Analytics 101 - Interpreting Rankings
Ranking #1 on Google may seem like the proverbial Holy Grail, but it is only half the battle. Stellar rankings are irrelevant if they do not provide ROI. The goal is to interpret what keywords not only rank well, but drive quality traffic. This can only be accomplished by applying analytics to your rankings data.
Now we understand the word "analytics" can conjure up visions of pie charts, statistical labyrinths and dizzying mathematical patterns--but have no fear. We are here to supply a crash course in interpreting analytics.
First of all, there are a variety of analytics programs available that provide similar, or almost identical data sets (Google Analytics is a popular choice). The most notable differentiation being the amount of time spent to make the programs’ buttons and chart colors more eye popping than the next guy. These tools, in combination with tracking keyword ranking improvements, provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of hours and hours of hard work.
Essentially, there are 3 levels of analysis. Each level provides more detailed information. The goal is to identify which keywords are money makers and which keywords are all bark and no bite. For example, there may be a term that has mediocre rankings, but converts more traffic while a high performing term drives traffic to the site and falls short on conversion. If a keyword ranks on the first page of search engines, but does not lead to converted traffic, optimization efforts might be better spent elsewhere.
Level 1:
Begin the process by identifying well-ranking terms and cross-reference them with your analytics data. The analytics tool will show valuable information about these keywords such as average time on the site, percentage of new visitors, number of pages visited and bounce rate. See below for definitions:
Visits= the number of visitors a keyword has driven to the website
Pages per Visit= the number of pages viewed during each visit
Average Time on Site= the minutes a visitor spends navigating the website
Percentage of new Visits= the percent of visitors viewing the site for the first time
Bounce Rate= the percentage of visitors that leave the site from the landing page they
arrived on without visiting other pages.
Level 2:
The next step is determining whether these keywords are sending quality traffic by cross referencing them with the analytics. This will identify the behavior associated with them. Positive feedback will likely show the keyword averages two or more pages viewed per visit and a 50% or less Bounce Rate.
This research shows what keywords result in quality traffic i.e. traffic that is likely to purchase or fulfill whatever task it is that you are trying to achieve. It may also highlight keywords that perform well in spite of poor rankings in the SERPs. When keywords like this are discovered it presents the opportunity for refining optimization. When it is revealed big first page terms are not converting a site’s traffic (because they have bounce rates that look like the 2007 New England Patriots win percentage) pull some resources (i.e. links) away from them and place the emphasis on the 2nd and 3rd page terms that send just as much conversion traffic with only a fraction of the visitors.
Level 3:
The highest level of analysis is accomplished with Goal/Conversion Tracking. The process isolates the keywords that result in completed transactions. For example, most websites have forms that need to be completed and submitted to either complete a purchase or receive information (websites with shopping carts or request a quote functions are good examples). After a form is completed, a "Thank you for…." page pops up. Keywords that lead to "Thank you for….." pages denote a purchase or submission. Focus search engine optimization efforts on these keywords to further increase profits.
There are other helpful areas above and beyond the three basic levels. These include Funnels and the Overview or Dashboard view of the website’s traffic.
Funnels:
This strategy is used with Goal/Conversion Tracking and focuses on the pages within a website’s submission structure. Let’s say a registration or purchase form has five pages. Sometimes visitors will abandon the form in the midst of completion. Usually there is a pattern. Tracking can be set up to include all pages before conversion so the point of abandonment can be determined. This insightful information can be used to filter out any offensive, personal or invasive questions to encourage the completion of the purchase or submission.
Overview or Dashboard view of the website’s traffic:
This timeline highlights spikes in traffic and determines popular seasons. These seasons often present good opportunities for focused SEO efforts. If a business sells winter boots it will likely see a significant spike in traffic in the month December. Therefore, December would be a good target for increased marketing campaigns.
