Search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential part of any successful startup’s digital marketing strategy. It helps to increase online visibility, attract more targeted leads, and improve conversion rates. But how can you measure the return on investment (ROI) of your SEO efforts?

By understanding the different metrics related to SEO, you can determine whether or not your efforts are paying off. Let’s take a look at some of the key metrics for measuring ROI from SEO, but first we dig deeper into measuring process itself.

Determining what you want to measure

The first step in measuring the ROI of your startup's SEO efforts is to determine what you want to measure. Different types of metrics can be used depending on what type of results you are looking for.

For example, if you are focused on driving traffic to your website, you could track the number of visitors or page views over time. If you are focused on conversions or lead generation, then tracking the number of leads generated per month would be important.

You should also consider tracking click-through rates and engagement metrics such as time spent on site and bounce rate.

Tracking your results

Once you have identified which metrics you want to measure, it's time to start tracking them over time.

It's important to track both organic and paid search results, as well as other sources such as social media and email campaigns so that you can get a complete picture of how your SEO efforts are performing.

You should also consider using tools such as Google Analytics and SEMrush to help track and monitor your results over time.  

Analyzing your results

The final step in measuring the ROI of your startup's SEO efforts is analyzing your results over time. Look for trends in terms of which keywords are performing best and which ones need more work.

Also, look for changes in other metrics such as average session duration or bounce rate to see if there has been an improvement since implementing new strategies.

By analyzing these results over time, you can determine whether or not your SEO efforts are paying off and make adjustments accordingly.  

KPI example: Organic traffic

Organic traffic refers to the amount of visitors who come to your website through organic search engine results as opposed to paid advertising or other sources.

If you want to measure the ROI from SEO, it’s important to track organic traffic over time so that you have an accurate view of how SEO is impacting your website's performance.

It’s also important to track organic traffic separately from other sources since this will give you a clearer picture of how much impact SEO is having on overall visitor numbers.

KPI example: Keyword rankings

Another key metric for measuring the ROI from SEO is keyword rankings. This metric measures where your website falls in search engine rankings when people search for specific keywords or phrases related to your industry.

The higher up you appear in search engine results, the more likely people are to click through and visit your website.

Tracking keyword rankings over time will help you gauge how effective your SEO efforts have been in improving visibility and driving more traffic to your site.

KPI example: Conversion rates

Finally, it’s important to track conversion rates in order to measure the ROI from SEO efforts. Conversion rate refers to the percentage of visitors who take a desired action—such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase—after arriving at your website via an organic search result.

This metric will tell you whether or not people are taking advantage of what they find once they land on your page, and it will also help you identify areas where improvements need to be made in order to optimize conversions and maximize ROI from SEO efforts.

Conclusion

Measuring the return on investment from startup's SEO efforts isn't always easy, but it can be done with tracking and analysis of key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates over time.

By understanding these metrics and monitoring them regularly, startup founders can gain valuable insight into whether or not their investments in SEO are paying off—and make changes if necessary for even better results in the future.