The SEO value of your company is reflected in the ranking of your web pages on search engine results pages (SERPs). The more effective your SEO strategy, the better your website ranks in search results. That’s why knowing the SEO indicators of your site is of paramount importance for any digital marketing expert worth their salt.
What is SERP ?
To understand the SEO value, it’s crucial to grasp SERP first. This aids in tailoring the SEO strategy to search engine trends and requirements. By analyzing search results, key rankings factors can be identified, allowing for website content optimization to better meet user needs. This enhances visibility and the site’s value to search engines.
Abbreviated from the English term “Search Engine Results Page,” the acronym SERP refers to the page displayed by search engines in response to a user’s query. It presents a list of relevant links along with other elements such as metadata, text snippets, images, and advertisements.
Depending on user’s queries, a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) can display organic or paid results. In the former case, rankings are generated naturally by the search algorithm. In the latter case, often located at the top or bottom of the SERP, results are sponsored ads for which advertisers pay to appear based on keywords.
The SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is directly linked to SEO as it displays search results based on the search engine’s algorithm. This considers various SEO factors such as content relevance, keyword optimization, and link quality, which are key indicators of SEO value.
How to analyze the SEO value of a website ?
Digital marketing experts or website owners usually use Google Analytics to analyze the SEO value. This Google tool is highly effective in tracking organic traffic, analyzing its sources, and evaluating keyword performance. It remains the best ally for understanding the impact of the SEO strategy implemented to enhance a site’s visibility on Google.
The biggest advantage is that the tool provides reliable and accurate information on various SEO elements, such as traffic trends, user behaviors, and page performances. Thanks to these detailed reports, marketers can easily make informed decisions to optimize their content and achieve higher rankings in SERP listings.
To measure the SEO value, you should focus your analysis on the following KPIs :
- Organic Traffic : Measures the number of visitors coming from organic search engine results.
- Keyword Rankings : Evaluates your website’s position for targeted keywords in search results.
- Click-Through Rate : Indicates the percentage of people who click on your website compared to the total number of impressions in search results.
- Bounce Rate : Reveals the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
- Session Duration : Measures the average time visitors spend on your site.
- Conversions : Tracks specific actions completed by visitors on your site, such as purchases, sign-ups, or downloads.
Strategies to apply to increase the “SEO value” of a website
An effective SEO can have a significant impact on rankings in SERPs. By optimizing the content and structure of the site, it typically improves its position in search results, leading to increased organic traffic and engagement rates. However, such results don’t happen automatically. To enhance the SEO value, various elements of the site need to be worked on.
Relevant and high-quality content
Search engines increasingly prioritize the quality and relevance of content. Well-researched, informative, and well-written articles are not only appreciated by readers but also by search algorithms. Content should address user queries clearly and comprehensively, providing genuine value.
Page element optimization
On-page optimization is crucial to ensure search engines understand and rank page content accurately. This involves strategically using keywords in titles, meta tags, URLs, and the content itself. A well-organized site structure and intuitive navigation also facilitate search engine robots’ exploration.
Quality backlinks
Backlinks from high-quality, relevant external sites are a major ranking factor for a website. These links act as votes of confidence for your content, signaling to search engines that your site is trustworthy and deserves to be well-ranked.
Increased presence on social media
Social signals from social media platforms can influence a site’s SEO ranking. A strong presence and regular activity on social media can help increase content visibility and generate positive signals, such as shares and mentions, which are considered by search engines.
Improved user experience
Search engines increasingly prioritize user experience. A user-friendly website, with responsive design, fast loading times, intuitive navigation, and easily accessible content, is more likely to offer a positive experience to users, which can result in higher rankings in search results.
Regular tracking of SEO performance
Regular tracking of SEO performance is essential to assess the effectiveness of implemented strategies. Tools like Google Analytics enable tracking of traffic, conversions, keywords, and other crucial metrics. This regular analysis helps identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement, allowing adjustments to the SEO strategy accordingly to maximize results.