There are a variety of steps involved within a thorough SEO site analysis.\u00a0 This article will discuss the various elements of a complete SEO audit and website analysis, including how to perform a competitive analysis of competitor websites. Don’t know what SEO is?\u00a0 See our What is SEO<\/a> Questions page.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is an SEO analysis?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is an SEO audit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow is an SEO analysis performed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are the steps involved with a website audit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you do a competitor analysis?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n The first step in a search optimization analysis is to understand our goals and objectives for performing SEO.\u00a0 Not all types of SEO are needed for each client.\u00a0 Some clients may benefit more, for example, from local SEO than organic SEO.\u00a0 The first step in an effective SEO strategy is understanding the client\u2019s reason for search engine optimization.<\/p>\n Once we understand the client\u2019s SEO goals & objectives, our next step is to identify the potential size of our optimization opportunities and the level of competition.\u00a0 Some websites are so niche oriented that there exists little online search and\/or limited competition. The level of online search volume, variety of available search terms and number of competitors are all factors in building a proper search optimization strategy.<\/p>\n With an understanding of our optimization goals and the keywords we may wish to rank well for, we next must understand the level of competition.\u00a0 Some basic steps help guide our overall level of competitiveness. By understanding our competitor\u2019s websites and comparing these to our own site, we establish a clear understanding of what terms we can include in our strategy and succeed.<\/p>\n Now that we have key elements such as our SEO objectives, an understanding of the best keywords to target and the level of competition for these keywords, we need to determine where one\u2019s website stands in terms of search optimization.\u00a0 Has the website had previous search engine optimization using best practices?\u00a0 Has there been no SEO performed? Are there technical issues with the website? Answers to these questions help determine our optimization strategy.<\/p>\n Simply taking on top competitors for highly searched terms is not a sound strategy.\u00a0 This is where our SEO analysis is combined with the experience of your SEO expert to develop a successful SEO strategy.\u00a0 An effective SEO strategy includes an optimization plan that provides the most value for the client in terms of overall investment and level of strategy success in terms of results and, ultimately, return-on-investment (ROI).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n …<\/p>\n The first step in a search optimization analysis is to understand our goals and objectives for performing SEO.\u00a0 Not all types of SEO<\/a> are needed for each client.\u00a0 Some clients may benefit more, for example, from local SEO than organic SEO.\u00a0 The first step in an effective SEO strategy is understanding the client\u2019s reason for search engine optimization<\/a>.<\/p>\n The most important step in an SEO analysis is to understand why we\u2019re optimizing.\u00a0 It is insufficient to simply think the sole purpose of SEO is to increase rankings.\u00a0 We focus on website optimization to improve rankings so that a website acquires more traffic from organic search.\u00a0 But, what if a client only needs customers, say, within a 20-mile radius around their location?\u00a0 Organic SEO<\/a> may not be the most beneficial type of search optimization for this type of client.<\/p>\n Rather, a local SEO<\/a> campaign would make more sense because it is typically shorter in duration and, therefore, cheaper.\u00a0 It saves the client money.\u00a0 Additionally, when done properly, the client may realize more local traffic faster because they are only competing against other businesses in their geographic area.<\/p>\n Beyond SEO for better rankings and more traffic, an SEO professional should be focusing on user experience optimization to improve important metrics like time on site, click-through-rate (CTR), website conversions, website speed, efficiency of code, image optimization and many other factors that have an influence on gaining new business for the client.<\/p>\n Perhaps the client feels they have sufficient traffic to their website, however, the problem is with the exit or bounce rate of particular pages on their website.\u00a0 An important part of an SEO experts<\/a> work is to conduct A-B testing to determine what on-page changes improve time spent on a page and, ultimately, lead to a conversion for the business.\u00a0 Types of common conversion are responding to Calls to Action (CTAs) like completing a contact form, placing a call or signing-up for a newsletter.<\/p>\n Each client\u2019s needs are different depending on their type of business (service vs product), industry and target audience.\u00a0 It is the responsibility of an SEO consultant<\/a> to guide the client through the necessary optimization strategy process.