How to Tell If Your SEO Services are Working

Have you been working with an SEO agency and want to know whether or not you’re seeing results? Are you putting so much into your SEO but you aren’t clear if it’s working? Without a great ROI, your SEO could be DOA. SEO is a long-term strategy that builds over time, it can sometimes be challenging to recognize progress immediately.  Here at Website Depot, our SEO services have helped our clients to grow for many years. When your SEO is working, there are multiple ways you can tell. 

Improved Keyword Rankings

One of the major goals of SEO is to improve your visibility for relevant, high-value keywords. What truly matters in SEO is ranking well for high-quality keywords, ideally landing on the first page and within the top three positions of search results.

If you’ve seen the keywords that matter to you increase in rank, then that’s a good sign indeed. 

That said, keyword rankings alone can sometimes be misleading. For instance, an SEO provider might report that your site has gained hundreds of positions across various keywords. However, if these keywords aren’t essential to your business growth or conversions, those ranking improvements hold minimal value. You want to rank for the keywords that count. 

Winning a strong position for competitive keywords can significantly boost traffic, although it may require more time and investment to achieve.

Increased Organic Traffic

One of the first, most straightforward indicators of SEO success is a steady rise in organic traffic, or visitors who find your site through search engines. Monitoring this increase month over month can help reveal the impact of your SEO efforts. If more users are finding your website organically, it’s a promising sign that your SEO tactics are effective.

However, if you’re experiencing more visits but aren’t seeing a corresponding increase in conversions, it may indicate that your content or keywords are attracting users outside your target demographic. 

Increased Brand Mentions

Brand mentions are instances where your business is discussed online, even if there isn’t a direct link to your site. These mentions are valuable as indirect signals of brand awareness and credibility. A consistent rise in brand mentions typically indicates that your SEO efforts are working well to increase exposure and reach. 

Reduced Bounce Rate and Increased Time on Site

Bounce rate measures the percentage of users who leave your website after viewing only one page. If visitors are quickly exiting your site, it may suggest that your content isn’t meeting their expectations or that you’re attracting the wrong audience. Similarly, the time users spend on your website provides insights into engagement levels.

If your bounce rate is high or your average session duration is low, it may be time to reconsider your SEO strategy, particularly your choice of keywords and content. A successful SEO campaign should guide relevant visitors to your site and keep them engaged. 

Improved Organic Conversion Rate

A rising conversion rate is a strong indicator that your SEO campaign is attracting high-quality traffic—users who are interested in your offerings and likely to convert.

Your organic conversion rate reflects the percentage of users who arrive at your site through search engines and complete a desired action, like signing up for a newsletter, filling out a contact form, or making a purchase. 

However, if you’re seeing increased traffic but low conversions, it may signal that your keywords aren’t accurately targeting your audience or that your site needs optimization for a better user experience. Monitoring your organic conversion rate alongside traffic levels can help fine-tune your SEO to drive better results. That’s something we can do for all of our clients. 

When to Expect Results from SEO Services 

SEO is a long-term investment, and realistic expectations are essential. On average, you may start seeing results within six months to a year. However, the timeframe can vary significantly depending on many factors.

Best practices include approaching SEO with a long-term perspective, knowing that the eventual results—higher rankings, increased traffic, and more conversions—are worth the wait. Regularly reviewing your SEO metrics can help you stay informed about the ongoing progress and ensure your strategy remains on course.

We Can Help Your SEO Grow and More 

From organic traffic and keyword rankings to brand mentions and conversion rates, there are numerous ways to measure your SEO success. By tracking these metrics consistently, we can ensure your SEO efforts align with your business goals and continuously refine your strategy to drive greater results.

With expertise across SEO, web development, and digital marketing, our team can help tailor an approach that not only improves rankings but also enhances user experience and drives meaningful growth for your business.

When you’re with us, we’ll update you frequently on how your SEO is doing. We’ll show you how it’s going, what can be improved, and how we can help. 

To see how our SEO services can help your company, schedule a free consultation today.