Search Engine Optimisation FAQs
Why is access to website statistics a prerequisite for SEO?
Website statistics refer to the information gathered about website visitors
and stored in the server log files. In its raw state, a server log file
consists of rows of space delimited data, organised so that each row contains
information relating to a single server request. There are commercial statistical
analysis packages (‘stats packages’) available which organise and display
server log data in a manner which is easy for the user to manipulate and
interpret. All stats packages utilise the same underlying data contained
in the server log files, but a package’s usefulness for search engine optimisation
purposes is dependent both on the completeness of the information which
is available to the user and the freedom allowed to manipulate, analyse
and create reports from the data. There are no free stats packages which
provide sufficient information to inform a search engine optimisation campaign.
Of the popular commercial stats packages, SmarterStats and AWstats economical packages which provide adequate data in an appropriate
form for a search engine optimisation practitioner. The remaining stats
packages lack one or more of the features required for effective search
engine optimisation analysis and monitoring:
- The facility to analyse search engine referrals by keyword and by keyphrase as distinct data sets
- A system for identifying and recording search engine spider activity by user agent
- The ability to create reports utilising user defined parameters and non-standard reporting periods
Optillion will inform clients during the pre-optimisation assessment if the website’s existing stats package is inadequate for search engine optimisation purposes and offer advice on selecting a suitable replacement package.
Optillion uses analysis of website statistics at the planning stage of a search engine optimisation project to inform the keyword selection process and benchmark pre-optimisation levels of website traffic, search engine referrals and spider activity. During search engine optimisation, statistical analysis is used both to monitor the progress of the campaign and highlight areas of relative underperformance. Frequent performance monitoring allows search engine optimisation techniques to be fine tuned during the course of the SEO campaign. This form of ongoing evaluation and reactive search engine optimisation is critical to ensuring that optimal search engine rankings are achieved. Following the completion of a successful search engine optimisation campaign, the ongoing SEO maintenance regime should include regular monitoring of search engine rankings, referrals and spider activity to ensure any deterioration in performance is identified early and appropriate remedial action implemented.
