What is SEO Measurement?
A question we answer frequently on Quora, Twitter, and Reddit is “How do I know if my SEO agency is performing?”. A lot of companies don’t understand the timing of SEO and “SEO takes months” is now so commonplace, its even in the Google SEO Starter Guide. As I wrote recently, though, SEO Agencies need to show progression towards a goal, even if the clicks and impressions only come toward the middle of the campaign time.
What is an SEO measurement tool?
SEO measurement tools include SERP Tracking Reports, Analytics Funnels, and Search Engine Console tools, like Google Search Console and Bing Search Console (Webmaster Tools).
Some examples:
SERP Reporting Tools
SERP Reporting tools run reports that track pages’ Search Engine Rank Positions
- SEMrush
- Ahrefs
- Moz
SEO Analytics Tools
- Google Search Console
- Bing Webmaster Tools
- Google Analytics
- Google Looker Studio
How to Measure Your SEO?
We have a free SEO Report Template that you can download and use, and in the next stage, we’ve laid out metrics and key events that you can discuss with an agency, before or after you’ve engaged with them and test to see if your project is on track. What your SEO should be doing to get that performance is a different story, but you can read our guide on how to do SEO right.
How to track your Agencies’ SEO Performance
One of the scary things to read on Reddit is that a lot of Agencies seem to have a standard response: Hurry up and wait. There’s no factor for time in SEO – waiting is usually just about the time it takes to find, execute, and get discovered with all of the activities your SEO agency is doing. Using this template below, you should be able to set a standard 5-10 minute review of objective goals vs subjective ones (like authority, visibility, growth) and help get you and your agency on the same page:
- Agree on reports, contents, and frequencies
- Download our SEO Report Template
- SEO Reports Should have
- Position tracking
- Web impressions (leading indicator)
- Organic Clicks (actual KPI)
- Leads, sales or other engagement
- Notes: Metrics don’t all have to climb always but they must show growth
- Comprehensive KW Research
- Competitive phrases
- Competitor Analysis
- Generic phrases
- Pick these by intent, volume and CPC
- Get from PPC campaigns
- Get from competitors
- Get from GSC
- There should be a continuous feedback loop on Keywords
SEO Reporting Stages
Initial Phase: Month 1
- Keyword Research
- Site Audits
- Focus on broken links
- Fix broken incoming links
- Profiles where they are building you up
- Reports showing inbound links
Set-up Phase: Month 2-3
SERP Reports
SERP Reports help you manage your progression to 1. These should list the keywords and ideally the most important keywords from your keyword research and form a part of ongoing monthly meetings
SEO Agency/Contractor Outsourcing: Red and Yellow Flags
Use SEO to help find your next SEO
With hiring anyone, and before outsourcing your SEO, make sure they rank, their website:
- Rules out someone who got caught with blackhat techniques
- Any Spam or bought backlink behavior
- Demonstrates SEO capability
- Ranking is the point of SEO
- Don’t accept cop-outs or excuses
If they can’t rank, and the excuse is “I’m too busy” – well, we’re all busy – don’t get caught out. Look for recommendations of active people in similar business groups and geographies and/or markets.
Yellow Flags for SEO Outsourcing
- Content “Quality” audits
- There’s no such thing as a minimum or objective content quality standard in Google
- Long get-out clauses
- DA or Link Count is a deliverable
- No Reports
- No Deliverables
- No weekly/monthly check-ins
Red Flags For SEO Outsourcing
- The Agency or Contractor Doesnt Rank
- They sub-contract
- Link Buying
- DA or Link Count is a deliverable
