Website Analytics to Improve SEO
When you think about your website, what comes to mind? If search engine optimization (SEO) and analytics aren’t high on that list, they should be. Today, we’re diving into these two vital parts of having a website to help you achieve your goals—whether that’s selling products and services, getting people to your brick-and-mortar store, collecting donations, or getting hired.
The only way to improve your business and meet your goals is to understand how your website is being found and used, and using that information to improve your site. Constantly.
What Do Analytics Have to Do With SEO?
Your website is a mechanism to generate revenue. Period. No matter how people get there, once they’re there, you want them to convert – buy, sign up, book.
While an attractive website is important, what’s most important is closing the deal. This means you have to understand who your ideal customer or client is, attract them to your website (SEO), and get them to do something. Regularly checking in on your user’s journey on your website (analytics) allows you to understand your customers better and tweak your site to get those deals done faster.
The Metrics You Must Understand for Better SEO
1. Organic Search Traffic
Organic search traffic refers to visits to your website from search engines—not ads or sponsored listings. “Organic” means “natural,” so these are people who find your website on their own. Organic search traffic tells you how well your site is optimized for search.
Many people dismiss SEO as unnecessary, but here’s something to know: if you aren’t following SEO best practices, people will not find your website through search. And here’s another key point: SEO is free. When done right, you don’t need to sponsor results or buy ads. Your site naturally attracts the people you want.
How to Use Organic Search Traffic Data:
Identify what keywords are bringing people to your site and analyze their behavior once there.
Adjust content if your main keywords are attracting the wrong type of visitor (e.g., those searching for something different than what you offer).
2. Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is noted as a percentage and refers to the number of people who land on a page of your site and leave without clicking on anything else. Ideally, you want this percentage to be as low as possible because a high bounce rate indicates visitors aren’t finding what they’re looking for.
High bounce rates are not just about users—they signal to Google that your site might not be valuable, which could lower your ranking in search engine results.
Improving Bounce Rate:
Look at pages with high bounce rates, inspect their content, and make targeted changes.
Test variations of landing pages to reduce bounce rate and keep visitors engaged.
Focus on pages with the highest bounce rates first, aiming to bring them into the “needs improvement” range before optimizing others. Remember, progress is gradual, so focus on consistent improvements rather than perfect numbers.
3. Conversion Rates
When unique visitors take action on a page of your site, they add to your conversion rate. Since the goal of your website is to secure conversions, this metric is crucial. An ideal conversion rate ranges from 2-5%, as Google understands that not everyone is ready to commit right away.
Steps to Boost Conversion Rates:
Experiment with call-to-action (CTA) wording and button placements.
Remove potential distractions on landing pages.
Use abandoned cart emails as gentle reminders for customers who didn’t complete a purchase.
4. Page Load Time and Mobile Responsiveness
Users today have little patience for slow-loading sites. If your page takes more than two seconds to load, visitors may leave, impacting your bounce rate and SEO. Mobile responsiveness is equally crucial, as more users access sites on their phones.
Quick Tips for Improving Load Time:
Ensure images are optimized and appropriately compressed.
Use PageSpeed Insights to monitor both mobile and desktop performance.
Don’t Freak Out About Analytics and SEO!
Analytics and SEO can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to. You can learn how to use your analytics to improve SEO without it consuming your time. Spend just a few productive hours each month reviewing these metrics, and you’ll see progress.
JOIN ME FOR A FREE SQUARESPACE ANALYTICS CRASH COURSE
That’s right, I’m hosting a one-hour live session on this very topic. We’ll walk through everything you need to know to use your website analytics to start improving your SEO. Join for free, or pay a small fee to get the recording and my notes. I’m also offering VIP spots with individual support before or after the session.
Ready to Get Started Understanding Analytics to Improve SEO?
Use my handy tracking sheet to document your 2024 analytics using your website’s platform or Google Analytics (GA4).
Pick a day each month (e.g., the first or third Tuesday) to log and review your analytics.
Focus on one metric at a time for steady improvement.
Remember, SEO takes time, and small, regular efforts add up. I dedicate about two hours a month to tracking and implementing changes, which has led to significant improvement.
