Have you designed an SEO strategy? If so, that’s great. You know that doing business today requires you to focus on ensuring your website is optimized for people to find it.

However, do you really know if your SEO efforts are providing the desired results? The only way to know for sure is with an SEO audit.

After all, if your top-selling product is a Simmons mattress, but you don’t show up for this keyword, chances are you aren’t getting very much attention or visibility.

The good news is that you can take steps to determine if the SEO strategies you are using are working and if you need to improve them. Keep reading for some tips to know whether your SEO efforts are effective.

Your Current Keyword Ranking

Keyword ranking is a top consideration when trying to figure out if your SEO efforts are working. Understanding where your keywords rank in the search results is one of the top indications of success or failure.

It is important to note that seeing fluctuations in the first three months is completely normal. It also means the SEO campaign is generating some results. However, if you don’t have your targeted keywords providing first-page results on Google within six months, it is time to reevaluate your SEO efforts. An effective way to know what is going on with your site’s keyword activity is by using a rank tracker based in the cloud.

Proof of Results

If you are using an SEO agency, now is the time to ask for proof of what they have done. If the company cannot provide tangible proof of results, find someone else to take over.

When hiring an SEO agency, be sure to find one who will provide you with proof of what they are doing and how it affects your rank in search engines. While there may be minimal movement in the first three to four months, you can and should still ask for deliverables. After all, you are paying the agency for this service. Any reputable company will provide proof of an SEO audit for your website, your site’s link profile, articles on sites that link back to yours, and optimized content on your site. If they can’t, it’s time to find someone new.

The SEO agency you hire should ask you for different account logins and lists if they are doing their job correctly. If you don’t receive emails from the agency requesting access to your social media, Google Webmaster tools, Google Analytics, and CMS, this is a sign they aren’t focused on what you hired them to do. They should also get the list of keywords you want to target, along with information on any past audits, penalties, and work. Quality SEO agencies will also be able to suggest improvements to your site and SEO efforts and show off past successes.

Traffic Considerations

A clear sign that your SEO efforts are working is to notice an increase in website traffic. Traffic is the number of hits your website receives daily with increases related to your keyword ranking. If you don’t notice an increase, then your SEO efforts are not working.

Your website niche will play a part in this, and traffic will come as “referral” and “search.” Search traffic refers to the total queries coming from search engines that provide website hits. Referral traffic is generated from link-building efforts. These links come from branded link campaigns, trackable emails, promotions, websites, social networking sites, bookmarking sites, and blogs.

If you have a B2B business, search is particularly important. Approximately 81% of existing B2B buyers have stated that their purchase cycle begins with online searches. Also, organic search is considered the top driver of traffic to your website.

Total Conversions

The total conversions your business receives will help you determine if your SEO strategy is effective. A conversion occurs when someone visiting your site turns into a customer. This is important data because it lets you know if your business is growing and how many customers it has grown by. This is, after all, the entire point of SEO efforts.

You can calculate the total number of conversions manually. This is done by dividing your site visitor count by the total number of sales you make. For example, if you had 500 visitors in one day and a total of five sales, it means your website gets one sale for every 50 visitors.

You should also analyze and consider your micro-conversions. These are the building blocks that will eventually result in a conversion. They provide insight into what areas of your website need to be improved. One example of this will be if customers bounce away after clicking “Buy Now.” If so, check this and adjust.

Manual Penalties

A manual penalty is bad news. With this, you receive an email message that lets you know that you have received a penalty. One of the most common is “user-generated spam.” In many cases, the penalties are not caused by anything your SEO team has or has not done. While this is true, you still need to see what is going on. Take some time to figure out why the penalty occurred and what can be done to ensure it doesn’t occur again. Also, if you begin to receive penalties just a few months after hiring a new SEO company, it may be a good idea to dive into why this is happening.

Improving Site Conversions with Good SEO

As you can see, SEO is a crucial part of making sure your site is found. However, you have to make sure you track everything to determine if the efforts and strategies being used are effective. Remember, SEO is always changing. You need to make sure your in-house team or third-party provider stays aware of the changes and trends to keep your site updated and ranking well. By paying attention to what works and what doesn’t, you can maintain a high rank in Google and reap the benefits of good SEO.