It can’t be denied that now that most people want to search for something, their reflex is to find it online. Using the telephone to call up information or turning to old standbys like “Yellow Pages” phone books are things of the past. Why do people need to go through all that when they can use their smartphone and verbally ask a question or get an instant answer from a search engine like Google?
Only you can be found on the Internet for businesses, as are millions of other businesses worldwide. So you have gone from having a small, local business that was only accessible to people in one city and able to serve anyone on the planet. So how do you ensure people can find you in a crowded virtual marketplace? It may be possible with SEO!
What is SEO Testing?
It is the process of determining which website appearance options lead to better performance on search engine result pages (SERPs). The results can then be used to decide whether appropriate changes should be implemented further or reversed.
When we say SEO testing, we refer to “optional” areas within SEO where a single configuration, design, or phrase can make the web page perform better in search results (i.e., enable your web page to rank higher).
It includes changing the title tag to test click-through rate (CTR), adjusting the content length in test site conditions, including or excluding visual elements to test bounce rate…. and so much more.
The tests can also tell you where to spend time and other resources best to further your program. SEO considerations should not be confused when doing site testing, such as A/B testing for SEO.
Why Should You Run SEO Tests?
Here are 4 advantages of running SEO tests:
1. See What Works for Your Site
Known ranking factors aside, there are many “it depends” scenarios in SEO. Just because someone has made a positive impact after making a change doesn’t mean that things will go the same way for you. It’s best to test it on your website.
2. Justify Resource Allocation
Introducing SEO changes can take a lot of time and resources. If that change does not have the desired effect, it is a waste of energy. Tests tell you whether something is likely to have a positive effect in a short period and use fewer resources.
3. Be Data-Based, Not Opinion-Based
Everyone has an opinion on what works and what doesn’t in SEO. Often the fastest way to settle disputes is to test them. Fail to do so, and the person with the loudest voice dictates the direction – which is not always for good.
4. Make Sure Changes Won’t Backfire
If there’s one thing worse than paying time and effort rolling out an SEO transformation that has no impact on SEO, it is doing the same for something that negatively affects SEO. By running an SEO test, you can limit any adverse result to a small subset of web pages.
6 SEO Testing Techniques You Need to Apply In 2021
- Identify Something to Test: Search engines use several ranking factors in their algorithms to rank and page-based SEO components that make a page unique. So the subject of your test might be the adjustment of page content, meta values, design, or a performance update to improve page speed.
- Group the Landing Pages Receiving the Variable: Ideally, these are pages from a unique business category or page template, e.g., “Hats” or “Category Page.” The URL structure should help you group your pages in order.
- Find Keywords Related to Landing Pages: Shoot for 2-5 keywords on each page, if possible. Tools like Google Keyword Planner are great for finding the best keywords associated with each page.
- Apply variables to the landing pages in the test group.
- Review KPIs: Review key performance metrics such as ranking average by keyword and website metrics such as Average Rank by the test Keyword Tag and site metrics like Traffic, Bounce Rate, Conversion Rate, and Time on Site by the test Page Tag. Note how the test groups (keywords and pages) are biased against regulators in finding evidence that your SEO testing is adequate. This step is probably the most difficult in SEO, as these KPI instructions can be improved.
- Determine whether the test affected SEO placement: If the CVR or CTR improves without ranking, it may be worth keeping the test component in place or continuing the strategy. Ideally, the average rank of the test keyword tag Tag also improved compared to the control. Learn how to measure your SEO test performance with seoClarity.
We can only speculate about correlation, but these are the types of trends we want to see! Make sure you identify any seasonal factors affecting traffic or sites before confirming the impact.