You're paying for SEO services, but how do you know if they're actually working? It's a valid concern—SEO can feel like a black box if you don't know what to look for.
Here are the signs that indicate your SEO is on the right track, plus red flags that suggest problems.
1. Organic Traffic Is Increasing
The most fundamental metric. Check Google Analytics for organic traffic trends over time. Look at month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons.
What to expect: Gradual increases starting around month 3-4, with more significant growth by month 6+.
Red flag: Flat or declining organic traffic after 6+ months of SEO work.
2. Keyword Rankings Are Improving
Your target keywords should be moving up in search results over time. Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to track positions.
What to expect: Keywords moving from page 3+ to page 2, then page 1 over time. Not all keywords move at once—some improve faster than others.
Red flag: No ranking improvements for any keywords after 4-6 months.
3. Impressions Are Growing
Google Search Console shows how often your site appears in search results (impressions). This often increases before clicks do.
What to expect: Rising impressions indicate Google is showing your site more. This typically precedes traffic growth.
Red flag: Declining impressions could indicate technical issues or penalties.
4. You're Ranking for More Keywords
As your site grows in authority and content, you should rank for an increasing number of keywords—including ones you didn't specifically target.
What to expect: Your total ranking keywords should grow steadily over time.
Red flag: Total keywords declining or stagnant.
5. Branded Searches Increase
As your SEO improves and more people discover your brand, searches for your company name should increase.
What to expect: Growing branded search queries in Search Console.
6. You're Getting Leads from Organic Search
Ultimately, SEO should drive business results. Track form submissions, phone calls, and other conversions from organic traffic.
What to expect: Increasing leads as traffic grows. Even if conversion rate stays constant, more traffic = more leads.
Red flag: Traffic increasing but leads not following could indicate targeting or website conversion issues.
7. Your Domain Authority Is Increasing
Third-party metrics like Moz Domain Authority or Ahrefs Domain Rating should gradually increase as you build links and authority.
What to expect: Slow, steady increases. These metrics move slowly—don't expect dramatic jumps.
8. Backlink Profile Is Growing
If your agency is doing link building, you should see new backlinks appearing over time from relevant, quality sites.
What to expect: Regular new backlinks from diverse, relevant sources.
Red flag: No new backlinks, or links only from spammy-looking sites.
9. Technical Issues Are Resolved
If your site had technical problems, these should be getting fixed. Check Google Search Console for errors and warnings.
What to expect: Decreasing crawl errors, improved Core Web Vitals, resolved indexing issues.
10. You Understand What's Happening
A good SEO provider explains what they're doing and why. You should receive regular reports and clear communication.
What to expect: Monthly reports, clear explanations of activities and results, responses to your questions.
Red flag: Vague reports, inability to explain strategy, avoiding your questions.
Realistic Expectations by Month
Months 1-2: Technical fixes, strategy development. Little visible change in rankings.
Months 3-4: Some keywords start moving. Traffic may begin increasing slightly.
Months 5-6: Clearer ranking improvements. Noticeable traffic growth. Some leads coming in.
Months 7-12: Strong ranking improvements. Significant traffic growth. SEO becoming a real lead source.
Questions to Ask Your SEO Provider
If you're unsure whether your SEO is working, ask your provider:
What specific improvements have we seen? What activities were completed this month? Which keywords are improving and which aren't? What's the plan for next month? Are we on track to hit our goals?
A good provider welcomes these questions and provides clear answers.
