The purpose of analysis is to give context to the data being collected. Analysis requires a mix of skills and disciplines and requires care and attention. It is about compiling all relevant sources of data, interrogating them and piecing together the jigsaw to translate the raw information into genuine insights. This chapter outlines how to […]
Reporting is a key part of an SEO practitioner’s workload and an important way to communicate the impact that SEO campaigns are having on the business. This chapter outlines the steps SEOs need to take to create effective reports for different stakeholders. Defining requirements When building reports for the company, bear in mind that these […]
Different companies will have slightly different goals for their websites, depending on the nature of their business. Not all websites provide an online transactional service. For example, while an online retailer will be aiming to secure sales, a B2B will more likely be looking to generate leads. Whether the site will carry out ecommerce tracking […]
When it comes to being a smarter online marketer, it is necessary to start thinking beyond SEO, particularly when it comes to analytics. Even professionals whose jobs are focused on SEO can learn from other channels and the data these channels provide. This chapter and the chapters that follow cover the essentials around measurement and […]
Benchmarking is the process of measuring the performance of a company’s traffic, conversions or processes against those of either another business that is the best in its field, or against a group of businesses whose specific KPIs have been measured, grouped, analysed and standardised. Benchmarking a company’s performance against an external measure may seem challenging, […]
Every landing page must firstly assist conversion and secondly provide valuable content, no matter where it appears in the user’s journey. This chapter describes different methods of testing the performance of landing pages. Testing and experimentation This guide has outlined an overall approach on what to investigate, what to consider for identifying opportunities and how […]
After working out the type of user through a set of characteristics (see Landing Page Measurement and Analysis), the next step is to understand the metrics for user behaviour within the landing page itself. This chapter outlines the different metrics search marketers can use, as well as third-party tools, to better understand user behaviour. Metrics […]
Before embarking on a landing page optimisation strategy, it is important to understand the factors that affect its performance as well as the brand’s objectives. This chapter outlines the steps search marketers can take to measure current landing page performance as well as the changes they can make to improve conversion rates. What is a […]
The speed of a website and its availability can affect SEO performance in a number of ways. Page speed is currently a ranking factor and, as such, it is important for SEO, so it is essential to understand what can affect it. This chapter considers the factors that affect site speed, the steps site owners […]
There are an estimated 40 billion pages on the web and for the search engines to index them all appropriately, the pages will have different indexes in different countries, i.e. webpages on Google.co.uk (United Kingdom) and Google.de (Germany) will serve different audiences. Search engines figure out which sites should be included in which index based […]
As discussed below, while it is unclear exactly how social signals have an impact on search rankings, high-ranking URLs tend to have more social signals than lower ranking URLs. However social may influence search, marketers must bear in mind that social networks amplify good content and in doing so, make it more visible. This chapter […]
Digital public relations (PR) is sometimes seen as an online marketing strategy that is employed by businesses to increase their online visibility through outreach techniques. However, digital (or online) PR more accurately refers to specific techniques that result in digital media coverage, which increases visibility and awareness with both potential and current customers in the […]