SEO Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Nexus-security is widely recognized for its expertise in PPC marketing. However, we also possess considerable knowledge in the field of SEO, and we frequently receive requests for a basic SEO guide. Therefore, we are presenting this comprehensive article as an introduction and overview of search engine optimization (SEO), an indispensable marketing strategy for ensuring your website’s visibility on search engines like Google.

In this beginner’s guide to SEO, we will cover:

What is SEO and why is it important?
Keyword research and keyword targeting
On-page SEO optimization
Information architecture
Content marketing and link building
Technical SEO
How to track and measure SEO results
Mobile, international, and local SEO Upon completing this SEO basics guide, you will have a solid grasp of what SEO entails, its significance and value, and how to achieve outstanding results in the dynamic realm of SEO.

SEO Fundamentals Part 1: What is SEO and why does it matter?

You’ve probably come across the term SEO before. If not, you could easily find a quick Wikipedia definition for it. However, simply knowing that SEO is “the process of improving a website’s or webpage’s visibility in a search engine’s unpaid results” doesn’t provide practical answers to crucial questions for your business and website, such as:

How do you “optimize” your or your company’s website for search engines?
How can you enhance your site’s organic search presence to make your content easily discoverable?
What’s the optimal time investment for SEO?
How do you differentiate between effective and ineffective or even detrimental SEO advice? As a business owner or employee, you’re likely most interested in how to effectively utilize SEO to attract more relevant traffic, leads, and sales, ultimately boosting your business’s revenue and profitability. That’s precisely what this guide will focus on.

Free guide >> 25 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

Why is SEO important for you?

People rely heavily on Lots and lots of people to find information. This traffic can be incredibly valuable for businesses, not just because of its volume but also because it’s highly targeted and driven by intent. Imagine you sell blue widgets. Would you prefer investing in a billboard that reaches everyone in your area, regardless of their interest in blue widgets, or appearing prominently whenever someone worldwide searches for “buy blue widgets” on a search engine? The latter is more appealing because those individuals exhibit commercial intent, meaning they’re actively seeking to purchase something you offer.

the four types of keyword intent People are searching for information directly and indirectly related to your business. These searches present additional chances to connect with potential customers, address their queries, offer solutions, and establish your brand as a trusted source. Think about it, are you more inclined to buy widgets from a familiar, reliable source that has consistently provided helpful information through Google searches or from an unknown entity?

What truly drives traffic from search engines?

It’s crucial to acknowledge that Google commands a substantial most of global search engine traffic (although the exact figures may some flux). This dominance might vary across different niches. However, Google is likely the leading player in the search results relevant to your business or website. The best practices detailed in this guide will also enhance your website’s ranking on other search engines.

Search engine algorithms, particularly Google’s, are constantly evolving. Recently, Google has introduced several lots of things regarding how they rank websites through lots of different animal names. Consequently, many previously easy and affordable methods for achieving high search rankings have become increasingly risky. So, what strategies are effective? How does Google decide which pages to display in response to user queries? How can you direct this valuable traffic to your website? Google’s algorithm is intricate. For those seeking a deeper understanding of Google’s ranking mechanisms, we’ll provide relevant links at the end of this section. In essence:

Google prioritizes pages that provide high-quality, pertinent content aligned with the user’s search query.
Relevance is determined by Google’s “crawlers,” which analyze your website’s content and algorithmically assess its relevance based on keywords.
“Quality” is gauged through various factors, primarily the quantity and quality of backlinks from other websites. Simply put, if only obscure blogs link to your blue widget site, while my site receives links from reputable sources like CNN.com, my site gains more trust and is deemed higher quality. Beyond these fundamental aspects, Google’s algorithm increasingly considers additional elements to determine website rankings, including:
User engagement metrics (Do visitors find the information they need and stay on your site? Do they return to the search page and click a different link? Do they ignore your listing entirely?)
Website loading speed and mobile responsiveness
Uniqueness and volume of content (as opposed to thin, low-value, or duplicate content) Google’s algorithm considers hundreds of ranking factors, continuously evolving and refining its process.

