Many bloggers are unaware of how analyzing basic reports can give you a better understanding of what’s working and what’s not. Next, analyzing some reports are essential in making sure you are following Google’s guidelines, making sure you rank higher within the SERP’s. For example, natural link building patterns, site speed, knowledge on algorithm updates, pages indexed, etc., will allow you to make the necessary tweaks going forward. However, I still surprised at the amount of people who think writing high quality content is the only thing necessary to build an online business. Even though high quality content is very important, your profits are based on optimization and every expert will tell you the same.
I would like to discuss some SEO reports that are often forgotten because bloggers think they’re NOT as relevant as the others. However, I believe you should pay close attention to the following statistics every few days, making sure your website is running at its peak performance. I’ll also include one strategy that is overlooked a majority of times and you should implement it every time there’s a Google update.
Let’s get started…
#1 – Your Site Speed
Every time you post content with videos and images, you’re increasing the chances of effecting your website speed. This is why it is recommended to always run speed tests on your website using some of the FREE tools available. Because this is something external, many people forget to scan for site speed often, for example, when you log into your WordPress backend, there is NO indication of site speed. Google has also stressed the importance of site speed because it increases the user experience. The last thing people want is to search for information and when they find it, the blog doesn’t load in sufficient time. The standard is to have a website load within 3 seconds from the initiation.
You can use the following tools to check the speed of your website…
Both tools will allow you to check speed from servers all over the world so you know how your blog loads in different regions. What’s next?
Utilize some of WordPress FREE optimization tools like WP super cache, Speed Booster Pack, etc. If you do a quick search in Google, you’ll be able to find tutorials on the best tools and configuration.
#2 – Pages Indexed
I check how my website is indexing 2-3 times per week, just to make sure things are flowing smoothly. Even if you are NOT posting content every week, it’s important to check indexing statistics because the process is gradual. For example, Google will crawl pages depending on how they are linked through your website so structure does matter. However, a poor sitemap.xml and robots.txt file may restrict your site from getting indexed. Here’s the ultimate problem…
If Google is NOT able to crawl your site because of backend errors, then you’re simply NOT going to show in the SERP’s and your SEO efforts are going to waste. The good news is you have GWT (Google Webmaster Tools) to give you a breakdown of any issues and how you can correct them going forward. The key is to make sure you check for these errors so log into GWT and run a few quick searches in Google to make sure things are running smoothly.
#3 – Check 404’s
Whenever you do updates and make changes to your website, you’re increasing the chances of creating 404 errors. This is something that should be checked often and can be done very easily. For example, simple plug-ins can be installed that will auto detect URLs that have gone bad. Next, you can change the link so they are fully working URLs or a page that displays links to other content on your website. The point is this…
404’s look bad and show up in Google as error pages so it’s important to create a smooth user experience by tweaking these errors. If you’re NOT using WordPress, then Google Webmaster Tools will show crawl errors on your website.
#4 – Algorithm Alignment
Many bloggers don’t perform algorithm alignments and I personally think it’s very important. I know many of you are NOT familiar with the terms so I will provide you with an explanation. It’s when you pull your analytics data around Google algorithm updates to find out how your website was effected and you’ll be surprised by how much you can learn about your website. For example, if your traffic drops, then you have to make tweaks to those pages. If you notice an increase, then you know your content marketing and writing strategy is working. Google is very specific when algorithms are introduced and you can find out information on updates by visiting their website or social media accounts.
Many people forget to perform these checks and are NOT clear about the effect algorithm updates have had on their website. Next, this doesn’t have to be done all the time, but just around the time of updates.