10 SEO Experiments You Should Try

Are you aiming to improve your Google rankings? SEO offers an effective way to drive consistent traffic and grow your business. The higher your position on the search engine results pages (SERPs), the more clicks your website can receive. However, achieving better Google rankings requires a well-informed and strategic plan. It's not just about attempting SEO; it's about executing effective SEO practices.

Every business is unique, and an effective SEO strategy should align with its specific needs. However, there are certain approaches that are more likely to yield successful results than others.

Conducting regular SEO experiments is a valuable method to identify the most effective strategies tailored to your business. I can guide you through the process.

Before we delve into the details, let's discuss the characteristics of a credible and dependable SEO test.

SEO experimentation is a process that involves systematically testing different SEO strategies to determine their effectiveness.

Experimentation serves as the cornerstone of digital marketing and SEO. By implementing diverse strategies and monitoring their outcomes, you can identify which tactics yield the best results.

However, it's essential not to embark on random testing without direction, as it can waste valuable time and resources. Instead, base your experiments on data-driven hypotheses that have the potential to enhance your SEO efforts. Test these hypotheses to assess their impact.

For instance, you might want to explore the effectiveness of incorporating long-tail keywords into your marketing strategy. Gathering data on keywords, such as search volume distribution, can help you form well-informed hypotheses before and during your experiments. Long-tail keywords, being less competitive and more specific, can drive targeted traffic to your content based on search volume.

This is just one example. SEO experimentation may encompass a wide range of tests, including:

- Assessing different link-building strategies

- Experimenting with various content formats (e.g., infographics, long-form articles, videos)

- Testing different combinations of keywords

- Optimizing meta descriptions

- Evaluating title tags

- Implementing schema markups

Conducting SEO experiments of this nature enables you to determine the most effective ways to optimize your SEO efforts. This can lead to improved search rankings, increased web traffic, and higher conversion rates.

Several SEO experimentation tools are available, each with its advantages and limitations. Some popular tools for SEO experimentation include:

1. Google Search Console: Provides insights into how Google crawls and indexes your website, aiding in search performance optimization.

2. Semrush: Allows you to explore competitors' strategies, track keyword rankings, and conduct comprehensive website audits.

3. Moz Pro: Offers a range of site optimization tools for auditing, keyword research, link analysis, and more.

4. Google Trends: Simplifies the process of discovering trending keywords and generating content ideas.

5. Ahrefs: Helps identify content gaps, track keyword rankings, and analyze backlinks to boost your site's visibility.

6. A/B Testing: Enables you to compare two versions of a website or webpage element to determine which performs better in terms of various metrics.

7. Hotjar: Provides heatmaps and visual representations of user behavior on your site, highlighting areas where you can enhance user experience (UX).

8. Ubersuggest: Facilitates competitor site analysis, keyword and content research, and backlink analysis to enhance search engine rankings.

9. Google Optimize: Supports A/B testing, multivariate testing, and personalized web content based on user preferences.

10. AnswerThePublic: Identifies common queries related to specific keywords, aiding in content creation tailored to user intent and search engine visibility.

11. Google Analytics: Offers data on website traffic, conversions, and the impact of SEO strategies.

12. Optimizely: Helps you experiment with website modifications to improve conversions and UX.

By leveraging these tools, you can conduct systematic SEO experiments to refine your strategies and achieve better search engine rankings and overall website performance.

When selecting an SEO experimentation tool, consider the size and complexity of your website as a primary factor. Additionally, keep your budget in mind while evaluating the various features offered by each option.

Conducting consistent SEO tests is essential for determining which methods are effective for your business and which are not. However, before delving into testing various elements such as meta descriptions, title tags, keyword placement, and link building, it's important to understand how to conduct a reliable test—akin to following the scientific method.

A reliable scientific test consists of six key steps:

1. Ask a Question: Begin by formulating a clear question for which you seek an answer.

2. Make a Hypothesis: Develop a hypothesis, which is essentially your educated guess regarding the expected outcome of the test.

3. Run the Experiment and Collect Data: Execute the experiment and gather relevant data meticulously.

4. Analyze the Data: Thoroughly analyze the collected data to identify patterns, trends, and insights.

5. Draw a Conclusion: Based on the data analysis, draw a conclusion that answers the initial question and validates or refutes your hypothesis.

6. Report Your Results: Communicate the findings and results of the experiment clearly and concisely.

Avoid skipping any of these steps to ensure the reliability of your test. This process allows you to make informed decisions and implement changes based on the results.