The good news is you don’t need to be a search engine expert to achieve high rankings for relevant keywords. We’ll guide you through proven, repeatable best practices for optimizing websites for search, enabling you to attract targeted traffic without having to crack the code of one of the world’s most valuable companies. For those eager to delve deeper into search engine mechanics, numerous excellent resources are available, such as:

Moz’s guide on the topic
Google’s own interactive graphic Now, let’s resume our SEO basics journey and explore the practical SEO tactics and strategies that can boost your website’s search engine traffic.

Check your website against Google ranking factors with the free LOCALiQ Website Grader!

SEO Fundamentals Part 2: Keyword research and keyword targeting best practices

The initial step in search engine optimization is pinpointing what you aim to optimize for. This entails identifying the search terms people use (also known as “keywords”) that you want your website to rank for on search engines like Google. This sounds quite straightforward, right? If you own a widget company, you’d naturally want your site to appear when people search for “widgets” or perhaps “buy widgets.” So, let’s move on to step three!

However, it’s not that simple. Several crucial factors come into play when determining the keywords to target on your website:

Search Volume – First and foremost, consider how many people (if any) are searching for a specific keyword. A higher search volume indicates a larger potential audience. Conversely, if a keyword has no search volume, there’s no audience to target.
Relevance – High search volume is beneficial only if the term is relevant to your target audience. Relevance might initially seem self-explanatory: if you sell complex email marketing automation software to enterprises, you wouldn’t target irrelevant searches like “pet supplies.” But what about seemingly relevant terms like “email marketing software”? While this accurately describes your product, if your target market consists of Fortune 100 companies, most traffic for this highly competitive term won’t convert into customers. Moreover, your ideal clients might not rely on a simple Google search to purchase your expensive, intricate solution. Conversely, a seemingly unrelated keyword like “best enterprise PPC marketing solutions” might seem irrelevant since you don’t sell PPC software. However, if your target audience includes CMOs or marketing directors, providing them with a helpful resource on evaluating pay-per-click tools can be an excellent initial touchpoint and a great way to initiate a relationship.
Competition – Just like any business opportunity, SEO requires evaluating the potential costs and chances of success. In SEO, this means understanding the level of competition (and your likelihood of ranking) for specific keywords. Begin by comprehending your target audience and their search habits. If you haven’t already, consider developing a detailed is a good place to start for your business in general and specifically for SEO. Next, consider:
What are their interests?
What challenges do they face?
What language do they use to describe their activities, tools, etc.?
From whom do they purchase (including competitors and related tools - for the email marketing example, consider other enterprise marketing tools)? Answering these questions will provide an initial “seed list” of potential keywords and domains to generate more keyword ideas and gather data on search volume and competition. Input those core descriptors your prospects and customers use into keyword research tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or alternatives like Uber Suggest or nexus-security’s keyword tool:

best keyword research tools: nexus-security free keyword tool

You can find a more complete list of keyword tools below. The key takeaway is to conduct multiple searches using various keyword tools during this initial phase. Consider leveraging competitive keyword tools like SEM Rush to uncover the keywords your competitors rank for. These tools analyze thousands of search results, revealing every search term your competitor has recently ranked for in Google. For instance, here’s what SEMrush reveals for Marketo, a marketing automation provider:

Remember, competitor analysis isn’t the only application. You can analyze related tools targeting the same market for content inspiration and even examine major niche publishers your prospects follow to identify high-traffic keywords. If you have an existing website, you’re likely already receiving some organic search traffic. Utilize your keyword data to understand which terms are driving traffic and potentially identify areas for improvement. Although Google has stopped delivering a lot of the information about what people are searching for to analytics providers, you can use SEMrush (or similar tools like SpyFu) on your own site to gain insights into your ranking keywords and their estimated search volume. Google also provides some of this data in its free Google Search Console interface (if you haven’t set up an account, this valuable SEO tool helps uncover search query data and diagnose technical SEO issues - more on Google Search Console here). Once Google Search Console is set up, navigate to this link to view the search queries driving traffic to your site:

seo basics: google search console top queries report

Consider focusing your content promotion and internal linking efforts around these terms (more on these topics later). They can also serve as excellent “seed keywords” for generating new ideas. After understanding your prospects’ language and search behavior, analyzing competitor and related website keywords, and examining your site’s traffic-driving terms, you need to determine which keywords are attainable and where the most lucrative opportunities lie. Assessing keyword competition can be intricate. Essentially, you need to evaluate:

