SEO in 2024: How to Understand and Improve Your Website's Performance

Intro

You’ve heard it before, and now you’re hearing it more than ever.

“SEO is dead!”

“You’re wasting your time and money!”

“It’s better to move on to other ways of driving traffic!”

Yes, SEO in 2024 is different than in the past. But it’s anything but dead. Here’s how to take advantage and position your business for massive returns.

You’re Not Alone Investing in SEO

Whether or not you invest in SEO is a business decision you must make for yourself. However, there’s something you need to know.

According to Search Engine Land, the majority of CMOs are steadily increasing or maintaining their SEO budgets.

Of course, there’s a big difference between simply investing in SEO and smartly investing in SEO.

Get smart by diving into the finer details.

How to Gauge Website SEO Performance

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is guessing as to whether an investment in SEO is generating a positive return. There shouldn’t be any gray area. It should be clear-cut.

The best approach is to track specific key performance indicators (KPIs). Start with these five:

1. Current position in search results

Track how high your web pages rank for important keywords. Are they climbing the search results, holding steady, or dropping? This reveals how well your SEO efforts are making your site visible for searches users conduct.

2. Organic search traffic

Identify how many visitors you get from search engines, minus any paid ads. This shows you how effective SEO is at driving free, targeted traffic to your site.

3. Impressions

Gauge how often your web pages appear in search results, even if users don't click. This helps you understand how many potential customers are seeing your site in search results.

4. Click-through rate (CTR)

See what percentage of users click on your webpage in search results. A high CTR suggests your search result listing is compelling and effectively captures user interest.

5. Engagement rate

Engagement rate tracks how long visitors stay on your site and how many pages they view. Strong engagement suggests your SEO efforts are attracting the right visitors and your content is keeping them interested.

While these KPIs are among the most important, there are others to consider.

For example, domain authority may be worth tracking, especially if you plan on selling your website in the future.

A higher domain authority means a higher domain valuation — and that’ll net you more money if you choose to sell your business.

11 Tips to Improve Website SEO Performance in 2024 and Beyond

When it comes to SEO performance, there are only two things that really matter:

• That your search results are trending in the right direction
• That you’re using “white hat” techniques that won’t lead to a website penalty

If you need a push in the right direction, here are 10 tips you can lean on to improve your website’s SEO performance in 2024 and beyond.

1. Focus on core web vitals

These metrics measure loading speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. Faster, smoother sites get rewarded by search engines. Leverage Google's PageSpeed Insights to pinpoint areas for improvement. Compress images, minimize code, and utilize browser caching to make your site lightning-fast.

A speedy website keeps visitors engaged and coming back for more, while also boosting your ranking in search results.

2. Prioritize mobile-first design

Over half of all searches happen on mobile devices.

If your website isn't mobile-friendly, you're missing out on a huge chunk of potential traffic. Prioritize a seamless mobile experience by using responsive design. This ensures your site adapts to any screen size, from smartphones to tablets.

Test thoroughly to identify and fix any navigation or usability issues that might frustrate mobile users.

Remember, a user-friendly mobile experience is no longer “nice to have.” It’s a must in today's mobile-driven world.

3. Use schema markup

Schema markup is like a secret language you can use to communicate with search engines. This code helps search engines understand your content, like a recipe, event, or product. Use schema markup to create richer search results that can include things like reviews, ratings, or event dates.

By giving search engines more context about your content, schema markup increases visibility and clicks.

4. Create high-quality content

High-quality content is the cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy. To become a content authority, create informative and valuable content that establishes you as an expert in your field. Target relevant keywords, but prioritize user intent.

Answer the questions your audience is searching for in a clear, concise, and engaging way. Publish fresh content regularly to keep users engaged and demonstrate your expertise.

5. Optimize for voice search

The way people search is changing. Voice search is on the rise, with people using conversational language to find information. To capture this growing market, focus on long-tail keywords and natural language phrases. Imagine how someone might ask a question about your product or service out loud, and optimize your content accordingly.

By incorporating conversational language, you'll be better positioned to capture the growing voice search market.

6. Improve user experience (UX)

A website with a great user experience is a happy website, and happy websites rank higher in search results. Make your website a pleasure to use with clear navigation, intuitive design, and easy access to information. Identify and fix any pain points that frustrate visitors, such as broken links or confusing layouts. A positive user experience keeps visitors engaged and coming back, which can also send positive signals to search engines.

A smooth user experience is not just about ranking. It's about creating a website that converts visitors into loyal fans.

7. Secure your website

Secure your website to protect user data and build trust. Use strong passwords, SSL certificates, and keep your software up-to-date. A secure website fosters confidence and encourages visitors to explore further, potentially leading to conversions or repeat visits.

Security doesn’t just protect data, it also creates a trustworthy online experience that keeps visitors coming back for more.

8. Focus on topic clusters

Organizing your content around topic clusters is good for SEO, while also providing you with content creation guidance.

Create a central pillar page on a broad topic and link to sub-pages that cover related subtopics in detail. This structure improves information flow for users and helps search engines understand your expertise in a particular subject area.

By implementing topic clusters, you can establish your website as a valuable resource on a specific topic, attracting high-quality traffic and boosting your SEO ranking.

9. Build quality backlinks

Think about it this way: Backlinks are essentially votes of confidence from other websites.

Earning backlinks from high-authority sites shows search engines your content is valuable. Guest blogging on relevant websites and creating link-worthy content are great ways to build backlinks naturally.

High-quality backlinks can significantly improve your website's ranking and credibility.

10. Keep up with SEO trends

The SEO industry is constantly evolving. To stay ahead of the curve, stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. Utilize modern SEO tools and resources to monitor your progress and identify new opportunities to improve your website's ranking and searchability.

By staying informed about the latest SEO trends, you can ensure your website remains competitive in the ever-changing search engine landscape. This will help you stay visible to your target audience and achieve your SEO goals.

11. Get serious about technical SEO

Technical SEO is like the second phase of a strong SEO strategy. It focuses on the behind-the-scenes aspects that make your website search engine-friendly. This includes things like sitemaps, robots.txt files, and structured data.

By tackling technical SEO issues, you can improve your website's crawlability and indexability, making it easier for search engines to find and understand your content. While it might sound complex, there are many resources available to help you get started.

Investing in technical SEO can unlock your website's full potential and propel you up the search engine rankings.

This is an “extra important” tip, as it spans your entire team. For example, if you’re hiring a developer, they need to understand all aspects of technical SEO, ensuring that they work in a productive and effective manner.

Getting Started: Conduct a Website Audit

It’s easy to get bogged down by all this information, but don’t let that stop you. Instead, start at the beginning and move one step at a time. For most, this means conducting a website audit.

By conducting a website audit, you'll gain valuable insights into:

• Search engine visibility: How easily can search engines find and understand your website's content?
• Mobile-friendliness: Does your website offer a seamless experience on smartphones and tablets?
• User experience: Is your website easy to navigate and use for visitors?
• Technical SEO issues: Are there any broken links, slow loading times, or other technical problems hindering your SEO performance?

Without an audit, you’re stuck guessing as to where your website stands on these important details, and which tips to tackle first.

Conclusion

SEO in 2024 isn’t as complicated as it sounds. And it’s definitely not dead.

By taking the steps above, you’re on the right path to understanding and improving your website’s performance.