Along with client reviews and testimonials, eCommerce SEO case studies can be some of the most useful resources that prospective clients can use to evaluate the “efficacy” of an SEO company before deciding whether or not to proceed with an agreement.
These are some of the things you can learn, along with what has the potential to be the most useful.
If Organic Impressions, Traffic, Time on Page, or Other Metrics Actually Improved
The most important thing you can look for in a high-quality eCommerce SEO case study is cold, hard, raw data. While figures can still lie and liars can still figure, it’s harder to botch numbers, and a case study can offer high topical relevance.
The most important things you can look for are actual screenshots from Google Analytics or Google Search Console that clearly show time periods and changes in organic traffic (and impressions) as well as time on page.
These metrics give the clearest indication of how user behavior among visitors to the website in question was affected by these SEO efforts.
Other important metrics that can offer some insights (but which may not be directly attributable to the SEO case study itself) are revenue, sales, and conversions – but nonetheless, where these improve, it is generally a good sign that things proceeded favorably.
(A case study can also detail what specific keywords the SEO strategies targeted, as well as the actual efforts taken to improve rankings, such as what product page optimizations were made and what the backlink profile of the client’s site looked like, among countless other things.)
What the Client’s Experience Was Actually Like
Most but not all eCommerce SEO case studies are presented as a sort of story that tells the tale of what exact issue the client faced and how the eCommerce SEO company solved it.
To do that accurately, some input from the customer is usually necessary, so quotes and detailed accounts from the client contact are often present in the case study.
More important than an exposition, however, is a reflection from the client on what areas of business improved most and what aspects of working with the SEO company were most beneficial or positive in nature.
Be on the lookout for these, as they are more direct than reviews and, when honest, can help you choose an agency that will work hard to meet your needs.
What Sorts of Unique Challenges the eCommerce SEO Agency Experienced
Another thing to look for is some background information on what made the client experience, and the conditions surrounding the business climate, unique.
Seriously, every single eCommerce SEO campaign under the sun involves target keywords and technical, on-page, off-page, and content optimizations that are intended to drive more traffic and capture more sales.
But why that’s necessary, and how they do it, are just as important as the methods they follow to execute the objective.
For instance, is business slow because of PPC restrictions? Have recent updates floored a company’s impressions? Is a company struggling to keep up with demands chasing competitive keywords simply because they lack the staff to keep up with a rigorous content schedule involving blog posts, category page publications, and internal link optimizations?
There are a million and one reasons an eCommerce business might need help with organic marketing, and an eCommerce SEO case study can tell you what they are. Read up – you might find one just like you.
Consult an eCommerce SEO Case Study for Yourself
In truth, an experience is worth a million stories, and this is little more than a tale. If you need to choose an SEO company and you want to consult an eCommerce SEO case study before you make your final decision, then that is precisely what you should do.
You can learn more about the process (as well as relevant tales of SEO) over at Genius eCommerce (GeniusEcommerce.com). Visit their website and consult their resources via the links above to learn more about how you can choose the perfect long-term SEO agency partner for your business’s specific needs.
