Isn’t this the day old question? How do you know if your search engine optimization is working? For any SEO out there this could be one of those arguments with a client that almost never get resolved. Sometimes a lack of understanding or poor communication can bottle neck the answer of this question leading to loss of business. It is always important to set a certain expectation early in the process so nobody is caught off guard with anything. SEO is a very intangible purchase and can be a tough nut for many businesses to swallow but it is important to acknowledge when it really does work. How do you know when it does though?

Here are some ways that any business can check to see if their search engine marketing efforts truly work:

Is the Phone Ringing More?

Have you noticed an up tick in phone calls coming into your business? All of a sudden are there just a few more phone calls than there once where of potential clients inquiring about your businesses services? If you have been doing SEO and all of a sudden you are generating more phone calls chances are it is from your search engine marketing tactics and not by the good graces of god. Give your SEO a pat on the back if the phone calls are starting to spike.

More Leads

If you are a business that really focuses on producing website leads and you have noticed a few more really making it through the website lately chances are your search engine optimization is starting to work. If you have been taking a proactive online branding approach to marketing your business than things could be starting to work very well. Fire back at those web leads as soon as you can. Let them know you care about their business.

Analytics

Every business on the planet should have some sort of analytics software on their website. If you canclearly see that your traffic has been increasing due to your efforts than you know that things are starting to take shape for you. The proof is in the pudding and the numbers don’t lie. If you market your business online and do not look at any sort of analytics software you could seriously be short changing yourself. Website analytics clearly define where you traffic is coming from what they are doing and everything else in between. I personally recommend Google analyticsfor all tracking capabilities. It is free and powerful. What else do you need?

Before you rip the head of your SEO person acknowledge some of these obvious changes if they are occurring in your business. Don’t get greedy and be happy that there is just more activity occurring with your business and your website. Search engine optimization is a long term process with almost no ending so it is important to be patient and not rely on just SEO. Why would you ever stop marketing your business? SEO works the same way. You keep going because there are always new places to find your audience online.