The overall trust and authority of competing websites (how many backlinks they have and their quality, trustworthiness, and relevance)
Their keyword alignment (do they effectively address the searcher’s intent?)
The individual page’s popularity and authority (backlink profile and quality) Delve deeper into gauging keyword competitiveness in Backlinko’s in-depth guide or by employing nexus-security founder Larry Kim’s competitive index formula (tip number 3). Numerous tools (mostly paid) offer keyword difficulty scores:
Moz Keyword Difficulty and SERP Analysis Tool
SEMRush Keyword Difficulty Tool
Serpiq
Canirank
Colibri.io
Seoprofiler
Ultimatenichefinder
Advanced Webranking’s Keyword Difficulty Tool For a more advanced approach, Nick Eubanks’ post about understanding rank potential provides an in-depth look at understanding and creating an actionable formula for determining keyword competition and your website’s likelihood of ranking. For a more comprehensive understanding of keyword research and targeting, explore these resources:
nexus-security’s The Big, Easy Guide to Keyword Research
Moz has a great guide on this topic as well
Backlinko’s definitive guide to keyword research is also comprehensive and valuable

SEO Fundamentals Part 3: On-page optimization

With your keyword list ready, the next step is integrating your targeted keywords into your website’s content. Each page should target a primary keyword and a cluster of related terms. Here’s an example of a well-optimized page:

keyword placement checklist for on-page seo

For more insights, explore our Complete, Visual Guide to On-Page SEO (With Templates!) Let’s examine some crucial on-page elements to understand how to drive organic traffic to your website:

Title tags

While Google is becoming more adept at understanding page content and penalizing keyword stuffing, incorporating your target keyword and related terms remains valuable. The most impactful placement for your keyword is within your page’s title tag. The title tag is not your page’s main heading. The visible heading is typically an H1 (or sometimes H2) HTML element. The title tag appears at the top of your browser and is defined in your page’s source code within a meta tag:

seo basics - title tag vs page title example

Google’s displayed title tag length varies (based on pixels, not characters), but it’s typically limited to in general 55-60 characters is a good rule of thumb here. Aim to incorporate your primary keyword naturally and, if possible, include relevant modifiers. Remember that the title tag often serves as the “headline” users see in search results, so prioritize clickability.

Meta descriptions

Think of the meta description as your website’s ad copy, similar to the title tag acting as the headline. It’s another HTML element editable in your site’s code but not visible on the page itself. While Google might adjust what’s displayed, a compelling meta description can significantly increase traffic by enticing clicks. (Remember, appearing in search results is merely the first step; you must attract visitors to your site and encourage desired actions.) Here’s a real-world example of a meta description in search results:

The meta description for our Google Ads Grader is a concise description of the tool, with clear benefits and a call to action — like good ad copy!

Body content

The actual content on your pages is paramount. Different page types serve distinct purposes - a cornerstone content asset designed for backlinks should differ significantly from a support page aimed at providing quick answers. However, Google has shown a preference for certain content types. Consider these factors when developing your website content:

Substantial and Unique Content – There’s no magical word count. While a few pages with limited content (a few hundred words) won’t harm your rankings, recent Panda updates favor longer, unique content. Conversely, numerous extremely short pages (50-200 words) or excessive duplicated content where nothing changes but the page’s title tag with minimal text could negatively impact your site. Analyze your entire website: do a significant portion of your pages contain thin, duplicate, or low-value content? Consider either “beefing up” these pages or, based on their traffic, excluding them (using a noindex meta tag) from search results to avoid giving Google the impression that you’re attempting to flood their index with low-quality pages.
Engagement – Google increasingly prioritizes user engagement and experience metrics. Ensure your content effectively answers user queries, encouraging visitors to stay on your page and engage with your content. Optimize your pages for fast loading times and avoid design elements (e.g., intrusive ads above the content) that might deter visitors.
“Sharability” – While not every piece of content will go viral, consider the potential for shares and backlinks before publishing. A large volume of unsharable and unlinkable pages hinders their search ranking potential and reflects poorly on your site’s overall quality in the eyes of search engines.

