To say that there is a lot of data out there for SEO is an understatement. The right word for it is overwhelming. But even though there is so much data to parse and analyze, not every metric deserves a spot in reports. Any good SEO company in Melbourne would agree that SEO reports generally follow a specific purpose, therefore needing only certain metrics that serve as key performance indicators (KPIs).
In the case of organic performance reports, these are the key metrics to track to understand better where a campaign stands:
Overall Visits
First and foremost, it will be highly beneficial for both the SEO provider and the client to learn whether or not there is an increase in the number of visits to the website. This provides a way to look at how organic traffic compares with the overall traffic. There are cases when organic visits are on a decline, even though total traffic is on the rise. The opposite can also happen, where overall traffic is decreasing while organic hits are ramping up. Whichever the case might be, tracking total visits is excellent for calculating the traffic that goes to the website and if there is seasonality in its popularity.
Traffic Visits by Channel
Where is the traffic coming from? This particular metric provides an answer to that question. With this information, it is easier to identify if a specific channel has had an impact on SEO performance, be it positive or negative. Take PPC ads, for example, where new ads could cannibalize organic search traffic.
Page-level Traffic
Organic traffic metrics for specific pages help learn whether or not tweaks to a particular page are working. For instance, if a page has been optimized for keywords or had its content replaced, metrics are necessary to gauge the optimization effort’s success.
Organic Landing Page Sessions
There will always be a chunk of your visitors that come from organic SERPs, and keeping track of this number is vital in identifying which pages perform well and bring in organic traffic. In the long run, this information could prove pivotal in the decision to optimize new pages. After all, if you can further optimize a specific page, it can bring in twice as much traffic or even more. Some might feel that this metric seems too granular for reports, but focusing on this metric can also go a long way for any SEO campaign.
Goal Completions
Lastly, it is crucial to answer the all-important question: have the campaign’s goals been met? There is always a method to the madness of SEO, and it is vital to keep track of whether or not objectives are accomplished. If there are positive results, then great, that means the campaign is working as intended. If not, maybe it is time to shift the focus onto something else or tweak the campaign. Whatever the result, this metric will provide excellent insights on the next steps to take.
Reports for SEO vary depending on the purpose, but for organic traffic, these numbers are what matters.