\u00a0 Often, this require the website optimization consultant to challenge the thought processes of the client, who may have preconceived notions about the best way to approach improving online business.<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n Once we understand the client\u2019s SEO goals & objectives, our next step is to identify the potential size of our optimization opportunities and the level of competition.\u00a0 Some websites are so niche oriented that there exists little online search and\/or limited competition. The level of online search volume, variety of available search terms and number of competitors are all factors in building a proper search optimization strategy.<\/p>\n It is common for inexperienced SEO professionals to immediately target keywords and phrases with the highest search volume.\u00a0 Terms with high search volume tend to be more generic terms that may drive traffic, however, do not have intent associated with them.\u00a0 By \u201cintent\u201d we mean terms and phrases that lend themselves more toward a website conversion.<\/p>\n A simple example might be keyword research for a landscaping company.\u00a0 While the term \u201ctree\u201d may have 246,000 searches per month, the intent of why people are searching for it vary.\u00a0 Some might be researching trees for any number of reasons without any intent to sign-up or purchase anything.<\/p>\n Breaking down this example a bit further, we might target the phrase \u201ctree trimming\u201d.\u00a0 This term has a greater likelihood of resulting in business for the landscape company.\u00a0 It has roughly 15,000 searches per month.<\/p>\n Finally, \u201ctree trimming Denver\u201d would likely result in even more targeted traffic ready to learn more about our tree trimming services and schedule an estimate. With the geographical modifier added, the total monthly searches drop to 480.<\/p>\n Keyword research is an art and science based on experience and level of SEO expertise<\/a>.\u00a0 Some SEO agencies simply cannot perform as well as other, therefore, they may not be able to successfully rank for more difficult terms.\u00a0 In a case like this, more generic terms with high levels of competition may be ignored.\u00a0 While a more experienced SEO company<\/a> may have no problem going after the most competitive keywords.<\/p>\n Another very good indicator of how likely a search term is likely to convert into a lead or sale, is to look at the cost per click (CPC).\u00a0 Keywords and phrases that have a high likelihood for leading to new business will typically have a higher CPC.\u00a0 Experienced PPC professionals know not to go after generic terms because they result in a lot of clicks (costing the client money) yet have very little success for converting to a sale.<\/p>\n Proper keyword research based upon the client\u2019s goals and level of competition combined with the abilities of the SEO agency is a critical step to establish an SEO strategy that will lead to success and maximize ROI for the client.<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n With an understanding of our optimization goals and the keywords we may wish to rank well for, we next must understand the level of competition.\u00a0 Some basic steps help guide our overall level of competitiveness. By understanding our competitor\u2019s websites and comparing these to our own site, we establish a clear understanding of what terms we can include in our strategy and succeed.<\/p>\n To have a successful SEO campaign, an effective SEO expert needs to determine the level of competition.\u00a0 By analyzing top ranking competitors for the keywords we wish to rank, we achieve an understanding of important factors that impact the likelihood of SEO success.<\/p>\n Website size, for example, is an important factor when determining our SEO strategy.\u00a0 A competitor who has 1,000 pages indexed in Google will typically out perform a website that has only 100 pages.\u00a0 Another example is backlinks.\u00a0 A competitor that has a low number of poor quality backlinks may not be able to stay ahead of a website that builds superior links.<\/p>\n These are only two of the main factors to consider when performing a competitor analysis.\u00a0 Each industry has its own nuances that impact the keywords which will be targeted in an optimization campaign. A complete competitor SEO analysis is essential to a successful search optimization campaign.<\/p>\nLearn more about the Different Types of SEO Services<\/a>.<\/h2>\n
Questions this article addresses:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Table of Contents: Learn How to Perform an SEO Analysis<\/h2>\n
1. SEO Goals: Why are we optimizing? What are the client\u2019s goals?<\/a><\/h3>\n
2. Keyword Research & SEO Landscape: How much potential traffic?\u00a0 How competitive?<\/a><\/h3>\n
3. Competitor Analysis: Who\u2019s trying to rank well for the same terms we are?<\/a><\/h3>\n
4. Website Audit: Where does our website stand in terms of search optimization?<\/a><\/h3>\n
5. SEO Recommendations: The Final Step in Our Analysis: Recommended SEO Strategy<\/a><\/h3>\n
Table of Contents: Learn How to Perform an SEO Analysis<\/h2>\n
1. SEO Goals: Why are we optimizing? What are the client\u2019s goals?<\/h3>\n
Understanding Client\u2019s SEO Objectives<\/h2>\n
2. Keyword Research & SEO Landscape: How much potential traffic?\u00a0 How competitive?<\/h3>\n
3. Competitor Analysis: Who\u2019s trying to rank well for the same terms we are?<\/h3>\n