If you want to increase traffic to your website, most marketers will recommend you install Google Analytics. But, how can Google Analytics help my SEO? Google Analytics will give you the data you need to track your performance so you can do more of what works.
Google Analytics allows you to make data-driven decisions. Here are the reports you can leverage in Google Analytics to improve your SEO efforts.
Know What’s Working So You Can Double Down
Report: Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium
Google Analytics can make it easy to see which channels are performing best. The channels could be various social networks, organic search traffic, or paid ads.
It will be easier to grow channels that are already performing well than it will be to try and grow traffic on a channel with sub-optimal performance.
You want to focus on the acquisition channel where your audience is. The current performance of the various channels is a good indicator of where your target demographic likes to spend their time online.
So, before you go all in with organic SEO, make sure that channel is a top performer.
To view the channels that are working best for your website navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium. This report lists out the various channels people use to find your website.
View the report not only by the top number of users and sessions, but also by the most conversions. You want to not only receive traffic, but make sure those users are high-quality and likely to convert.
Track Demographics to Know Who You’re Talking To
Report: Audience > Demographics > Overview
As we just touched on, you not only want traffic but you want to make sure that traffic is the right demographic. If the visitor isn’t qualified, they will never convert.
In Google Analytics, you can view demographic data. Go to Audience > Demographics > Overview to view the age and gender of your website visitors.
Add a Segment to Determine Who Converts
We want to see not only who visits your website, but who converts. While viewing the demographic overview report add a segment to view only data for people who convert.
At the top you can click Choose segment from list to view the data for a particular segment. Click System > Converters to view a segment of people who have completed a goal or made a transaction.
Determine if Your SEO Efforts are Attracting Qualified Visitors
Report: Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels > Assisted Conversions
Add a date comparison and leverage the Assisted Conversions report to determine if your SEO efforts are improving or declining.
View data for the last 30 days and then add a comparison range of the previous period.
View your organic traffic growth under the acquisition report and then navigate to Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels > Assisted Conversions and click on Organic Search.
Look at the Assisted Conversions and Last Click or Direct Conversions. If these numbers are growing more than your search traffic growth than you are attracting qualified visitors. If they are declining than you want to revisit your SEO tactic to refocus your efforts where you can attract your target demographic.
In Summary
With any marketing effort you want to make sure you can track your results to ensure you’re having an impact. SEO is no different.
Figure out your goals, and then decide how you can measure them in Google Analytics.
Keep an eye on these reports to make sure you’re headed in the right direction and be ready to shift your efforts to align with your goals and audience.
What is your favorite SEO report in Google Analytics? Let us know in the comments!