Does SEO work, really? How do you measure success?

Some people, mainly if they have had bad experiences in the past, might wonder 'does SEO work?' and how its success can be measured.

The truth is, anything related to SEO can be measured with data—it's a data-driven science.

However, the way we measure SEO success has evolved significantly over the years. Establishing clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) remains key to tracking progress, but modern SEO requires a deeper understanding of user intent, quality traffic, and overall business goals.

Measuring SEO Success

The first step in measuring SEO success is understanding the goals of your SEO campaign. While keywords remain important, these goals should be guided by what your target audience is looking for (user intent) and aligned with your business objectives.

To track SEO performance, we use a variety of tools, including:

By measuring our clients' SEO performance, we can identify areas where they need to improve and make adjustments to their SEO strategy.

Measuring Traffic to Your Website (and more)

In the past, the number of users visiting your website was seen as the main success metric for SEO. While traffic is still important, the quality of that traffic now matters more. Are visitors engaging with your content? Are they staying on your site, exploring your services, or taking meaningful actions?

With tools like GA4, we track not only the number of visitors but also key engagement metrics such as:

  • Engagement rate.
  • Time spent on the site.
  • Pages visited per session.

These metrics help us understand how well your site meets the needs of its audience and how likely they are to convert into leads or customers.

Tracking Progress

To ensure transparency, we send our clients monthly reports that summarise progress. These reports are always written in clear, layman’s terms and include benchmarks from the previous month, tracking changes in keyword rankings, traffic, and engagement metrics.

Along with these reports, we always include a short video explaining the main findings, making it easy to understand what’s improving and what we’ll focus on next.

Key Modern SEO Elements

SEO today is about much more than just keywords and backlinks. Here are some of the critical factors driving success in 2025:

1. AI and Machine Learning

Google’s algorithms now heavily rely on AI and machine learning, making it vital to create content that aligns with these technologies. This means understanding how Google interprets search queries and ensuring your content is relevant and helpful.

2. Voice Search Optimisation

With the growing use of voice-activated devices, optimising for voice search is now a key part of SEO. This includes targeting conversational keywords and providing concise, direct answers to common questions.

3. Core Web Vitals

These metrics—like page speed, visual stability, and interactivity—are more important than ever. A site that loads quickly and offers a smooth experience has a higher chance of ranking well on Google.

4. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google places increasing importance on content that demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. This is especially critical for industries like health, finance, and legal, where accurate and reliable information is essential.

5. Mobile-First Indexing

Google now indexes and ranks websites based on their mobile versions first. Ensuring your site is mobile-friendly isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity.

6. User Intent and Semantic Search

SEO success today hinges on understanding what users are really looking for and crafting content that directly answers their needs. Semantic search (how Google interprets the meaning behind a search query) also plays a big role, making it important to structure your content thoughtfully.

7. Local SEO

For businesses targeting a specific location, local SEO is crucial. “Near me” searches have surged in recent years, so optimising for local keywords and maintaining a strong presence on Google Maps can significantly boost visibility.

8. Video SEO

With video content continuing to rise in popularity, optimising for video search is essential. Whether it’s hosting videos on your site or leveraging platforms like YouTube, video SEO helps improve visibility and engagement.

Improving Your SEO

Improving your SEO involves both technical and creative work. On the creative side, this includes creating high-quality, relevant content, conducting in-depth keyword research, and crafting effective metadata.

On the technical side, SEO is about optimising your site’s structure, code, and user experience. This involves improving your site’s Core Web Vitals, page speed, mobile responsiveness, and navigation—all essential for a site that ranks well and keeps visitors engaged.

So, does SEO really work? Absolutely—but it requires a strategic, long-term approach. By setting clear KPIs, leveraging modern tools and techniques, and staying adaptable, SEO can drive measurable, meaningful results for your business.

If you’re ready to see how SEO can work for you, reach out to us for a free website audit. We’ll identify your website’s strengths, uncover opportunities for growth, and provide actionable recommendations to help you achieve your goals. 'Does SEO work?' It certainly does.