How to Tell if Your SEO is Working: Key Metrics + Pro Tips

You can tell SEO is working if your organic traffic, keyword rankings, and click-through rate (CTR) have increased — but there are other metrics to track, too. Find out how to measure your SEO performance in this guide.

From creating high-quality content to link building, a strong search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can catapult your site to the top of the search engine results page (SERP).

But good SEO results take time. So, how do you know if your SEO is working?

To help us break it all down, we spoke with HawkSEM Senior SEO Manager Hayden Pochop to determine if your SEO efforts are working — and how to fix your strategy if not.

How to tell if SEO is working

You can tell SEO is working by tracking key metrics, including click-through rate, organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates for gradual improvement over time.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) include:

1. Organic traffic growth
2. Higher keyword rankings
3. Better click-through rate
4. More conversions
5. On-site engagement
6. Return on investment (ROI)

Tools like Google Search Console, Semrush, Ahrefs, or Moz can monitor the rankings of your target keywords. (Image: Adobe Stock)

1. Organic traffic growth

Use tools like Google Analytics to track organic sessions and look for sustained increases over time.

While fluctuations are normal, a consistent upward trend is a sign that SEO efforts are working.

2. Higher keyword rankings

Tools like Google Search Console, Semrush, Ahrefs, or Moz can monitor the rankings of your target keywords.

Movement toward the top of the SERP, especially for non-branded terms, shows that Google is beginning to trust your content.

3. Better click-through rate (CTR)

CTR data in Google Search Console reveals how often users click on your content on the SERP. An improvement in CTR suggests that your titles and meta descriptions are compelling and aligned with search intent.

4. More conversions

Increased conversions imply that your content is targeting (and reaching) the right audience. Monitor your website’s conversion rate and check if it’s improving over time.

5. On-site engagement

Engagement metrics help you understand whether your content is resonating. Look for improvements in:

• Time on page
• Pages per session
• Dwell time
• Lower bounce rates

These signals show search engines that users find your content valuable.

6. Return on investment (ROI)

Ultimately, your SEO efforts should contribute to your business’s bottom line.

Calculate the ROI of your SEO campaigns by measuring the revenue generated from organic traffic compared to your investment.

How long does SEO take to work?

SEO typically takes about three months to show early signs of improvement and up to a year to deliver more meaningful long-term results.

Here’s a general timeline of how long it takes for your SEO efforts to really take off:

1-3 months: Initial changes

After you’ve made initial SEO optimizations — such as on-page SEO improvements, technical fixes, and content enhancements — it can take a few weeks to a couple of months to see the first signs of progress.

During this time, search engines like Google will be crawling, indexing, and calibrating your ranking based on your updated content and changes.

3-6 months: Moderate improvement

In the following few months, you may start to see more noticeable improvements in your organic search traffic and rankings for certain keywords.

This is still considered to be the early stages of SEO, but this is when the momentum begins to build.

6-12 months: Steady growth

By the six-month mark, you should see more consistent and significant growth in organic traffic and website ranks.

This growth can vary widely depending on your niche and the level of competition.

12+ months: Long-term success

SEO is a long-term strategy, and substantial success often takes a year or more to achieve, especially for competitive industries.

Over time, your website’s authority and trust with search engines will increase, resulting in improved rankings and traffic.

How often should I update my SEO?

Your SEO strategy will need to be maintained on a weekly basis, with regular content creation and technical SEO audits; however, for overall strategy updates, it’s a good idea to check in quarterly to ensure your efforts are on the right track.

“SEO is a foundational part of digital marketing that takes time,” says Pochop.

“Website traffic fluctuates, and conversions ebb and flow. Be sure to celebrate upward trends in data (specifically conversions), and continually reassess your SEO goals so that those upward trends continue.”

Factors that impact SEO results

Proactive SEO monitoring is key to online success, and your timeline for seeing results can be affected by the following factors:

Keyword competition

Highly competitive keywords may take longer to rank for than less competitive ones. Generic keywords are often oversaturated on SERPs.

Pochop recommends targeting long-tail keywords to give you an opportunity to reach more qualified users, since they’re searching for a more specific topic.

“There have also been cases where targeting long-tail keywords has resulted in a rapid increase in search engine rankings,” he adds.

Content quality

High-quality, valuable content performs better in search results, but it takes time to create and optimize.

Backlink building

Building authoritative backlinks is a slow process, but is essential for SEO success by showing search engines and users that your website is considered credible.

Alternatively, spammy links can contribute to poor rankings.

Technical issues

If your website has significant technical issues or penalties from search engines, it may take longer to recover and see improvements.

