Most businesses want their websites to rank highly on Google searches, but how many utilise their data effectively to help achieve this? Here are some tips on how to attain as much value as possible from the data collected to create an SEO strategy with the most impact.

• What keywords are important?

One of the most important ways to use data is find out what your target market are most likely to search for, so you can alter your own keywords and key-phrases.

To do this, look at the browsing trends and online behaviours of potential customers, and choose a few keywords to focus on to start with.

Towards Data Science recommends avoiding keywords that have the highest search volumes, stating: “If you’re working with a brand new or young website, it can be challenging to compete against established companies in the search results for these queries.”

Therefore, it is wise to pick key-terms that have high search volumes but also few competitors.

• Learn about audience

Conducting research into your audience is essential when it comes to business, as it enables you to tailor your products or services directly for them. This is the same for your SEO strategy and website creation, as you can alter the keywords and overall look of the website depending on what your target market is likely to be most interested in.

Companies can even specifically personalise their websites for different audiences, with the McKinsey & Company Next in Personalization 2021 Report stating: “78 per cent of consumers said personalized content as well as good user experience made them more likely to repurchase.”

Search Engine Land recommends developing a user-centric dashboard, which will give you lots of details about your different audiences. This can then be used to upsell products and services, and help you focus on retaining customers on your website.

• Measure success

Once you have made SEO changes to suit your target market and business goals, you need to continue acquiring data and measuring the website’s achievements.

“A successful business continuously evaluates the performance of its campaigns regularly, refines them based on new data and facts, then retrains the model and repeats the process,” the webpage recommends.

Companies might find they have to adapt their SEO strategies frequently, according to recent trends and changes in users’ behaviour. However, by being flexible with their approach and able to constantly change their focus, they will be better equipped to acquire new customers and retain their current ones.

For instance, it is a good idea to spend time looking at click-through rate, new search generation, bounce rate, dwell time, time on site, click on other search results, pages per visit, and repeat visits, as these will determine which areas need improvement.

Websites want low bounce rates, high levels of retention and plenty of returning custom. By examining the website’s data thoroughly, SEO experts will be able to determine what changes need to be made to ensure it works to the maximum benefit of the business.

For more SEO advice, get in touch with our digital agency in Hull today.