A/B testing is the most common method for running experiments and measuring results in marketing. With A/B testing, you create two scenarios that differ only in one aspect and simultaneously test them to determine which performs better.

A/B testing surpasses the approach of measuring one page's performance in one month and another page's performance in the following month, as different time periods can yield disparate results. Comparing these results may lead to inaccurate conclusions because the variations could be attributed to timing rather than content quality.

In contrast, A/B testing enables you to make valid and practical assumptions about your content's influence on rankings.

Now that you are familiar with the scientific method and A/B testing, you are well-equipped to conduct your own experiments. Here are 10 experiments you should consider undertaking.

Experiment #1: Assessing the Impact of Nofollow Links

Despite some marketers' strong aversion to nofollow links, their influence might be more positive than perceived. Various websites and case studies have reported significant improvements in web traffic and rankings attributed to nofollow links. Whether your experience aligns with these findings or not, the only way to truly gauge the impact of nofollow links on your website is by conducting experiments.

Remember, SEO experimentation aims to shed light on such questions.

To identify websites employing nofollow links, you can utilize the NoFollow Chrome extension. This extension highlights active nofollow links in red.

Visit a publication from which you intend to secure a backlink and look for dotted red lines resembling this:

If you spot these lines, it indicates an opportunity to host your nofollow link.

Generate a backlink from the publication and monitor your rankings closely. Pay particular attention to any enhancements observed in the ranking of the page featuring the backlink.

During the experiment's duration, strive to abstain from generating any other backlinks to obtain results with fewer variables, ensuring the reliability of your findings.

Experiment #2: Evaluating the Impact of Social Signals

Social media's potency for business is well-known, from reaching new audiences to driving leads, traffic, and revenue. However, its contribution to SEO might surprise you.

Social signals constitute a crucial factor in SEO rankings. Consistently generating social signals for your website can likely boost your rankings.

But why does Google place such importance on social media activity? It's because your social presence provides evidence of your online engagement beyond maintaining an updated website.

Amidst the vast number of inactive websites, Google seeks assurance of your continued online activity.

Fortunately, this doesn't require complex efforts. You can follow a similar approach to what I do on my social accounts after publishing a blog post, as illustrated here:

And here's another example.

Transform your social signals into an experiment by increasing your social media activity for a couple of weeks and monitoring the impact on your rankings. You may be surprised by the significant influence your social media accounts can exert.

Experiment #3: Analyzing the Intent Behind Different Keywords

Keyword selection plays a pivotal role in SEO success, and it's not solely about search volume. Understanding the intent behind keywords is equally crucial.

Consider these two searches:

1. "How to clean a swimming pool filter."

2. "Best swimming pool filter brands."

These queries reveal distinct user intents. The first query seeks a tutorial or guide, while the second suggests a desire to purchase a product.

To optimize your SEO strategy effectively, focus on aligning keyword intent with your target audience's needs. Prioritize keywords that attract high-value audiences to maximize your return on investment (ROI) and overall revenue.

To pinpoint the most lucrative keywords for your business, consider conducting SEO experiments and ask:

- Which keywords bring in paying customers?

- Which keywords generate leads?

- Which keywords drive substantial traffic?

Experiment #4: Testing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

Google's accelerated mobile pages (AMP) have gained increased importance. These pages streamline content to enhance speed and performance, critical factors for mobile success.

Notably, Google predominantly ranks mobile pages over desktop versions when assessing quality and relevance. Mobile-friendliness is now paramount due to the growing prevalence of mobile web browsing.

You can implement Google AMP to create mobile-optimized pages that load rapidly, as exemplified in SERPs:

On WordPress, you can optimize for AMP using the AMP plugin. Google also offers a guide for non-WordPress users.

Consider creating an AMP version of your website alongside a regular page if it aligns with your website's purpose. Evaluate which version achieves better rankings.

If the AMP version outperforms, prioritize its development and maintenance. Otherwise, adhere to your existing strategy.

Given Google's emphasis on mobile-friendly websites, this experiment is essential for ensuring your website caters to smartphone users.

After conducting this experiment, you may discover that AMP leads to improved rankings compared to non-AMP pages.

Experiment #5: Evaluating the Impact of Website Load Speed

When was the last time you assessed the loading speed of your website?

If you're like most marketers, you may not have conducted speed tests frequently, assuming it falls under your development team's purview. However, your website's loading speed significantly influences its Google ranking, making it a crucial concern for marketers.

The faster, the better.

The slower, the worse.

