Have you spent a lot of time making content and many small interventions for the SEO optimization of your site and you don’t know if all these activities have brought real results? The good news is that on the web everything is measurable, but you need to know how to analyze graphs and numbers. Site traffic and Google search data are great indicators of what’s working and what can be improved.
An SEO plan cannot be replicated in exactly the same way for different realities and it is not possible to suggest a universal method for reading the data. In fact, there can be many different types of objectives depending on the context and type of company and a detailed analysis on a case-by-case basis would be appropriate. However, there are three steps that are a great starting point to see very quickly if the SEO activities undertaken are working and if your site is optimized for Google and search engines.
First, make sure you’ve set up Google Search Console (go here), a free tool, and check that it’s working. If not, fix the issue and wait for it to collect data for at least a couple of weeks. At this point, let’s proceed with the three-step analysis of your website. We need to understand if the site is found, if it is visited, and how it is seen by Google.
How to tell if your site is found on Google
To get traffic from Google, of course you need to be found. The tool that allows you to understand this is Google Search Console , which collects data directly from the search engine. Select the site property you want to analyze and go to “Performance.” Remember to set the period you want to analyze. Select the “Total Impressions” and look at the numeric value and graph. The impression is recorded every time a page of the site is displayed in the results following a Google search.
A drop in impressions could be a sign of some problem. Google may have penalized the site because it spotted some impropriety or because something changed in the algorithms. Another reason could be the entry of new competitors who have managed to outdo you. The drop could also be the effect of seasonality: if we are in December and you have a site that only talks about sea and beaches, I wouldn’t worry.
In the event of a drop, check your site to see if any technical work is required to meet Google’s guidelines (don’t underestimate site speed). Then work on the content: improve the existing ones and make an editorial plan to expand the keywords for which your site is ranked.
How to tell if your site is clicked
If your site is found, you need to try to get clicks and visits. Stay in the “Performance” section of Google Search Console and turn on “Average CTR.” The percentage value indicates the ratio of clicks to impressions (see explanation above).
A page that is among the top search results is more likely to get a click, but a low CTR It could also be due to a lack of authority of the website that is considered unreliable and is not clicked, or to ineffective snippet texts or lack of relevance to the search.
If you see a drop in CTR, check to see if you’ve lost positions, which could be caused by penalties or new competitors, as with a drop in impressions. You can also increase the value of the CTR by improving the SEO title and meta description – give a good reason to click.
How to figure out what Google looks like of your site
Have you ever asked a friend, “Who did you take me for? Do you really think I’m this kind of person?” Google doesn’t always see your site the way you think it does. You can always check this on Google Search Console: stay on “Performance”, select “Impressions” again, then scroll down the page below the graph and see which queries are listed. Always consider interference due to seasonality and try to analyze broad periods to get a more accurate picture.
Are the queries you thought you’d find? Based on these guidelines, consider whether you should eliminate misleading pages and try to expand the reach of your site with an SEO editorial plan.
Advanced analytics
These are three steps to do a quick analysis of your site’s SEO ranking with Google Search Console. Consider that you are not alone in the field, but there are also Google and your competitors. Everything can change fast: keep track and monitor periodically to avoid surprises.
