Benchmarking SEO Performance - spmsolutions/seo GitHub Wiki

Benchmark the SEO and performance impact of your site (config) changes by using various tools and techniques before and after implementing the changes. Here’s how you can measure and compare the differences:

1. Use Google Lighthouse

Google Lighthouse is an open-source tool that can be run in Chrome DevTools, from the command line, or as a Node module. It provides a comprehensive analysis of your website’s performance, accessibility, best practices, SEO, and more.

  • Before Changes:

    1. Open your website in Google Chrome.
    2. Right-click and select Inspect to open DevTools.
    3. Navigate to the Lighthouse tab.
    4. Select the categories you want to test (Performance, SEO, Best Practices, etc.).
    5. Run the audit and save the report.

  • After Changes:

    1. Deploy your updated site.
    2. Run the Lighthouse audit again.
    3. Compare the reports to see improvements or regressions in SEO and performance scores.

Key Metrics to Compare:

  • SEO score
  • Performance score
  • First Contentful Paint (FCP)
  • Time to Interactive (TTI)
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

How to Record Metrics:

  • Reports: Google Lighthouse provides detailed reports after each audit. These reports can be saved as HTML files or JSON files directly from the Lighthouse tab in Chrome DevTools.
  • Screenshots: You can take screenshots of the scores and key metrics (Performance, SEO, Accessibility, Best Practices) displayed in the Lighthouse UI.
  • Tracking Tool: Use a spreadsheet to manually record the scores and key metrics (e.g., SEO score, FCP, TTI, CLS) before and after the changes. This helps you compare the impact of your SEO adjustments over time.

Dashboard Availability:

  • No Built-in Dashboard: Lighthouse doesn’t provide a persistent dashboard for tracking results over time. You need to save the reports manually and track the changes in a spreadsheet or other documentation tool.
  • Automation: If you prefer automation, you can integrate Lighthouse with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., using Lighthouse CI) to continuously monitor and compare performance metrics.

2. Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) helps you monitor your website’s presence in Google Search results.

  • Before Changes:

    1. Review your site’s current performance in GSC, focusing on metrics like clicks, impressions, average position, and coverage issues.
    2. Note any existing SEO warnings or errors.

  • After Changes:

    1. After deploying your changes, wait for a few days to a week.
    2. Check GSC again to see if there are improvements in search performance, indexing, or resolved SEO issues.

Key Metrics to Compare:

  • Click-through rate (CTR)
  • Index coverage
  • Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS)
  • Average search position

How to Record Metrics:

  • Export Data: Google Search Console allows you to export data for specific reports (e.g., Performance, Coverage, Core Web Vitals) to CSV or - - Google Sheets. You can use this feature to save data before and after your changes.
  • Screenshots: Taking screenshots of key metrics and reports (such as CTR, average position, and Core Web Vitals) can also be useful for visual comparison.
  • Tracking Tool: Use a Google Sheet or Excel spreadsheet to track changes in clicks, impressions, average position, and other key metrics over time.

Dashboard Availability:

  • Built-in Dashboard: Google Search Console provides a built-in dashboard where you can monitor your site’s performance, coverage, and Core Web Vitals over time. The dashboard updates automatically, and you can view historical data, making it easy to track the impact of your changes.
  • Manual Tracking: For specific comparisons, you may still want to export or manually record metrics.

3. WebPageTest

WebPageTest is another tool that allows you to test the performance of your website from different locations and browsers.

  • Before Changes:

    1. Run a test on WebPageTest.org by entering your site’s URL.
    2. Review the detailed performance analysis and metrics.

  • After Changes:

    1. Run the test again after deploying the new configuration.
    2. Compare the results for load times, rendering times, and overall performance.

Key Metrics to Compare:

  • Load time
  • First Byte Time (TTFB)
  • Start Render Time
  • Speed Index

How to Record Metrics:

  • Test Results: WebPageTest generates detailed reports after each test, including load times, rendering times, TTFB, and Speed Index. These reports can be saved as PDFs or CSV files.
  • Screenshots: Take screenshots of the key performance metrics displayed in the WebPageTest UI for quick comparison.
  • Tracking Tool: Record the key metrics in a spreadsheet before and after changes to compare improvements in load time, TTFB, start render time, and Speed Index.

Dashboard Availability:

  • No Built-in Dashboard: WebPageTest doesn’t provide a dashboard for ongoing monitoring. You’ll need to manually save each test result and track metrics over time using a spreadsheet or another documentation tool.
  • Automated Reports: You can automate WebPageTest to run at intervals and record results in a third-party tool like Grafana for continuous monitoring.

4. SEO Tools (e.g., Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz)

These platforms offer detailed SEO audits and tracking over time.

  • Before Changes:

    1. Run a full SEO audit of your site using one of these tools.
    2. Document current keyword rankings, site health score, and any detected issues.

  • After Changes:

    1. Re-run the audit after making changes.
    2. Monitor the site’s keyword rankings and site health over time to see the impact.

Key Metrics to Compare:

  • Domain Authority
  • Organic keyword rankings
  • Backlinks and referring domains
  • Site health score

How to Record Metrics:

  • Export Reports: Most SEO tools allow you to export audit reports, keyword rankings, backlink profiles, and site health scores as PDFs or CSV files.
  • Dashboard Screenshots: Capture screenshots of the SEO tools’ dashboards, especially the sections showing domain authority, keyword rankings, and site health.
  • Tracking Tool: Maintain a spreadsheet to log metrics like domain authority, organic keyword rankings, backlinks, and site health scores before and after making changes.

Dashboard Availability:

  • Built-in Dashboard: Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz provide comprehensive dashboards that automatically track and display your site’s SEO metrics over time. These dashboards are great for ongoing monitoring and don’t require manual tracking unless you want to compare specific metrics side by side. -Automated Alerts: These tools often include automated alerts for significant changes in rankings or site health, which can help you react quickly to any negative impacts.

5. Tracking User Engagement with Analytics

Using Google Analytics or another analytics platform, you can measure changes in user behavior that may result from your SEO optimizations.

  • Before Changes:

    1. Analyze key engagement metrics such as bounce rate, average session duration, and page views per session.

  • After Changes:

    1. Track these metrics again after deploying your updates.
    2. Look for improvements in user engagement, which can be a good indirect indicator of better SEO.

Key Metrics to Compare:

  • Bounce rate
  • Average session duration
  • Page views per session
  • Conversion rate (if applicable)

How to Record Metrics:

  • Export Data: Google Analytics allows you to export data from various reports (e.g., Audience Overview, Behavior, Conversion) to CSV, Excel, or Google Sheets.
  • Custom Dashboards: Create custom dashboards within Google Analytics to focus on specific metrics like bounce rate, session duration, and page views. These dashboards can help you track changes over time.
  • Tracking Tool: Use a spreadsheet or Google Sheets to log engagement metrics before and after changes, especially if you want to create a detailed comparison.

Dashboard Availability:

  • Built-in Dashboard: Google Analytics has a robust dashboard system where you can create and customize dashboards to track the metrics that matter most to your SEO efforts. These dashboards update automatically, making it easy to see trends and changes over time.
  • Manual Tracking: While the built-in dashboards are powerful, manually recording key metrics can still be useful for specific before-and-after comparisons.

Summary

By comparing these benchmarks before and after your changes, you can quantitatively assess the impact of your SEO configurations. Tools like Google Lighthouse, Google Search Console, WebPageTest, and SEO auditing platforms can provide valuable insights into how your changes are improving or affecting your site's performance and search engine visibility.