether your SEO company is working effectively to improve your website’s visibility and drive results for your business.
