Just like the produce aisle at the supermarket, SEO requires you to look for the organic if you’re looking to optimize your health. The best SEO data to evaluate is that which arises from a more natural search process, rather than a production line that has had some financial interference. In short, organic results are the ones you get without paying for placement.
While there are various ways to monitor this, here’s a list of the 3 that we have found are the meat and (organic) potatoes of SEO metrics — Organic Traffic, Organic Conversion Rate and Organic Bounce Rate. We’re going to take you through each one, as well as the tools you can use to get the data you want.
1. Organic Traffic
What it is.
If you had to distill the purpose of SEO into a few words, it would be to drive organic traffic. Of course, other elements are important, like what happens to that traffic after it’s found you — but none of this can take place without potential customers finding and choosing you to begin with. It follows, then, that a pivotal metric for how well your SEO is performing is organic traffic.
Think of organic traffic as the people who flock to you without you having to pay them to do so. They search a topic relevant to your business, you show up on the search engine results page (or SERP), and they click on your website. (Discover the SERP results for your top keywords with our free tool.)
Tracking organic traffic can be loosely divided into two sections:
- What people are looking at on your site — are they simply arriving at your home page and clicking away, or do they spend time with your content? By tracking your site’s landing pages, you will get a better understanding of what elements of your content are most engaging and what you can revise.
- Where the data comes from — Particularly if you are using organic traffic as a metric for a local business, you want to make sure that your website is magnetizing people from the right area. Tracking organic traffic by location is your best way to figure this out. Even if your business is less location dependent, it’s important that you know where your potential customers are located. This can become a key criteria for your strategy planning going forward. If a local audience is critical to your business – we can also help with local SEO services.
What you need to track it.
Cosy up to Google Analytics for this one. SEMRush can also be very useful, particularly when it comes to more in-depth keyword research and competitor analysis. (A heads up that we at Sure Oak are happy to help with your keyword research or competitor analysis in our SEO services!)
2. Organic Conversion Rate
What it is.
Now for the next step. Your potential customers have got as far as your website. Now you need to persuade them to take the next step in your relationship. How do you monitor whether you are doing this effectively? Luckily, this data is also readily available. The trick is to know how to interpret it.
One of the key factors when it comes to conversion rate tracking is the kinds of devices and browsers people are using to interact with you. With this information, you can quickly assess where you have to put in the work. For example, if the numbers for your mobile site are on the low side, this is where you have to concentrate your efforts.
What you need to track it.
Google Analytics does it again. Their reports break down the data per device type, which allows you to quickly assess where you need to focus your energies. There are also a range of other tools on the market that might suit your needs. Check out Hubspot’s breakdown here.
3. Organic Bounce Rate
What it is.
This is the not so pleasant part of the organic traffic fairy tale. You guessed it — it’s when people arrive at your site and quickly click away. They’re just bouncing through.
If your bounce rate metrics are high, don’t feel too defeated. It means you’re doing something right. After all, you got them there to begin with. You just need to figure out why they won’t stay. Essentially, it’s a wake-up call to spruce up your site.
What you need to track it.
Google Analytics lets you know your bounce rate according to various other criteria, like device type, browser and location.
Gotta bounce.
We gotta bounce. Let’s hope your traffic doesn’t. By carefully tracking these metrics, you can ensure that the likelihood of this happening diminishes. We have free tools to help, including a UTM Builder tool to track your marketing campaigns and clicks. For tailored tracking support, we offer analytics consulting services to make sure your metrics are serving you.
The best part is, unlike those organic tomatoes, organic traffic and conversions shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg.