The Google algorithm is extremely complex. It is so extensive, that even Google themselves do not know exactly what is in it! With over 200 ranking factors, it can be quite easy to get caught up in the weeds and worry about stuff that you shouldn’t be paying attention to. Here are 10 SEO metrics that actually matter.
SEO Metrics to Focus On
You probably don’t have the time to seriously consider every single factor that affects rankings. And you honestly shouldn’t, even if you did find the time. Focus instead on the following 10 SEO Metrics that are sure to make a difference in your SEO project.
1.- Referring Domains
Many people incorrectly worry about backlinks when they’re planning out their link-building campaigns when instead they should be worrying about referring domains.
When it comes to link building, the law of diminishing returns applies to every link that you get from a particular site. Instead of getting more links from the same sites, focus on getting just one link from more (high-quality) sites.
2.- Keyword Rankings
Obviously, raking on the first page is what we’re after. But it can be very easy to forget about rankings for pages that are not of core interest to you. As your site grows, you will publish content that you will undoubtedly leave behind—unless you have a system to track rankings.
Tracking your rankings can be a great way to see which pages are close to getting on the first page. If you have a page at the top of the second page, you should spend some time working on that page to get it over the edge and into the first page.
3.- Content Readability
Besides the quality of the content itself, readability is very important. This is something that is often overlooked, but you have to make sure that your content is easy to read for your users.
4.- Traffic Quality
Getting more traffic is always great, but it’s not going to be very helpful if it’s not contributing to your bottom line. Once you have some traffic going, you should focus on increasing the quality of your traffic, meaning the desirability of the users that land on your site.
5.- Domain Authority
Increasing your domain authority is one of the most important things you can do to increase your rankings. Use tools like Moz and Ahrefs to monitor your domain authority.
6.- Pages Indexed by Google
If your pages are not being indexed by the crawlers, then that’s a major issue. Keep an eye on the number of pages Google has indexed and make sure that all of your pages are actually retrievable through Google.
7.- Site Speed
Site speed is one of the most important ranking factors. Use checkers like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to make sure your site is loading fast.
8.- Click-through Rate (CTR)
Ranking for high-volume search terms won’t guarantee that you will be getting traffic. Your CTR refers to the percentage of people who click on your page after searching a particular term. Try to play with the titles and meta descriptions of your pages with the lowest CTR to entice more people to click on them.
9.- Organic Market Share (Organic Visibility)
The organic market share of your site is the percentage of views that come from organic searches. While getting traffic from referrals and paid advertising can be helpful at first, you should try to increase the proportion of organic traffic.
10.- Critical Technical Errors
Google punishes websites with critical technical errors, like a faulty SSL or 404 errors.
Key Takeaways
When it comes to SEO, it’s always best to work harder, not smarter. Focus your attention on these top ten ranking SEO metrics that actually matter to increase your rankings.
Auxilium Technology is a full-service digital marketing agency with years of experience ranking websites for competitive keywords. If you’d like to discuss how we can help you grow your business through digital marketing, call us today at 301-519-9622.