Alt attributes

Image markup influences how search engines perceive your page and contributes to your site’s image search traffic. Alt attributes are HTML elements providing alternative text for images in case they fail to load. Images might break over time (deleted files, connection issues), so descriptive alt text improves accessibility. This also provides another avenue, beyond your content, for conveying your page’s topic to search engines. Avoid “keyword stuff” by stuffing keywords into your alt attributes. If it doesn’t fit naturally, omit your target keyword entirely. Simply provide a comprehensive, accurate description of the image as if explaining it to someone who can’t see it. Writing naturally about your topic helps you avoid “over-optimization” penalties (making it seem like you’re manipulating Google) and increases your chances of ranking for valuable long-tail keyword variations.

URL structure

Your website’s URL structure is crucial for both tracking (segmented, logical URLs simplify data analysis) and shareability (shorter, descriptive URLs are easier to copy, paste, and less prone to truncation). Avoid keyword stuffing; strive for short, descriptive URLs. Importantly, avoid changing your URLs unless absolutely necessary. Even if your URLs aren’t aesthetically pleasing, if they don’t negatively impact user experience or your business, don’t modify them solely for SEO purposes. If changes are unavoidable, implement proper 301 redirects. This is crucial for common mistake businesses make when they redesign their websites. Additional URL resources:

Schema and markup

Once you’ve addressed the standard on-page elements, consider going a step further and using schema markup to help Google and other search engines (which also recognize schema) understand your content. Schema markup won’t directly boost your search rankings (it’s not currently a ranking factor). However, it provides your listing with additional SERP real estate, similar to ad extensions for Google Ads. In some cases, utilizing schema when competitors don’t can significantly improve your click-through rate by displaying elements like ratings. In other scenarios, where schema is commonplace, omitting reviews might hurt your CTR:

Numerous schema markup types exist - while most might not be relevant to your business, at least one form will likely apply to some of your pages. Explore these resources to learn more about schema and markup:

nexus-security’s guide to schema for SEO
The schema.org documentation
Google’s structured data testing tool to check if your site’s markup is recognized
BuiltVisible’s Rich Snippets Guide Also, check out our walkthrough on off-page SEO (factors on other websites that influence your rankings).

SEO Fundamentals Part 4: Information architecture and internal linking

Information architecture refers to how your website’s pages are organized. Your website’s structure and internal linking can impact how its content ranks. Search engines largely perceive links as “votes of confidence” that help determine a page’s topic and importance (and trustworthiness). They also consider anchor text - the clickable text within a hyperlink. Using descriptive anchor text for internal links provides context to Google about the linked page’s content (avoid excessive keyword stuffing, especially in a post-Penguin world).

seo basics - anchor text example Just like a backlink from CNN suggests your site’s importance, frequent internal linking to a specific page from various sections of your site indicates its significance. Additionally, the pages with the most external backlinks hold the most weight in boosting other pages’ rankings. This ties into the concept of “PageRank.” While not used in its original form, it’s worth understanding. Here are some resources:

A good math-free explanation of PageRank
A detailed breakdown of how PageRank works (from several years ago) with a number of helpful visuals
The original academic paper published by Google’s founders Let’s illustrate how link equity (number and quality of backlinks) influences site architecture and internal linking. Imagine a snow removal website:

You publish a comprehensive study on snow’s impact on winter construction in cold climates, attracting numerous backlinks.
This study resides on your main snow removal site, while other pages focus solely on sales, explaining your company’s offerings. These pages have no external backlinks.
The study is well-positioned to rank for relevant keywords due to its backlinks. The sales pages, however, lack authority. By internally linking from the study to your most important sales pages, you pass some of its authority, improving their ranking potential. While they might not outrank the study, they’ll be in a much better position than with no authoritative backlinks. Remember, in many cases, your homepage will be the most linked-to page (brand mentions, press coverage, etc.). Therefore, strategic internal linking from your homepage to crucial pages is vital. Information architecture can become complex, especially for larger websites. We’ll provide additional resources later, but keep these key takeaways in mind:

Identify your most linked-to pages (use tools like Ahrefs, Majestic SEO, or Moz and analyze “top pages” reports).
Prioritize important search pages (targeting your most valuable keywords) within your information architecture: link to them frequently from navigation elements and other authoritative pages (e.g., ensure your homepage and highly-linked content link to key sales pages).
Generally, aim for a “flat information architecture” – minimize clicks between your homepage, most linked-to pages, and pages you want to rank. Refer to this older video for a detailed explanation of flattening your site structure.

