 "Is my bounce rate too high?" "Is it good that only 15% of my traffic arrives via non-branded keyword searches?" "What metrics do I need to be paying the most attention to?" Benchmarking gives definitive answers to questions like those above. And while performing regular benchmarking of your organic search metrics offers a great way to determine the success of your efforts, knowing where to get started with the benchmarking process leaves some marketers confused.
Not sure where to begin? Here are 5 tips to help improve the value and ease of your organic search benchmarking activities.
1. Remember There's No Such Thing as Average
Certainly, it doesn't take a search engine optimization genius to understand that a 99% bounce rate is not a good thing. But beyond that, things get a little more subjective. For example, for many sites a 90% bounce rate would be completely undesirable, but for others a 90% bounce rate would be a huge sign of success.
Unfortunately, benchmarking organic SEO is an inexact science; there is not one set of numbers that universally indicate success, and there's no range of numbers that form the baseline for all Web sites. Every site is completely different, and even your direct competitor's sites may have radically different benchmarks and metrics.
The best way to determine areas of your site that are working well, and areas that need improvement is to take note of your site's trends over time. Rather than trying to compare your site's metrics against others', your best bet is to compare your site's metrics to its own historical data.
2. When it Comes to Competitors, Benchmark Practices, Not Numbers
Your competitor's company is on the first page of the search engine results for a keyword you're really interested in - how did they get there? When it comes to your competitors, the best way to benchmark against them is by taking a closer look at the SEO practices that are helping them rank well for specific keywords. Are they doing an excellent job with their title tags? Are their pages loading more quickly because they aren't using JavaScript? Note the best practices that are pushing their rankings higher, and then compare to your own site's SEO practices.
By focusing your competitive benchmarking on the SEO practices, not the raw numbers, you're putting your attention in the right area. After all, if your goal is to increase your search ranking for an important keyword so that you can draw a higher volume of qualified traffic, it makes more sense to see how your site's SEO practices compare to those of your competitor's rather than to worry about whether your numbers match theirs.
3. Focus on What You Do, Not Who You Are
I've had more than one marketer brag to me that their site is doing awesome because 95% of the traffic arrives as the result of branded keywords. While that may sound great at first, the reality is that driving branded traffic proves that you're doing a brilliant job of telling people who you are, but a terrible job of telling people what you do.
Unless you're Nike or Ford, the fact is that there are always more people on the Web searching for what you offer (tennis shoes, fruit baskets for a gift, speaker cables) than who you are (Larry's Pro Shop, Special Occasions Gourmet Gallery, SoundWavezExtreme.com). Segmenting your branded from non-branded traffic is a great way to benchmark and identify opportunities to strengthen your non-branded SEO efforts.
4. Define What Constitutes Success
Marketers perform benchmarking in order to determine if their campaigns and other activities have been successful - but how can you declare something a success if you haven't taken the time to define which metrics will be used as success indicators? It is imperative that you ask yourself, "What is the point of my site? What do I want visitors to do while they're here?" By answering those questions, you'll be able to more effectively identify your site's goals.
Don't fall into the easy trap of getting sidetracked by metrics that are interesting but unrelated to your ultimate goal. Consider for example the traffic volume metric. While getting higher traffic volume is exciting, unless your site's only goal is to increase traffic, it isn't necessarily a sign of organic success.
So what is a common benchmark that indicates success? Conversions. Whether your site's conversion event occurs at the end of a checkout, or on the other side of a "Contact Us" lead generation form, defining what visitor behaviors count as conversions is key to your benchmarking (and your site) success.
5. Don't Ignore Usability Metrics
Metrics that indicate how easily users are able to interact with your site, and how many pages they view and interact with while they are there, are excellent gauges of visitor engagement. For example, benchmarking a page's bounce rate can show you if the changes you've made to the page content have been effective in keeping visitors engaged. Benchmarking a site section's time on site numbers can showcase pieces that are doing an excellent job of holding visitor interest, and pinpoint areas that have room for improvement. Include usability metrics in your benchmarking activities to get a true big-picture view of how your site is performing.
Benchmarking Timeframes & the Positive Side Effects of SEO Benchmarking
Marketers may be tempted to gather site benchmarks on a weekly or even daily basis - and if your site is drawing a huge volume of visitors, this schedule may work. When it comes to benchmarking, volume is the name of the game - you want to be able to draw meaningful conclusions, and to do so, you need to ensure you're looking at a representative sample of visitor behavior rather than a one-time anomaly. Most small- to mid-sized Web sites need at least a month of traffic data before they can realistically confirm a true trend in visitor behavior.
Another positive side effect of benchmarking your Web site - it helps keep the search engine marketer and the company focused on the site's goals. By taking the time to assess and reassess how your site is growing and evolving, you're also giving yourself the opportunity to move things back on track if the need arises.
SEO Benchmarking Pays Off
SEO Benchmarking may seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. By remembering that there might not be such thing as the right numbers, keeping the proper perspective when it comes to the competition, defining success and keeping usability metrics top of mind, you're well on your way to enjoying all the benefits that benchmarking has to offer.
And remember - your most important competition is yourself. With SEO benchmarking it's important to challenge your own numbers to improve, because ultimately your Web site environment is the one over which you have the most control. Stay focused on how your site is improving from where it was, rather than spending all of your time worrying about the bigger competitive landscape. This inward focus will pay off in higher traffic, more qualified leads and increased conversions!
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About the Author
Andres Galdames is a business analyst at Lyris. He is an expert in integrated online marketing and pay-per-click campaigns.
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