In a nut shell, converting traffic to profit means successful investment in search engine optimization. Traffic comes from the keywords associated with the product or website. Analytics highlight the patterns and relationships between keywords and buying behavior. Take rankings one step further and turn those first page placements into first rate ROI.
Now we understand the word "analytics" can conjure up visions of pie charts, statistical labyrinths and dizzying mathematical patterns--but have no fear. We are here to supply a crash course in interpreting analytics.
First of all, there are a variety of analytics programs available that provide similar, or almost identical data sets (Google Analytics is a popular choice). The most notable differentiation being the amount of time spent to make the programs’ buttons and chart colors more eye popping than the next guy. These tools, in combination with tracking keyword ranking improvements, provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of hours and hours of hard work.
Essentially, there are 3 levels of analysis. Each level provides more detailed information. The goal is to identify which keywords are money makers and which keywords are all bark and no bite. For example, there may be a term that has mediocre rankings, but converts more traffic while a high performing term drives traffic to the site and falls short on conversion. If a keyword ranks on the first page of search engines, but does not lead to converted traffic, optimization efforts might be better spent elsewhere.
Level 1:
Begin the process by identifying well-ranking terms and cross-reference them with your analytics data. The analytics tool will show valuable information about these keywords such as average time on the site, percentage of new visitors, number of pages visited and bounce rate. See below for definitions:
Visits= the number of visitors a keyword has driven to the website
Pages per Visit= the number of pages viewed during each visit
Average Time on Site= the minutes a visitor spends navigating the website
Percentage of new Visits= the percent of visitors viewing the site for the first time
Bounce Rate= the percentage of visitors that leave the site from the landing page they
arrived on without visiting other pages.
Level 2:
The next step is determining whether these keywords are sending quality traffic by cross referencing them with the analytics. This will identify the behavior associated with them. Positive feedback will likely show the keyword averages two or more pages viewed per visit and a 50% or less Bounce Rate.
This research shows what keywords result in quality traffic i.e. traffic that is likely to purchase or fulfill whatever task it is that you are trying to achieve. It may also highlight keywords that perform well in spite of poor rankings in the SERPs. When keywords like this are discovered it presents the opportunity for refining optimization. When it is revealed big first page terms are not converting a site’s traffic (because they have bounce rates that look like the 2007 New England Patriots win percentage) pull some resources (i.e. links) away from them and place the emphasis on the 2nd and 3rd page terms that send just as much conversion traffic with only a fraction of the visitors.
Level 3:
The highest level of analysis is accomplished with Goal/Conversion Tracking. The process isolates the keywords that result in completed transactions. For example, most websites have forms that need to be completed and submitted to either complete a purchase or receive information (websites with shopping carts or request a quote functions are good examples). After a form is completed, a "Thank you for…." page pops up. Keywords that lead to "Thank you for….." pages denote a purchase or submission. Focus search engine optimization efforts on these keywords to further increase profits.
There are other helpful areas above and beyond the three basic levels. These include Funnels and the Overview or Dashboard view of the website’s traffic.
Funnels:
This strategy is used with Goal/Conversion Tracking and focuses on the pages within a website’s submission structure. Let’s say a registration or purchase form has five pages. Sometimes visitors will abandon the form in the midst of completion. Usually there is a pattern. Tracking can be set up to include all pages before conversion so the point of abandonment can be determined. This insightful information can be used to filter out any offensive, personal or invasive questions to encourage the completion of the purchase or submission.
Overview or Dashboard view of the website’s traffic:
This timeline highlights spikes in traffic and determines popular seasons. These seasons often present good opportunities for focused SEO efforts. If a business sells winter boots it will likely see a significant spike in traffic in the month December. Therefore, December would be a good target for increased marketing campaigns.
In a nut shell, converting traffic to profit means successful investment in search engine optimization. Traffic comes from the keywords associated with the product or website. Analytics highlight the patterns and relationships between keywords and buying behavior. Take rankings one step further and turn those first page placements into first rate ROI.
posted by Adrienne Embery-Good at
12:07 PM
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