seo audit - website architecture Here are additional resources on information architecture (while some are older, the SEO principles remain relevant):

Information Architecture for SEO from Moz’s Whiteboard Friday and Richard Baxter’s presentation on Moz
RKG’s guide to site architecture
KISS Metrics’ post on site structure
WordTracker’s guide for creating a search-engine-friendly site structure
Distilled has a helpful post about mapping your site’s information architecture

SEO Fundamentals Part 5: Content marketing and link building

Since Google’s algorithm heavily relies on links, building a strong backlink profile is crucial for driving organic traffic. Even with impeccable on-page and technical SEO, a lack of backlinks will hinder your search rankings. Numerous link-building strategies exist. However, as search engines become more sophisticated, many have become risky (despite potential short-term gains). If you’re new to SEO, these riskier methods might not be suitable. You need to understand how to navigate potential pitfalls and assess the risks involved. Moreover, manipulative link-building tactics offer no long-term value if algorithms shift and your rankings plummet. A more sustainable approach involves focusing on broader marketing strategies like creating and promoting valuable content around relevant keywords and engaging in traditional PR. Building links and social shares through content creation and promotion requires effort. While we’ll provide more detailed guides on various content marketing aspects below, here are three core steps: RELATED: How to Conduct an SEO Audit in 10 Easy Steps

To gain traction for your content, you need to understand your target audience and who is likely to link to and share it. Several tools can help identify influencers within your niche, with BuzzSumo being a powerful option:

Similar tools include FollowerWonk, Little Bird, and Ahrefs. More detailed tutorials on utilizing these tools to understand your niche are provided below. Leverage these tools to identify thought leaders and potential link sources in your industry. Then, analyze their sharing and linking patterns. Understand their challenges, preferred content types, and how you can create something valuable enough for them to share with their audience (who you also want to reach).

Influencer marketing influencers versus advocates infographic

While doing so, consider how you can provide value to these influencers. Can you assist them with their projects? Are there any unsolicited actions you can take to help them achieve their goals or benefit their audience? Do you possess unique data or knowledge that could prove valuable to them? By consistently providing value to influential content creators in your niche, you’ll cultivate strong relationships that pay off when you create content. Before creating any substantial content, consider its sharing potential: who will share it and why?

2. Determine what content to create and how to promote it

Next, assess your capabilities and identify shareable and promotable content types. A content audit can be beneficial for this. Several content formats tend to perform well:

Solve your prospects’ and customers’ problems. In his post on how he built a top 100 blog, Matthew Woodward outlines an effective method for finding blog topics by listening to social media and forum discussions.
Reverse engineer what’s already working. By analyzing and replicating successful content in a level or two better way, you mitigate risks and enhance your content’s as fail-proof as possible.
Make others look good. Highlight valuable tools you use. Feature insights from experts in your niche by asking insightful questions and sharing their answers (while positioning them as thought leaders). When you showcase someone or their product, they’re more likely to reciprocate by sharing and promoting your content. Focus on creating valuable content assets, develop a promotional strategy, and don’t hesitate to reach out to those featured or whose audience could benefit from your resource.

3. Map your assets to specific keywords

Lastly, remember your keywords! This doesn’t mean forcing irrelevant keywords into your content. Instead, use keyword research to uncover pain points (people turn to search engines for answers) and incorporate your target audience’s language naturally into your assets, particularly those designed for backlinks and shares (essential for ranking for valuable keywords). Additional Resources:

9 Free SEO Blog Post Templates Guaranteed to Drive Traffic
How to Craft an Engaging Blog Post in 5 Steps
How to Find Your Target Audience

SEO Fundamentals Part 6: Common technical SEO issues and best practices

While SEO fundamentals like optimal link-building strategies have evolved (with content marketing taking center stage), traditional SEO remains crucial for organic traffic generation. Keyword research retains its significance, and technical SEO issues that hinder search engines from understanding and ranking websites persist. For larger, complex websites, technical SEO is a separate discipline. However, even smaller to mid-sized businesses can benefit from understanding common SEO mistakes and issues.

Are you making any SEO mistakes? Find out with the free LOCALiQ Website Grader.