This principle applies not only to SEO but also to user experience. No one, including you, enjoys waiting for a website to load when browsing the internet. When users explore the web, they seek answers or entertainment, not prolonged loading times.

Fortunately, testing your website's loading speed is straightforward. Utilizing a free tool like Pingdom is one way to do so. Simply input your URL and click the "START TEST" button on the right side of the screen.

As an example, I tested socialmediaexaminer.com using Pingdom, which assigned it a score of 78:

If you run this test on your own website and receive a grade of F, D, or even C, it may be advisable to consider reducing file sizes and optimizing your code to enhance website performance. A faster, smoother-running site results in lower bounce rates and improved rankings.

It is imperative to assess your website's loading speed regularly to avoid missing out on favorable SERP positions due to avoidable issues.

Experiment #6: Assessing the Impact of Compelling Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

The allure of your title tags and meta descriptions significantly influences users' decisions to click on your Google search result.

Moreover, higher click-through rates (CTRs) contribute to improved rankings.

But what exactly are title tags and meta descriptions?

These elements are akin to sales copy for your web page. Their purpose is to entice users to click on your result instead of others'.

As demonstrated below, the higher the number of clicks, the higher your position on the graph:

It's understandable that this aspect of SEO can feel burdensome. After creating exceptional content, the thought of optimizing meta descriptions and title tags for every piece of content may seem tedious.

However, investing time in this area is highly worthwhile.

Conduct tests using different meta descriptions and title tags to identify which ones generate the most clicks. Subsequently, replicate the successful approaches and eliminate less effective ones. This is the key to convincing users to choose your result over others.

Experiment #7: Examining the Impact of Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) Keywords

While you may already incorporate numerous keywords into your content, focusing solely on primary keywords might not be enough to secure high rankings.

The omission of latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords could be a contributing factor if your rankings are still lacking.

Diversify your keyword usage by integrating LSI keywords into your content. However, ensure that they complement your existing keywords and content rather than replacing them.

Google's suggestions can be a valuable source of LSI keywords. Simply begin typing your primary keyword, and Google will provide suggestions.

To gauge the effect of these keywords on your current rankings, select a web page that already ranks well. Then, strategically insert several LSI keywords into the content.

Allow Google sufficient time to recrawl the page, and assess the impact on your rankings. Did the page climb in rankings, remain in the same position, or drop?

Conducting this experiment will reveal whether incorporating LSI keywords can significantly enhance your website's ranking.

Experiment #8: Testing the Impact of Updating Older Content

What if there were a straightforward method to elevate the rankings of older content?

Surprisingly, such a method exists and involves revisiting previous posts, making minor adjustments, and clicking the "update" button.

Why is this essential?

Google prioritizes recent results, and the introduction of the Helpful Content Update at the end of 2022 had a global impact on websites. Consistently refreshing your content plays a pivotal role in meeting Google's emphasis on creating high-quality, up-to-date content.

Furthermore, when you update older content, Google views the page as recently published, rather than a dated piece.

This practice offers a convenient method to enhance your rankings significantly and aligns with user expectations when they search for information.

For instance, users often search for the latest data or trends, and recent content is more likely to meet their needs.

Many websites routinely employ this strategy, updating content to maintain relevance. For instance, the popular finance and investing website Investopedia regularly updates its blogs:

Implement this SEO experiment by monitoring how your rankings evolve when you update older content. Determine whether these updates lead to improved rankings and greater benefits for your business.

Experiment #9: Investigating the Impact of Adding FAQs

You are likely familiar with rich snippets in search results. But do you understand how they appear and the role of structured data markups in their display?

Adding structured data markups, specifically FAQ schema markups, can enhance the likelihood of your content being featured as a rich snippet in search results. Rich snippets present questions and answers within a single section, providing users with immediate information.

By incorporating FAQ schema markups into your blog posts or landing pages, you increase the chances of attaining a rich snippet, as demonstrated in search engine results:

The questions and answers you include in your FAQ section are of paramount importance. Integrate high-volume keywords strategically to influence conversions positively.

Ubersuggest is a valuable tool for SEO, assisting in identifying high-value keywords for your content. For instance, if you sell coffee beans online and wish to create an FAQ section about the benefits of drinking coffee, Ubersuggest can provide keyword and content ideas:

This data enables you to formulate an understanding of user intent and search intent as you design a relevant FAQ section for rich snippets.

When determining the questions and responses to include, it may be beneficial to review top-ranking pages for inspiration. Google rewards content that offers user assistance and fulfills their needs.

