SEO

How Do I Know If My SEO Is Working?

By The Rankwyre TeamAugust 9, 20263 min read

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Key takeaways

Enquiries are the only number that pays. Everything else is a leading indicator.
Rankings can improve while traffic falls, so never judge on positions alone.
Expect months, not weeks, and beware anyone promising otherwise.
Ask which specific searches brought people, not how many keywords improved.

If the only thing you get each month is a list of rankings that went up, you are being shown the easiest number to move rather than the one that matters.

The short answer

Watch enquiries first, then the searches you appear for, then how many of those turn into visits. Rankings are a means, not a result. It is entirely possible to rank better for things nobody searches while the phone rings less, and a report built on positions alone will never show you that.

What should I actually be watching?

Four things, in this order.

Enquiries. Calls, forms, messages. If this is not moving over a few months, nothing else matters.

Which searches you appear for. Not how many, which. Ten appearances for something people buy beats a thousand for something they do not.

Whether appearances turn into visits. If you show up and nobody clicks, what they see in the result is not compelling.

What happens after they land. Arriving and leaving without acting is a page problem, not a search one.

Why are rankings misleading on their own?

Because they are the easiest thing to make look good. Track enough terms and some always improve. Report only those and every month is a success.

They also move independently of traffic now that results get summarised before anybody clicks, which is exactly why traffic can fall while your rankings hold. A position is not a visit, and a visit is not a customer.

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How long should this take?

Months. Technical fixes can register in weeks. New pages usually take a few months to settle into any position, and competitive terms take longer.

Anybody promising firm results in thirty days is either targeting things so obscure that ranking is meaningless or is about to report on positions rather than customers. Slow is not the same as not working, but slow and unexplained is worth questioning.

What should I ask my SEO person?

Four questions, and the answers tell you almost everything.

Which specific searches brought people last month. How many enquiries came from search rather than in total. What was changed since we last spoke. What is planned next and why.

Somebody doing real work answers those easily. Vague answers about ongoing optimisation usually mean the reporting is the product.

What if the numbers are flat?

Find out which one is flat, because the fix differs completely. No appearances at all means the pages are not aimed at anything people search. Appearances but no clicks means the result itself is unappealing. Clicks but no enquiries means the page is losing them after arrival.

Three different problems, three different fixes, and no report that only shows rankings will ever tell you which one you have. If you are local, the local playbook covers the basics worth ruling out first.

Two ways to go from here

If you want search work with reporting that names real numbers, SEO plans start at $599 a month with no setup fee, and website plans start at $299 a month with a $299 one-time setup. Short onboarding form, developer in touch within 24 hours. No minimum term, cancel any month.

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If you want a second opinion on what you are being shown now, use the free site check and we will tell you whether it is progress.

FAQs about measuring SEO

How long before SEO starts working?

Technical fixes can register within weeks. New pages generally take months to settle, and competitive terms take longer. Anyone promising firm results in thirty days is measuring the wrong thing.

Are rankings a good way to measure SEO?

On their own, no. They are the easiest number to make look good, and they can improve while traffic and enquiries fall.

What should my SEO report include?

Which specific searches brought people, how many enquiries came from search, what changed since last month, and what is planned next.

Why is my traffic down if my rankings are up?

More results are summarised before anybody clicks, so a position no longer guarantees a visit. This is now common and worth checking before assuming something broke.

How do I know if I should stop paying for SEO?

If enquiries from search have not moved over several months and nobody can tell you what specifically changed, that is a fair point to question it.

About Rankwyre

Rankwyre is a digital technology company based in Miami, Florida, that builds custom websites, ecommerce stores, web apps, CRM systems, and dashboards, then runs the SEO and advertising that bring in customers. We work with local service businesses, independent brands, professional services and online stores. We bill monthly rather than taking a large fee upfront, and there is no minimum term, so clients can leave any month. Plans start at $299 a month. See the work or read what is included in each plan.