You’ve done your research, created an excellent SEO strategy for your website, and now you are waiting for the results. Of course, not everyone is satisfied with the numbers they see after evaluation. If your SEO strategy is not working, it might be time to try something else.
SEO does look pretty simple from the outside. All you need are keywords, and voila – your website is on the first page! But things are not that straightforward because Google is constantly updating and changing the algorithm.
Results will come if you are determined to improve your SEO strategy. But how will you know if your SEO efforts are working or not? Here are three signs you should look out for:
1. No growth or low traffic
Once you set an SEO strategy, you expect to see results. But if there is no growth in the number of organic visitors or your traffic is low, the chances are you have to improve your SEO. You can see your statistics by using a tool called Google Analytics.
One of the main reasons behind the low numbers of organic visitors is a poor SEO strategy. Your website should be discoverable via search results as soon as a user types in one of the main keywords you are applying. If you are not ranking no matter what you do, consider hiring an SEO expert.
Do you still want to manage your SEO strategy yourself? Then double-check the keywords you are using. You might be trying to rank with difficult keywords. Small businesses can’t compete with large companies operating within the same niche. However, there is a way to put your website in the spotlight.
Forget about commonly searched keywords, and focus on low competition ones within your niche. It is better to rank with a keyword that doesn’t have a hundred million results than to choose a highly competitive one and not appear on search results at all.
2. Using the right keywords but the website is not in the search results
Excellent SEO strategies do include thorough keyword research. But search engine optimization doesn’t end there. It is a complex process that has many behind-the-scenes details you have to master. You could have all the right keywords set up, but your website is not showing up in the results.
Perhaps you are not allowing search engines to index your webpage. Check the Google Search Console and see if there are nonindexed pages in the report. If you find any, remove the line of code that is preventing the indexing of your webpage.
Be aware of Google’s algorithm. Backlinks help pages appear higher in the search results. Do a quick check and explore the top pages that use identical keywords. Use a tool that checks for backlinks, and you will probably see a high number. Therefore, implement link building into your SEO strategy, and your ranking should improve.
3. The traffic isn’t converting
If you are getting organic traffic, but it isn’t converting, revise your SEO strategy. So what does conversion mean? The conversion rate is the percent of visitors who purchase from your online store, subscribe to a newsletter, click on links, share your website on social media, etc. Therefore, your goal should be to increase these numbers too, and you can do it easily with the help of SEO.
SEO newbies could benefit from learning how to create a conversion strategy. It is sometimes called conversion rate optimization (or CRO). Those who already know a thing or two about SEO should use a few reliable techniques that will help them understand CRO better and increase the conversion rate on their website.
Start with improving the content of your website. You might be focusing a bit too much on keywords. It could result in hard-to-read articles and uninspiring blog posts. If your sentences are not making sense because of the volume of the keywords you are using, take a step back. Think like a visitor to your website and see if you would like to read the current content.
Then, there is the user experience. Various studies have shown that websites that are difficult to navigate don’t generate conversion. Clever use of visuals can help you create a well-organized website that is also user-friendly. Also, studies show that popups increase the conversion rate. Some find them annoying, especially if they take up the whole page. So make sure visitors can close them by placing the exit button in a visible place.
