The digital world, as it is currently conceived, is an extension of offline life, even more so when it comes to business management and marketing. That’s why many of the techniques used in those fields are also useful online. A good example of this is benchmarking . You’ve probably heard of it! But did you know there’s a digital variant called SEO benchmarking ?
Well, that’s exactly what we’ll talk about in this post . However, before going into detail, let’s review the generic version of this concept: What is benchmarking ? Briefly explained, it consists of looking at what others are doing. Investigating the products or processes your competitors are using to then make strategic decisions based on them.
Now that we know that, it’s time to talk about SEO benchmarking . Well, it’s exactly the same thing! Except this time, it’s based on analyzing the actions others take to rank in search engines.
It’s important to clarify that this isn’t a technique that seeks to copy what your competitors are doing. Rather, it’s about trying to decipher the working methods that will help you achieve your SEO goals. This starts with recognizing your weaknesses, as well as your strengths, in relation to those third parties you’re focusing on.
Isaac Newton once famously said, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” That’s the premise of SEO benchmarking ! Research the best references and then develop your own plans to achieve good search engine rankings. Want to learn how to do it? Then pay attention:
How to do SEO benchmarking ?
The first step in SEO benchmarking is to be clear about what you’re trying to achieve. This means conducting a competitive analysis of other websites to find opportunities for improvement on your own.
That’s why we consider it pertinent to structure the process into an internal and external phase. The first phase involves an analysis of your own website, followed by an external look. You’ll achieve this by identifying and ranking your competitors.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll be ready to develop an SEO strategy based on the data we collect through SEO benchmarking . Follow these steps:
1. Analyze your website
As we’ve mentioned, any change you want to make to your SEO strategy must start with your current situation. That’s why it’s a good idea to ask yourself some questions about the characteristics of the traffic coming to your website. For example: Are they converting as expected? Is your off-page SEO strategy working?
In addition, you should assess your website’s visibility: What is your current ranking? Is the content you generate quality? Does your web architecture encourage people to come to you? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can continue with the remaining steps.
2. Identify your competitors
At this point, you already have a realistic view of your position within your competitive sector. That means the next step is to focus on those who are striving for the same SEO goals as you: those other websites that talk about the same things as you.
To do this, simply search Google and enter the keywords you typically use. Another option is to use specialized sites like Ahrefs or SEMrush, which will directly show you your competitors.
3. Separate and then qualify
Not all pages pose the same risk. They’re all different! We recommend differentiating between full and partial competitors, based on the volume of web traffic they receive or their match with your keywords.
4. Establish your value points and create a strategy
For better measurement, it’s a good idea to establish certain indicators to consider, such as the number of visits or the use of keywords . The important thing is to build a well-organized database that allows you to process the data in the best possible way.
Once you’ve done that, start researching the market and processing the information you gain to develop strategies that will lead you to success. That’s the primary goal of SEO benchmarking !
SEO Benchmarking Conclusion
Once you master all these steps, you’ll have a good chance of carrying out a successful SEO benchmark . But remember that the information resulting from this analysis isn’t valid on its own; you must process it appropriately. After all, remember that you’re the one making the decisions.
But, overall, it’s safe to say that SEO benchmarking is a highly desirable, winning technique for new digital entrepreneurs. It gives you a chance to analyze everything happening around you and understand how this business works. SEO isn’t easy! So it’s best to take it seriously.
That said, you just need to remember the steps to take into account: Start by looking at your own navel and see how optimized your website is. This will be your benchmark when judging your competitors. When you do, you’ll have all the information you need to develop a plan that will take you to the top of the SERPs of the major search engines.
