So, you’ve put in the hard work and crafted some stellar guest posts. That's a superb first step, but let’s not put the cart before the horse. Do you know if your efforts are actually bearing fruit? A staggering number of content marketers miss out on fine-tuning their strategies because they aren't tracking the results. It’s like cooking a feast and not sticking around to see if anyone enjoys eating it.
Traffic: Understanding Your Digital Footprints
Google Analytics: Your Data Ally
Ah, Google Analytics—the treasure trove of data. Use it to see how much traffic is coming to your site as a result of each guest post. Track not just the number of visits but also gather insights into geographical data, time spent on page, and bounce rates.
Campaign Tracking for the Win
If you want to go deeper, set up campaign tracking. This allows you to understand the conversion funnel more clearly and to figure out if people are doing what you actually want them to do after reading your guest post.
Backlinks: The Bedrock of SEO
Backlink Analysis Tools: A Must-Have
There are multiple backlink analysis tools, such as Moz or Ahrefs, which can be used to track the backlinks your guest posts are generating. These can help you see if your backlink profile is being enriched by your guest posting efforts.
Dofollow, Nofollow and Text Links
Categorise the types of links you are getting: dofollow, nofollow, or plain text links. Each has its own value, and a mix is generally beneficial.
Target Keywords in Anchor Text
Are the anchor texts of these backlinks using your target keywords? This is often overlooked but can have a significant impact on your SEO efforts.
Rankings: Climbing the Google Ladder
Keyword Rankings: Are They Moving Up?
Track if the guest posts are influencing your target keyword rankings. You might notice certain posts help push you up the search engine results page (SERP) quicker than others.
Site-Wide and Individual Page Rankings
It’s not just about individual keywords. Check both site-wide and specific page rankings to see if your domain authority is receiving a boost thanks to your guest posting.
Conversions: The Bottom Line
Goals and Actions: What Do You Want?
Set up goal tracking in Google Analytics or any other analytics tool you use. Whether you want people to download a PDF, make a purchase, or sign up for an email newsletter, these are the metrics that show if your guest post is truly a success.
Conversion Rate Changes
Look for changes in conversion rates from different traffic sources. You might find that guest post traffic converts better (or worse) than average, which is invaluable data.
Sales and Lead Attribution
Where did your leads or sales come from? If you can attribute them back to your guest posting efforts, you’ve got a key performance indicator right there.
Engagement: Beyond Likes and Shares
Social Metrics: Not Just Vanity
Social shares, likes, and comments may seem like vanity metrics, but they offer insights into your guest post's reach. The higher the engagement, the better.
New Subscribers and Followers
Notice a sudden spike in blog subscribers or email list signups? If so, it's likely your guest posting is making waves.
UTM Tags for the Detail-Oriented
UTM campaign tags can be used to help identify the source of new followers or subscribers. This is golden data for assessing the effectiveness of each guest post.
If you're not measuring the impact of your guest posting, you're essentially throwing darts in the dark. It's vital to keep tabs on metrics like traffic, backlinks, rankings, conversions, and engagement to truly understand the ROI of your efforts.
Thorough tracking is not just a good practice—it’s a necessity. It helps you assess your performance, optimise your strategies, and above all, keeps you clued into what's actually working.
For those keen on upping their content marketing game, there are plenty of additional resources out there to help you measure and improve your strategies. So, go on, dive into the data, and may your guest posts shine ever brighter.