When it comes to measuring the success of SEO strategies, the common go-to metric has always been ROI (Return on Investment). However, ROI may not be the most accurate yardstick for SEO performance.
That’s because ROI is actually a measurement of efficiency rather than effectiveness. It’s a ratio, not a direct sales figure. This distinction is critical because it reveals the limitations and potential risks of relying on ROI. In fact, relying on ROI to judge SEO is like using a weather app to predict stock prices. It gives us some information, but it might not be the full story we need for SEO success.
And SEO success is pivotal to a business’s online presence. In fact, a comprehensive SEO strategy includes creating content that resonates with your audience, both on-site and off-site optimizations that enhance your digital footprint, building a branding strategy that aligns with user searches, and oftentimes hiring a digital SEO agency.
Given this, how do you measure SEO effectiveness? By setting goals that reflect the diverse aspects of SEO, from increased organic traffic and improved search rankings to enhanced user engagement and brand recognition. This multi-dimensional approach provides a clearer picture of SEO’s impact, far beyond what ROI alone can depict.
The long term impact of SEO
SEO is complex and multi-faceted, and difficult to distill into a simple metric like ROI. The main issue is that ROI, being a calculation based on ratios, overlooks many of the nuanced aspects of SEO. For example, PPC (paid search) targets specific customers who are likely to buy today. But SEO reaches people doing broader searches in a category, and generates a higher volume of leads due to the higher organic click-through rates.
Similarly, traditional SEO budgeting models often overlook the evolving nature of SEO strategies. SEO can take 6-12 months (or more) to see good results, but it generates strong revenue growth over time. Moreover, these models fail to consider other factors that impact SEO, such as Google’s ever-changing search algorithm. Therefore, relying solely on tracking measures like monthly reports, which only provide a snapshot, can be misleading.
What should marketers and advertisers focus on, then? The key lies in recognizing the true value of SEO – its ability to drive organic searches and traffic, increase sales volume, and ultimately, contribute significantly to business profits.
Therefore, measuring SEO effectiveness should revolve around tangible indicators like rankings for buyer intent keywords, bounce rate, and the overall impact on profit and turnover. By shifting the focus from ROI to these broader metrics, businesses can gain a more realistic and comprehensive understanding of how their SEO efforts are truly performing.
Why you should start today
While ROI has its value, it shouldn’t be the only way to measure SEO effectiveness. The long-term impact of SEO is vast, extending beyond immediate returns to include sustained traffic growth and heightened brand awareness. However, to create a truly effective digital marketing campaign, businesses need to harness the power of PPC and SEO together. This more holistic approach gives marketers and advertisers a more complete picture, and can guide them in making smarter, more strategic decisions.
