How to Use KPI’s in SEO

I recently saw an article from the Search Engine Optimization LinkedIn Community. I honestly wasn’t aware that this was a feature of LinkedIn but I was intrigued, so I looked into it and learned that it is digital space where experts in the industry can provide insight into relevant topics. The one I will focus on today is titled “How can you experiment with SEO tactics using KPIs and metrics?”

The reponses to this question are divided up into 6 segments. The first one defines what KPIs and metrics are. Key performance indicators are the specific goals that you want to achieve. Metrics are the data points that help you track and measure the progress you are making towards the KPIs. For SEO, this could be things like impressions, clicks, average time spent on the page, and so much more. The second section focused on how to choose the right KPI’s and metrics. The SEO professionals said that the key is to align your KPIs and metrics with your business goals and customer journey. They KPIs should be intentional and not randomly selected. The next section is on how to design SEO experiments. The process is to define the hypothesis, choose variables, select the method, run the experiment, and then analyze the results. This could be something like A/B testing different versions of a landing page. These experiments should not be a one-time engagement, but rather an ongoing process aimed at continual learning and improvement.

The article closed with an additional comments section where professionals with SEO experience could weigh in. Some other pieces of advice included the following: start small with manageable experiments to minimize risk and cost, then gradually expand testing to other areas of your site or SEO strategy; focus on White-Hat SEO; and don’t be generic with your SEO experimentation.