Page speed

Search engines emphasize fast-loading websites, which is beneficial for both users and conversion rates. Google provides a helpful created a useful tool with specific suggestions for improving your website’s page speed.

increase traffic to your website - pagespeed insights score example

Making Your Site Mobile-Friendly

If your website receives a lot of traffic from mobile searches, or if it could, how “mobile-friendly” your site is will significantly impact its rankings on mobile devices. This is crucial because mobile searches are a rapidly expanding segment, and in certain sectors, mobile traffic already surpasses desktop traffic. Recently, Google rolled out an algorithm update specifically aimed at this. To understand the type of mobile search traffic your website attracts and discover specific areas for improvement, you can refer to the resources mentioned in my recent post. Google also provides helpful tools like a very helpful free tool to get recommendations on how to make your site more mobile-friendly.

Understanding Header Response Codes

Header response codes are a vital yet technically complex aspect of SEO. In simple terms, you need to ensure that working pages on your site send the correct code (200) to search engines, and pages that are no longer active also send a code (404) indicating their absence. Incorrect codes can mislead Google and other search engines, making them perceive a non-existent page as functional. This can give the impression of a thin or duplicate page, or even worse, result in you can indicate to Google that all of your site’s content is actually 404s preventing all your pages from being indexed and ranked. A server header checker can help you check the status codes your pages return when crawled by search engines.

Implementing Redirects Correctly

Incorrectly implemented redirects can have detrimental effects on your search engine rankings. It’s best to avoid moving your website content from one URL to another unless absolutely necessary. In other words, if your content resides at example.com/page and attracts search engine traffic, refrain from moving it to example.com/different-url/newpage.html. This should only be done if there’s a compelling business reason that outweighs potential short-term or even long-term traffic loss. If you must move content, ensure you implement permanent (301) redirects for permanently moved content. Temporary (302) redirects, often used by developers, signal to Google that the move might be temporary. This can prevent the full transfer of link equity and ranking power to the new URL. Moreover, altering your URL structure can lead to broken links, negatively impacting referral traffic and hindering website navigation for visitors.

Addressing Duplicate Content Issues

Google’s recent Panda updates have placed significant emphasis on thin and duplicate content. When you duplicate content (placing the same or very similar content on multiple pages), you dilute link equity instead of consolidating it on one page. This reduces your chances of ranking well for competitive phrases compared to sites that consolidate their link equity on a single page. A large amount of duplicate content can make your site appear cluttered with low-quality (and possibly manipulative) content to search engines. Several factors can cause duplicate or thin content, and diagnosing these problems can be challenging. However, Google Search Console, under Search Appearance > HTML Improvements, offers a quick diagnosis.

You can also refer to Google’s own breakdown on duplicate content for guidance. Several paid SEO tools, such as Moz analytics and Screaming Frog SEO Spider, also offer duplicate content detection features.

Utilizing XML Sitemaps Effectively

XML sitemaps help Google and Bing understand your website’s structure and locate all its content. Ensure you only include useful pages and remember that submitting a page to a search engine through a sitemap doesn’t guarantee its ranking. There are numerous a number available to help you generate XML sitemaps, including free tools.

Managing Crawling with Robots.txt, Meta Noindex, and Meta Nofollow

A robots.txt file file lets you control how search engines interact with specific content on your website. For example, you can use it to prevent search engines from crawling certain sections of your site. This file typically exists at yoursite.com/robots.txt. Ensure this file doesn’t block content you want search engines to index. You can also use the robots file to prevent content like staging servers or large amounts of thin or duplicate content – useful internally or for customers – from being indexed. Tags like meta noindex and meta nofollow serve similar purposes but function differently.

Prioritizing Website Security

Site security is paramount for technical SEO. Beyond maintaining updated plugins and managing comment spam, ensure your website uses https instead of just http. This requires an SSL certificate, which can be obtained through various means, such as HubSpot’s SSL certificate.

Additional Resources for Technical SEO:

Google gives some tips and Lunametrics can help with XML sitemap creation.
Explore these 11 free website graders that assist with technical and content SEO.
Technical SEO can be challenging to handle alone. If you’re considering professional help, this post on How to Find the Right SEO Services for Your Small Business offers valuable guidance.

