You’ve optimized your web site, you’ve called in search engine optimization experts, and you’re seeing keywords in your sleep. But how do you really know if your SEO strategy is working?
It’s a question that every smart business owner should ask themselves. Dealing with SEO doesn’t end when you’ve implemented all your strategies. If it’s not working, you’ll need to adjust your approach. Here are a few ways to tell if you’re getting a good return on your investment.
You’re Getting More Leads
Sometimes it’s obvious where your leads are coming from – your company was featured on the local news or another business, like General Motors or Vispronet, mentioned you in a tweet. But if you’re suddenly getting lots of inquiries from the internet that can’t be explained by another source, it’s a safe bet that people are finding you via search. What’s more, they could be liking your website or company. Keep an eye on your analytics to confirm this!
Ask Where People Heard About You
Most businesses have a form on their site that people can fill out to get more information. Include a tab on that page that asks people where they heard about the business, and include “search results” as one of the options. If you get a lot of people checking that box, indications are your search strategy is working. If, on the other hand, almost no one clicks that box, you know you need to do some adjustments. This is pretty self-explanatory, don’t stick with your strategy no matter how tested they are if they just aren’t working.
Ask people this on the phone as well. Just because someone learned about you online doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily use email or a contact form to contact you.
Google Yourself
Of course, you’ve probably Googled yourself once or twice out of curiosity, but what about your business? Use the keywords that you’re trying to target and make sure your site is popping up near the top of the results.
Google your company’s name as well. Make sure your site and other associated social media (like Twitter and Facebook pages) are coming up first. If reviews of your business or other sites that mention your business come up first, your SEO campaigns may not be working.
Employ Business Analytics
If your site isn’t using some sort of analytics software, then you should be. Check to see whether certain pages of your site are getting more traffic. See if that coincides with the search terms that you’ve been targeting. Monitor this over a long period (three to six months) to get a full idea of how your SEO is working.
You should also be able to see where your traffic is coming from. You don’t want to be getting the majority of your traffic from just one source, as it leaves you vulnerable if the site suddenly blacklists you or your ranking drops. Getting traffic from a variety of sources is an indication that your SEO strategy is resonating.