Cadence #39 - International SEO Tracking & Success Metrics

Hello and welcome to another (slightly delayed) #Cadence newsletter!

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to present at the International Search Summit in Barcelona, and had some great conversations around international SEO, AI, and our industry in general.

One topic that a handful of presenters covered (some more in-depth than others) was that of tracking and measuring our international SEO efforts - or to put it bluntly, how we can show ROI.

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International SEO Success Metrics

Keyword ranking and traffic data help you understand the full journey from keyword rankings to a sale, not just a single point without context.

This data is even more important when doing SEO for international markets. This is because it's part of growing your business globally. You need to know if your hard work is making money.

Proper conversion tracking is key here.

Let's look at why conversion tracking for international SEO is important for long-term success and how to set it up.

Why Tracking Each Market is Important for International SEO Success:

1. Shows if localizing SEO is working: Localizing SEO takes more work than just translating, but it's worth it. When done well, it connects better with new audiences because it's more personal.
2. Tells apart market performance from global marketing: New markets will likely perform differently than your home market. This difference is normal and helps show a realistic view of new markets.
3. Points out where to improve in each market: Some markets do better than others. Individual metrics show where to focus more and where to change your strategy.
4. Links basic SEO data with business growth: All marketing should help your business grow. Tracking each market shows if the marketing is working and helps get continued support from key people in your company.

How to Track International SEO Conversion Effectively:

Tracking international SEO conversion is straightforward.

In just four steps, you can figure out your revenue and ROI:

1. Have the right URL structure.
2. Track basic SEO key performance indicators (KPIs) for each market.
3. Set up specific events and conversions for each market.
4. Make sure these events align with your business growth goals.

Setting Up Specific Events & Conversions for Each Market:

This step is crucial. It changes basic KPIs into clear business metrics, especially for managers and stakeholders.

This type of data is common in PPC campaigns but often missed in SEO. However, SEO should also focus on conversions to really understand your ROI.

You might have this data in a CRM or sales tool, but you can also summarize it in Looker Studio. Track things like:

• Number of conversions.
• Conversion rate from organic traffic.
• Sources of conversions.
• Engagement metrics in GA4.

Once you compile all the relevant data, you'll get a clear overview that shows market-specific events and metrics in an easy-to-understand way.