Poor user experience

As Pochop explains, search engines prioritize websites that focus on providing the best user experience to their audience. “Focus on having a mobile-friendly website that’s fast, responsive, interactive, and stable,” he says.

8 SEO tools to improve performance

Because SEO takes a while to kick in and start producing results, you’ll want to have some monitoring tools in your corner to help along the way.

There are tons of options out there when it comes to SEO tools, but here are some of our favorites:

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics provides in-depth insights into your website’s traffic, user behavior, and conversions. You can track organic search traffic, monitor bounce rates, and assess the performance of specific landing pages.

2. Google Search Console

This is a great tool if you prioritize Google as your search engine of choice, as it helps you track your website’s performance in Google’s search results. You can glean data on the right keywords, indexing issues, and click-through rates (CTR) for specific queries.

3. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool that offers features like backlink analysis, keyword research, site audit, and rank tracking. It helps you assess your website’s authority and visibility.

4. Semrush

Semrush is another all-in-one SEO tool that provides keyword tracking, competitive analysis, site auditing, and more. This one is especially useful for monitoring your site’s performance and identifying areas for improvement.

5. Moz

Moz offers tools like Moz Pro and Moz Local to help with your SEO efforts. You can track keyword rankings, crawl your site for technical issues, and perform competitive research.

Remember, a healthy site structure makes for healthy SEO. (Image: Adobe Stock)

6. Screaming Frog

This is a desktop-based tool that crawls your website and identifies technical SEO issues. (Think: broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta tags.) Remember, a healthy site structure makes for healthy SEO.

7. SpyFu

SpyFu focuses on competitive research, allowing you to see which keywords your competitors are ranking for and how much they’re spending on advertising. This is awesome information to have, as it can help you refine your SEO strategy.

8. Rank Ranger

Rank Ranger provides rank tracking, on-page SEO analysis, and comprehensive reporting. It allows you to track your keyword rankings over time and measure the impact of your SEO efforts.

It’s important to note here that no single tool can provide all the answers. Using a combination of these platforms can give you a more accurate picture of your SEO performance and let you know where you might improve.

Regularly monitoring your website’s metrics and making adjustments based on the data is key to achieving long-term SEO success.

When to hire an SEO agency

It’s a good idea to hire an agency if your SEO efforts have failed to progress, if you don’t have sufficient internal resources, or if it’s time to scale.

Here are some specific examples:

Limited in-house expertise

Without in-house SEO expertise, it can be challenging to effectively implement and manage SEO strategies.

Time constraints

If you and your team are already stretched thin with other responsibilities, bringing in an agency can free up time to focus on core business activities while experts handle your SEO efforts.

Large scope of work

For larger websites and more complex SEO projects (such as ecommerce sites with thousands of product pages), an agency offers resources and tools to navigate complexities more effectively.

Stagnating (or declining) traffic

Is your organic traffic stagnant or declining despite your best efforts? It may be time to bring in experts who can identify and address underlying issues.

Local SEO needs

If your business relies heavily on local customers, a specialized local SEO agency can help optimize your online presence for local search.

Penalty recovery

In the event that your website has been penalized by search engines due to guideline violations, an agency can assist with recovery – including identifying and rectifying any issues that led to the penalty.

Competitive industry

In highly competitive industries, SEO requires constant attention and optimization. Agencies often have the tools and resources to compete effectively in challenging niches.

International expansion

If you’re expanding your business internationally or targeting multiple regions, an agency can help you with international SEO strategies and localization efforts.

Content marketing

If content marketing is a significant component of your SEO strategy and you need help with new content creation, optimization, and promotion, an SEO company can provide valuable support.

Customized strategies

Agencies can tailor SEO strategies to your specific goals and needs, ensuring that you get a personalized approach rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Google algorithm changes

Be aware of major Google algorithm updates that may impact your rankings. Sudden drops in rankings or traffic could be a sign of algorithmic changes.

Ultimately, the decision to hire an SEO agency should be based on your business’s specific needs and resources.

If you believe that SEO services are required to achieve your goals and improve your online visibility, it may be the right time to bring in an agency.

The takeaway

When done right, your website’s SEO efforts can rocket you to the first page (or even the first spot) of search engine results — but it will take time.

Be consistent with your strategy and check in every few months to make sure incremental progress is being made.

Ready to get your pages ranking faster? Reach out to HawkSEM. From small businesses to names like Verizon and Microsoft, our SEO work improves domain authority and gets sites ranked.

This article has been updated and was originally published in November 2023.