SEO Basics Part 7: Tracking and Measuring SEO Results

Now that you’re creating compelling SEO content and implementing these strategies, how do you track their effectiveness? The answer may seem simple, focusing on key SEO metrics, but each metric has nuances that need consideration when evaluating your website’s SEO performance.

Keyword Rankings: A Starting Point

While keyword rankings shouldn’t be your sole focus (after all, you can’t pay employees with rankings), they can serve as a helpful initial indicator of your website’s well-being. High rankings for a variety of keywords generally indicate good organic search visibility. Keep in mind that factors like personalized search results can cause rankings to fluctuate across locations, making them challenging to track. Some even argue that you should even go so far as to declare them dead. Avoid fixating on rankings for any single term. Remember, your ultimate goal is increased relevant traffic that boosts your business. If you sell blue widgets, is ranking for “blue widgets” more important than an SEO strategy that maximizes cost-effective blue widget sales? Use rankings as a general health check, not a defining KPI. Various tools are available for checking keyword rankings. While most offer similar features, some provide unique functionalities like local or mobile ranking tracking. If you’re a small business or new to SEO, start with a user-friendly free tool and monitor a few core keywords to gauge your progress.

Organic Traffic: A More Telling Metric

Organic traffic provides a clearer picture of your SEO efforts’ effectiveness. By analyzing your website’s organic traffic, you gain insights into visitor volume and their destination pages. Most analytics tools, including the free and popular Google Analytics, can easily measure your organic traffic. For a quick overview, visit your website’s main reporting page in Google Analytics and select “All Sessions” to filter for organic traffic (excluding paid search traffic):

seo basics - tracking organic seo traffic

You can delve deeper into traffic and goal drivers by creating a custom report that uses users and goal completions as metrics and landing pages as dimensions:

Remember to select the organic traffic segment when viewing this report to focus solely on unpaid traffic from search engines. This analysis is particularly beneficial for websites starting with SEO. Initially, most traffic comes from “branded queries” – searches containing your brand name (e.g., “nexus-security PPC” versus a non-branded term like “pay-per-click software”). While attracting users searching for your brand is essential, unless penalized by Google, your website will likely rank for your brand name, directing traffic to your homepage. Your ongoing SEO efforts should focus on attracting incremental traffic – users who wouldn’t have found you otherwise. While Google has made it harder to access specific keyword data, as mentioned earlier, analyzing page-level traffic (excluding your homepage) offers insights into your overall SEO progress. Combining this analysis with rank data and the tactics mentioned in the keyword section helps you understand the actual traffic-driving terms and determine if SEO efforts, rather than offline marketing, fuel your growth. RELATED: The Complete Website Audit Checklist (in One Epic Google Sheet)

Organic Leads and Sales: Measuring Real Impact

Ultimately, the primary measure of your SEO success is the number of leads, sales, revenue, and profit generated. As with any business activity, you need to answer: how does it contribute to your bottom line? Setting up goals or e-commerce tracking in tools like Google Analytics offers a simple solution. Using the previously mentioned report, you can analyze organic traffic and goals (or various e-commerce metrics) by landing page. This reveals conversion behavior specifically among visitors arriving from organic search, as opposed to those coming from PPC or other channels within your analytics tracking window. While this approach seems straightforward and generally works well for initial SEO success measurement, keep these caveats in mind:

Web analytics limitations: Although web analytics offers valuable data, it’s not flawless. Tracking discrepancies can occur, leading to slightly or significantly inaccurate data. Approach data with a healthy dose of skepticism if it seems off, and implement checks to ensure your analytics data aligns with your actual revenue and spending.
System-related tracking gaps: If your backend system doesn’t fully integrate with analytics, you might experience discrepancies between tracked goals and actual sales.
Attribution and lifetime value complexities: Determining how to attribute sales to different channels and factoring in lifetime value can be challenging. Apply the same rigorous standards and measurement techniques to SEO as you would with any other marketing initiative.
You can learn more about multi-channel attribution in Avinash Kaushik’s in-depth guide
KISS Metrics offers a nice overview of cohort analysis and multi-touch attribution
Omniture, a widely used paid web analytics platform with a steep learning curve, can be valuable for SEO reporting. These two resources provide helpful tips for creating insightful reports.