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What is a SEO strategy, and why it is important
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) refers to a set of activities aimed at improving a website's visibility on search engines. But how does this happen? By trying to increase the site's ranking with the aim of reaching the first page of search results. It is only on the first page that there is a real chance that your content — whether blog articles or e-commerce products — can be found, read and purchased by interested users.
The famous saying confirms this:
The best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of Google!
This is why it's important to appear in search engine results, and even more important to appear in the right places. A good SEO strategy aims to do that. Not only by optimising content with the most relevant keywords, but also by taking care of aspects such as the site's technical structure and authority.
Only with a lot of patience and consistency is it possible to generate quality traffic capable of producing leads and sales and consolidating online brand authority.
Why it is important to monitor SEO KPIs
Without measuring the actual results, developing an effective SEO strategy is a bit like sailing without a compass. That's why it's essential to monitor key KPIs.
KPIs allow you to understand whether the activities you have implemented are working correctly, bringing the right results to your website and business, and how and where to intervene to improve, if necessary.
In particular, analysing data over time is important for:
- evaluating the effectiveness of technical and semantic optimisations
- comparing performance to see if it is improving
- adapting the strategy to changes in algorithms and user behaviour so as to keep up with the latest developments
So, what are the main SEO KPIs to keep an eye on? Let's take a look at them below!
Clicks
Clicks are undoubtedly the most immediate data for evaluating the effectiveness of the adopted SEO strategy, particularly with regard to the semantic optimisation of the snippet consisting of the page title and meta description.
Clicks can be easily monitored via Google Search Console and provide an indication of how many users actually enter the website after finding it in the search results.
Impressions
Another key KPI is impressions, which can also be analysed using Google Search Console. Impressions indicate how many times a page appears in search results for a given keyword, but do not result in a click because the user ultimately chooses a different result.
In light of recent SEO developments, particularly the introduction of Google's AI Overview, impressions have become even more important: this section of search results has led to a significant increase in searches without clicks, as users find the answer to their query directly, especially for informational searches. The fact that content is shown by the AI algorithm also leads to a substantial increase in website visibility.
Consequently, there is an increasing trend of a decline in clicks and an increase in impressions.
In light of recent SEO developments, particularly the introduction of Google's AI Overview, impressions have become even more important: this section of search results has led to a significant increase in searches without clicks, as users find the answer to their query directly, especially for informational searches. The fact that content is shown by the AI algorithm also leads to a substantial increase in website visibility.
Consequently, there is an increasing trend of a decline in clicks and an increase in impressions.
Average keywords and website pages ranking
Finally, the average positioning of keywords and pages in SERPs (search engine results pages) is also measurable through Google Search Console.
This KPI is useful for evaluating the effectiveness of on-page and off-page optimisation activities in improving the site's organic visibility and ranking.
This KPI is useful for evaluating the effectiveness of on-page and off-page optimisation activities in improving the site's organic visibility and ranking.
Domain Rating and Domain Authority
Other important KPIs are Domain Rating and Domain Authority scores, which can be monitored using tools such as Ahrefs and SEMrush.
These scores show how authoritative a website is considered to be by search engines, i.e. how reliable and relevant it is based on its backlink profile. A high score means that the domain receives links from authoritative sources and sites, thus increasing the likelihood of consistently ranking among the top search results for competitive keywords.
These scores show how authoritative a website is considered to be by search engines, i.e. how reliable and relevant it is based on its backlink profile. A high score means that the domain receives links from authoritative sources and sites, thus increasing the likelihood of consistently ranking among the top search results for competitive keywords.
Speed Insight Score
Finally, the Speed Insight score is another KPI that deserves attention. It measures the loading speed of the pages that build up a website and can be analysed using tools such as Google's PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse.
Loading time is considered one of the main ranking factors because it affects the browsing experience, influencing users' decisions to stay on the site or leave due to slow loading times. High scores (shown in green) indicate that technical optimisations have had a positive effect on the site's performance, while low scores (shown in orange or, worse still, red) suggest that further improvements are possible.
Loading time is considered one of the main ranking factors because it affects the browsing experience, influencing users' decisions to stay on the site or leave due to slow loading times. High scores (shown in green) indicate that technical optimisations have had a positive effect on the site's performance, while low scores (shown in orange or, worse still, red) suggest that further improvements are possible.
How should you read SEO KPIs?
Clearly, monitoring key SEO KPIs is not about focusing on a single number, but about knowing how to analyse all the data together.
Impressions, clicks, average ranking and domain authority are all pieces of the same macro-objective: understanding whether the adopted strategy is producing concrete results. Regularly checking these indicators allows you to make data-driven decisions that will prove successful.