Monitor the impact of this experiment by tracking your page's position on search engine results pages (SERPs) both before and after implementing FAQ schema markups. Should you find the results unsatisfactory, adjustments to the questions or responses can be made.

Experiment #10: Testing the Impact of Deoptimizing Specific Pages

The notion of intentionally deoptimizing certain pages may initially seem counterintuitive, but it can be a valuable SEO experiment, especially when you aim to bolster the performance of other pages on SERPs.

Consider this scenario: you possess one page that consistently ranks poorly and another that hovers near a higher ranking. These pages address similar topics, making them suitable candidates for this experiment. By deoptimizing one page while optimizing the other, you aim to improve the latter's positioning.

This experiment also serves to assess the resilience of your web pages. Deliberately introducing diverse obstacles to pages allows you to identify areas requiring improvement.

Moreover, deoptimizing specific pages can have broader benefits for your website. Overly optimized pages can have adverse effects on SEO, including:

- Creating a subpar user experience

- Slowing down page loading times

- Attracting penalties from search engines

However, it's essential to exercise caution when undertaking this experiment. Poorly executed deoptimization can detrimentally impact user experience and overall website performance. To proceed effectively, carefully select the pages to be deoptimized and consistently monitor the outcomes. Seeking guidance from a web developer or SEO expert can be advantageous.

To ensure the success of your SEO experiments, you must measure the results effectively. Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial in this process.

Start by identifying which KPIs are relevant to your experiment. Depending on your hypothesis, you may want to monitor organic search traffic, click-through rates (CTR), bounce rates, conversion rates, or other relevant metrics.

Before initiating the experiment, establish a baseline by examining the current values of your selected KPIs. This baseline serves as a reference point, allowing you to compare the pre-experiment and post-experiment data accurately.

After implementing the changes, continuously monitor your chosen KPIs throughout and after the SEO experiment to assess any positive or negative impacts. Tools like Ubersuggest or Google Analytics offer insights into various KPIs.

Analyzing this data enables you to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of your tests. Depending on the outcome, you can decide whether to make further revisions and retest (in case of failure) or implement the updates on a larger scale (in case of success).

An Example of an SEO Experiment in Action

Let's illustrate an SEO experiment using a hypothetical scenario:

Imagine you manage the marketing team for a camping supplies company, and you want to test the impact of creating more comprehensive, informative, long-form content related to your top-selling tents on your website's performance.

Start by determining the KPIs you intend to track, which, in this case, might include organic search traffic, conversion rates, and time spent on the site. Utilize tools like Google Analytics or Google Search Console to establish baseline metrics for these KPIs before making any changes.

Once you have baseline data, proceed to create and publish the informative blogs or product pages on your website. After they go live, monitor the selected KPIs for a defined period (typically around a month) to observe any changes compared to the baseline metrics.

If you observe a significant increase in organic traffic, higher conversion rates, and extended user engagement, you can consider the experiment a success. Armed with this information, you might choose to implement similar changes for other top-selling products and continue tracking the same KPIs.

While it may seem complex, employing the right tools simplifies the process. Patience is essential in SEO experiments, as meaningful results often require time to manifest.

Q.1. How do you run an SEO experiment?

   Running an SEO experiment involves identifying a specific aspect of your website or SEO strategy to test. You should determine the key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your experiment. Implement the changes you want to test and then track the selected KPIs to assess the impact of the experiment. Analyze the results to draw conclusions about its effectiveness.

Q.2. Why should I run SEO experiments?

   SEO experiments allow you to test different strategies and hypotheses to improve your website's search engine ranking and overall performance. They provide valuable insights into what works and what doesn't, helping you refine your SEO tactics and achieve better results

Q.3. Why is SEO testing important?

   SEO testing is crucial because it enables you to validate your ideas and theories about improving your website's SEO performance. By using data-driven experiments, you can make informed decisions and optimize your website effectively, leading to improved rankings and increased organic traffic.

Higher search engine rankings translate into more clicks, traffic, leads, and customers, contributing to the growth of your business. The pursuit of SEO isn't merely for enjoyment but for tangible benefits to your company, revenue, and overall success.

To achieve effective SEO, you must conduct experiments to identify what strategies and tactics yield the best results for your specific website. Experimentation with elements such as social signals, keyword intent, latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords, content updates, and page optimization can provide valuable insights.

Some experiments will prove successful, while others may have minimal impact. Only through thorough testing and diligent tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) can you refine your SEO strategy and gain a competitive edge.

What SEO experiments are you planning to undertake this year to enhance your website's performance and search engine rankings?