How Data and Science Impacts Your SEO

Search engine optimization or SEO as it’s better known, is the primary focus of any online business or blog. It’s not an exact science, but it is informed by both data and science which can help us better understand what does and doesn’t work.

Today, we’re going to look at three different ways you can use data and science in your SEO efforts. By compiling data of your own and utilizing what’s already been gathered, you can make informed decisions and better understand this aspect of online business.

3 Ways to Use Data and Science in Your SEO Efforts

When optimizing our web pages, the goal is always to rank higher on search engines so we can enjoy more traffic and ultimately more conversions. The algorithms that decide what ranks and does not are complicated to say the least.

 There are numerous factors that decide what is placed where for each type of search inquiry. While a complete and total understanding of this process is outside our grasp, we can learn a lot from the data available to us. Let’s take a look at three ways we can improve our SEO efforts with data and science.

#1. Analytics and Tools Empower Your Decisions

Analytical tools are essential for understanding your current SEO, and more importantly, making decisions based on the information gathered. While there are numerous tools to choose from, a great starting point is Google Analytics.

With this tool, you can access a wide variety of different metrics related to your site. Whether it’s a simple look at how much traffic you’re getting or a complex breakdown of your click-through and bounce rates, analytics can offer all of this and more.

If you’re working for a business, it’s crucial that you showcase the value of your SEO efforts, and utilize data from analytical tools to make informed decisions. Here are some ways you can find the data you need and showcase your results:

  • View your specific traffic types in Google Analytics by going to channel grouping > acquisition > All Traffic > Channels. Here you will see a breakdown of your traffic types and how much of it is organic as a result of your SEO efforts.
  • Find out which keywords are getting the volume you need and which long-tail variations will boost your on-page SEO by utilizing Google Keyword Planner.
  • Measure conversions as a result of search traffic in Google Analytics by going to assisted conversions > conversions > multi-channel funnels > assisted conversions. This will show how many of your sales were a result of search traffic and therefore give you a basis for how your SEO has contributed to the company’s revenue.
  • Use a tool like Pingdom to check your website’s speed. Since this is indeed a ranking factor, you can make changes based on the results from this test.

All of this tactics can be found within free analytical tools and all of them contribute to a stronger SEO approach. Even if you’re using one of today’s free blogging sites, you can still take advantage of all this incredible data and information.

#2. Proven Methods are Revealed

Gathering data yourself is always smart, but there’s also a treasure trove of strategies already available online for you to consider. When researching these, it’s important to examine how well they’ve worked for others and how you can apply it to your own SEO strategies. By this same logic, you can also avoid major SEO mistakes that others have made.

You can look at your competitors and see what they are doing for starters, but you’ll find even more strategies when you look at the major players in the industry. Let’s take a look at two examples of SEO strategies that have been proven through rigorous case studies:

  1. The Skyscraper Technique

This incredible strategy for creating epic content and earning backlinks was created by Brian Dean and it has since become a mainstay in the world of SEO. Case studies he has done with it showed that traffic increased by 348% using this method.

Not only that, but this strategy also gives you the means to create relevant and useful content that people will link to. What’s amazing is how simple the strategy is, and when it’s backed by these kinds of results, you know it’s a smart decision.

Here’s how it works:

  • Find content people are linking to, using backlink tools like Majestic or something similar to examine your competition.
  • Look for opportunities to improve upon that content (make it longer, more detailed, etc.).
  • Create it and then reach out to those same people that linked to the original content via email.

By doing this, you’ve built something better and create a resource that those same websites will absolutely link to and send traffic to your site.

  1. Increase Reader Comments

Neil Patel is a household name among SEO enthusiasts and bloggers, so when something goes right for him, it’s usually something we should all be doing. That being said, he made some interesting waves when he declared that 16 percent of his gargantuan search traffic comes from keywords present in his comments.

It’s such a little thing, but comments are a great way to increase the engagement you have with your readers. Furthermore, you can earn additional consideration by including long-tail phrases in your replies that count towards the overall SEO of the page.

You get to help your readers and earn some SEO in the process? The data here points to a solid strategy!

#3. Understanding Google’s Ranking Factors

Every aspect of your website contributes to your SEO. From the name you choose for your domain to the specific keywords on your pages. All of it matters and all of it is analyzed by Google’s algorithm. The ways we know and speculate on these elements are called “ranking factors.”

Currently, there are over 200 real and speculated ranking factors that contribute to your SEO. This kind of data shouldn’t be ignored. By understanding even a fraction of these points, you can better structure your site and its content.

Ultimately, the fact of the matter is that you could have gone out and gathered all of this data yourself, or you can have immediate access to it. This is the nexus of how data and science can benefit your SEO. Knowing how Google works, or even a piece of how it works will help you solve the overall puzzle at hand.