If you are not familiar with Search engine optimization, it is a series of practices designed to increase a websites’ visibility in the search engine rankings through free or “organic” listings.
As you collect metrics for the SEO process you have implemented, it is extremely valuable to get historical as well as current data.

This collection of historical data is called SEO benchmarking. SEO benchmarking is a tool you can use to evaluate past and current success of you seo strategy. Some things you can use as data for seo benchmarking are quality of content, search engine inclusion, link acquisition, and overall search traffic. Comparing these things from one year to the next, or even every six months, can give you a good idea on what is working and what needs work.

Once you have this information, you can apply it immediately by identifying valleys and peaks. What were the events that preceded both positive and negative changes to the site’s SEO? It would make sense to continue using strategies that worked, and to tweak ones that are not, in order to better your over all campaign.

If you are wondering how to find things like back link acquisition or over all search traffic, yo ucan use an seo grader to grade your website. These graders essentially crawl your site for criteria that search engines look for, and assign you a grade based on how well you meet that criteria. If you are receiving a low grade, you know what you need to adjust.

There are tons of benefits to using SEO benchmarking. As an SEO professional, you know it takes time to get high ranks in search engines and it can be very difficult to maintain your position once you are there. A website’s rank is continuously challenged by existing and new competitors. In addition, search engines change their algorithm continuously and the definition of spam tends to change frequently. By benchmarking frequently, you can stay competitive, as well as improve upon your business.