How do you set goals in SEO?

Guest article

An effective strategy SEO is an indispensable element for any website aiming to achieve high search engine rankings and online success. In this context, setting clear and measurable objectives becomes key to optimising the activities of specialists in this field. So it's time to analyse how to set goals effectively and what they should be about.

What is SEO and how do search engines work? 

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of optimising a website to improve its visibility in organic search engine results. The purpose of SEO is to increase website traffic by achieving better positions in search results for specific key phrases. The process involves a number of practices and strategies to understand search engine algorithms and adapt the website to their requirements.

Search engines such as Google use robots (crawlers) to index the content available on websites. The crawlers crawl the pages, analyse the content and add it to a huge database. Search engines use complex algorithms to evaluate and rank the indexed content according to its relevance to specific key phrases. These algorithms are constantly being updated and improved. 

When a user types a query into a search engine, algorithms decide which pages should be displayed as results. These pages are presented to the user in a specific order, according to the evaluation of their value. 

SEO is practised to understand these processes and adapt the content and structure of the site to the requirements of search engines, ultimately helping the site to better positioning websites in the search results of Google or other search engines. 

From the general to the specific - defining the SEO strategy and objectives

Setting specific goals in an SEO strategy is a key element of success. It helps to effectively manage resources, monitor progress and adapt activities to changing conditions. 

It should include, but not be limited to, the following optimisation and positioning issues: 

• determining the positions you want to achieve for key and supporting phrases; 
• competitive analysis; 
• setting targets for the keywords on which you want to be visible; 
• identify objectives for maintaining or improving the site's competitiveness in relation to other industry players; 
• setting targets for organic traffic growth on the site; 
• setting external linking targets - acquiring valuable links; 
• setting goals to improve the user experience on the site; 
• setting objectives for user involvement; 
• determine how many conversions you want to achieve through organic traffic. 

The first step of SEO strategy - keyword analysis and competitor research 

Keyword analysis and competitor research are key steps in the SEO strategy planning process, helping to identify optimal keywords and key phrases and to understand the competition in a particular industry. 

These issues make it possible to determine precisely what phrases are important for a given topic, what content is effective and how competitors have prepared it. 

This information is key to developing an effective SEO strategy that can help you achieve better positions in organic search results and attract traffic to your website. 

An example of a tool for keyword analysis as well as competitive analysis is Semrush. It allows new phrases to be identified, organic search results to be analysed and rankings to be checked. Functions such as the "Keyword Magic Tool" facilitate the research of keyword searches, similar phrases and related questions. 

Website and content optimisation 

Optimisation website and content according to SEO best practices makes, increasing the visibility of the website in the search engine. As a result, there is a greater chance of obtaining better positions in search results. 

Good quality content optimised for keywords attracts organic traffic, i.e. visitors who find the site through search results, without the need for paid advertising. 

Optimisation of the website also includes aspects related to the user experience, such as page loading speed, responsiveness to different devices or readability of content. 

All this contributes to a positive visitor experience and a better rating of the site by search engine robots analysing the content and structure of the site. 

Tracking, analysis and adaptation 

Tracking, analysing and adjusting SEO strategies are key steps that have a direct impact on increasing a website's visibility in search results and increasing organic traffic. 

Regular tracking of key indicators, search engine positions, site traffic and other metrics allows you to understand how your site is performing in the online environment. This enables you to spot potential problems and successes quickly. 

Analysing the data allows you to identify which actions are effective and which may need to be adjusted. By analysing traffic sources, user behaviour, as well as any drops or increases in search positions, it is possible to better understand what is delivering the expected results. The actions listed can also give a clear indication of whether the goals previously set have been met. 

SEO for online shops

An SEO strategy for online shops is not only necessary, but required for success in today's competitive e-commerce world. Online shops are competing for the attention of online customers and an SEO strategy can significantly impact visibility, traffic and sales.

Optimising an online shop for SEO helps to achieve better positions in search results. Higher visibility, in turn, means a greater chance of attracting the attention of potential customers and purchasing your product or service.

Thoughtful setting of SEO goals can therefore, after a certain period of time, translate into increased sales results for the online shop and real profits leading to business growth.