Accurate
data is crucial for measuring the success of SEO initiatives and informing about
the actions needed for future ones. So, what to check for ensuring accurate
data collection and reporting? With the rise in SEO platforms and technology of
enterprise level, we have plenty of SEO data with lot of information at our
fingertip. But the question is that are we really getting true and accurate
picture of our SEO performance? Let’s find out.
Attribution
This is one
of the biggest challenges of online marketing. Is last click the right way to
look at things? How about first click and who gets the credit for conversion
when there are many different touch points along the path to purchase. Some
brands go for the first click while some looks for the last. Some even have
complex attribution methods which give half credit to different touch points.
We need to
come to a mutual agreement with the clients on the attribution model we are
going to use and then ensure that our reporting data reflects it. For comparing
the impact of different attribution models on the valuation of your marketing
channels you can use various comparison tools for such models in Google
analytics.
Channel Classification
Paid search
is not set up correctly and can get misclassified as organic search which can inflate your SEO services numbers and make them highly correct and
accurate. This is one of the common mistakes. Always check to see if your search
channels are set up and classified correctly.
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Site Search
To get
insights into what users are looking for on the sites, tracking on site search
is a great way to help you develop a holistic content strategy at all the
stages of user engagement. You need to enable this and add parameters to on
site search keywords depending upon your analytics platform.
Global Tagging
Do not tag
inconsistently. It is the most common mistake. Tracking code does not get added
to new page templates or the web developer overwrites a new page template and
forgets to add in the tracking code. Or the website has many page templates and
a lot of pages which can be difficult to manage. No tracking code means no
data, so ensure that tracking code is on every page of your site so you can get
an accurate and complete assessment of your organic traffic.
Conversion Traffic
Issue of
goals not setting up and configured correctly is another common mistake. Goals
vary from website to website but it could be sale, booking, brochure download,
newsletter signup or something else.
Whether or
not you are making progress towards your goals, set goals and goal funnels will
allow you to determine how SEO services and conversion optimization
are performing. Enabling goal funnels would see
the pages or steps in the conversion process which leads to drop offs and you
need to look more closely at it and come up with some strategic ways to fix
them.
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Bot and Internal Traffic
Watch out for
the bots that misinterpret your search metrics. Most of the analytics platforms
provide the choice to exclude traffic from bots. You only need to enable it.
Always
ensure that you exclude traffic from your own network because that can also
misinterpret your data. You can set filters up to exclude traffic based on
specific IP address so you can get the most accurate data.
Analytics Version Control
Providers
for website analytics are constantly upgrading to new versions and some older
version may not be supported anymore, possibly giving you the outdated data.
Always run close to latest version and have updated tracking code on your site.
Final Thought
Set up data
collection tools correctly and manage them properly. It is crucial for getting
accurate picture of your SEO performance. Always work with your analytics team
and conduct routine audits to ensure that everything is working. Having
accurate data on your fingertips, you can make right decision on SEO strategy and assign proper credit to
organic search.
