Optimizing your website for search engine ranking - or the business of SEO - is not a set-it-and-forget-it operation. Search engines are constantly changing their algorithms and competitors aren’t standing still either. Businesses that have performed a one-time, onsite optimization or who may have built links to their site a couple of years ago, may think that they have their site’s SEO covered, only to find that their ranking position has slipped. No business is immune from this - whether you are a law firm website or a leading Seattle architect website, it’s all too easy to loose sight of your business’ rankings and before you know it find yourself showing up on page 2 or 3 of search results and wondering where your leads went.
Monitoring your website’s traffic and rankings can help businesses measure their progress and avoid unpleasant surprises.
Advantages of monitoring keyword rankings
Monitoring keyword rankings offers several advantages for individuals or businesses engaged in online marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Some of the key benefits include:
- Performance Evaluation: Monitoring keyword rankings allows you to track your website's performance on search engines over time. By regularly checking where your keywords rank, you can gauge the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement.
- Competitive Analysis: Keeping an eye on keyword rankings enables you to compare your website's performance against your competitors. Understanding how well your competitors are ranking for certain keywords can help you refine your SEO strategy and potentially gain a competitive edge.
- Traffic Insights: Keyword rankings are closely tied to organic search traffic. By monitoring rankings, you can estimate the potential traffic your website may receive for specific keywords. This information can help you focus on high-traffic keywords to maximize your website's visibility and attract more visitors.
- Identifying Opportunities: Discovering keywords that are climbing in rankings or moving up to the first page of search results presents opportunities to capitalize on emerging trends. You can create content or optimize existing pages around these keywords to attract more traffic.
- Detecting Issues: Sudden drops in keyword rankings can be an early indicator of potential problems with your website, such as technical issues or penalties from search engines. Regular monitoring allows you to quickly address and rectify these issues to avoid long-term negative effects.
- Content Optimization: Keyword ranking data can help you understand which pages on your website are performing well for specific keywords. Armed with this information, you can optimize those pages further, improving their chances of ranking even higher.
- ROI Measurement: For businesses investing in SEO and content marketing, monitoring keyword rankings helps evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of these efforts. By tracking keyword rankings alongside website traffic and conversion data, you can assess the success of your SEO campaigns.
- Keyword Research Refinement: Keyword ranking data provides valuable feedback on the relevance and competitiveness of chosen keywords. This feedback can guide you in refining your keyword research and selecting more effective keywords for future campaigns.
- Local SEO Insights: For businesses with a physical presence, monitoring keyword rankings can help with local SEO efforts. Tracking location-specific keywords allows you to see how well your website ranks for searches in specific geographic areas.
- Tracking Algorithm Changes: Search engines regularly update their algorithms, impacting keyword rankings. By monitoring fluctuations in rankings, you can infer when major algorithm updates occur, allowing you to adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
Monitoring keyword rankings is an essential practice to stay informed about your website's search performance, identify growth opportunities, and make data-driven decisions to enhance your online visibility and reach. Businesses armed with consistent and up-to-date data can make proactive, informed decisions and keep their competitive edge in a tough market.
Bizango offers SEO monitoring and reporting packages. Contact us to learn more.
