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A Comprehensive Guide To Setting Up SEO A/B Testing

Published on
December 23, 2024
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Ever feel like throwing darts blindfolded when optimizing your site’s performance in the SEO conversion funnel? You're not alone. Many of us have been there, tweaking titles and descriptions, hoping for a bump in rankings. But without a structured approach, you’re just guessing. That’s where SEO A/B testing comes into play. It’s a methodical way to fine-tune your site’s elements and see real improvements—like solving a puzzle where each piece fits perfectly. Curious about how to set up an SEO A/B test? This guide breaks it down for you step by step.

And if you’re looking for a tool to help streamline this process, BlogCTAs's programmatic CRO tool could be just what you need. It’s designed to help you efficiently implement and assess changes so you can focus on what matters: driving results.

What Is SEO A/B Testing?

employees on a laptop - SEO A/B Testing

SEO A/B testing is a method to increase the number of website visitors by implementing changes to specific groups of pages. It's particularly effective for websites with multiple pages, such as e-commerce or real estate sites, as it requires several pages to form test groups. In this approach, a group of pages is divided into control and experimental groups. 

Marketers make changes to the experimental group while keeping the control group untouched. This method helps avoid duplicate pages, which can negatively affect test results. By splitting identical pages into control and experimental groups, marketers can isolate factors contributing to traffic changes. Despite the importance of SEO testing, only 65% of marketers actively test their strategy.

The Different Types of SEO Testing

There are two main types of SEO testing: time-based and A/B split tests.

Time-Based SEO Testing

Time-based SEO testing involves changing a group of pages and waiting for a specific period before analyzing the results. This method doesn't require dividing pages into control and variant groups. Instead, traffic data from a control period is compared to traffic after the time elapses.

A/B Split Test

An A/B split test divides pages with similar intent into control and variant groups and monitors the differences between each group. Unlike time-based testing, this method allows for quicker analysis, often providing results within 14 to 42 days.

SEO A/B Testing vs Conversion Rate Optimization

google search console - SEO A/B Testing

SEO A/B testing is all about understanding how changes to your site influence its ranking in search engines. You might try switching a page's title tag from “Affordable Yoga Classes” to “Best Yoga Classes Near You” to see if it affects your page's position in search results.

Key Differences and Focus Areas for Optimization

Unlike traditional A/B testing, which shows different users two versions of the same page, SEO testing usually involves applying changes to one group of pages (the “test group”) while leaving a similar group untouched (the “control group”). 

The goal? To analyze whether the adjusted group performs better in rankings or organic traffic. It’s not about how users interact with your page once they land—it’s about getting them there in the first place by optimizing for Google’s algorithms.

CRO Testing: Wooing Your Visitors

CRO A/B testing is all about the human experience. Once visitors land on your site, how do they behave? Do they click "Buy Now," fill out your contact form, or bounce after a few seconds? CRO testing is where you experiment to improve these interactions and turn more visitors into customers. 

Here’s how it works: 

  • Create two versions of the same page—one with a red “Sign Up” button and another with a blue one. 
  • Both versions are shown to users randomly, and you track which version performs better at achieving your goal. 
  • CRO testing isn’t concerned with where the traffic comes from; it focuses on what happens once users are already on your site.

Key Differences at a Glance

SEO testing focuses on optimizing for search engines, while CRO testing focuses on optimizing for user behavior. SEO testing targets Google (or other search engines), whereas CRO testing is all about your human visitors. SEO tests involve changes across similar groups of pages, while CRO tests present two-page variations to users randomly. 

How They Work Together

Although SEO and CRO have different goals, they’re closely connected. Better SEO gets people to your site, while strong CRO ensures those visitors take action. Together, they form a powerful duo for growing traffic and conversions. 

So, when planning your marketing strategy, think of SEO as the strategy that opens the door to your site and CRO as the strategy that convinces people to visit and stay. Both are essential for a thriving online presence.

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Why Do You Need To Perform A/B Testing On Your SEO Strategy?

man on a laptop - SEO A/B Testing

The SEO landscape is crowded. Everyone from local businesses to giant corporations has optimized their websites. To rise above, you need more than basic SEO. Split testing lets you try different strategies and see what works. 

You move from guessing to knowing, using accurate data to improve your rankings. This way, you can confidently update your site and know you're on the right track.

Boost Your Rankings With Data-Driven Decisions

SEO is all about climbing those search rankings. A/B testing takes it further by letting you experiment and find what works best for your site. With this data, you can apply successful strategies across your entire website, improving your rankings without relying on guesses or outdated practices.

Creating a Better User Experience

Google cares about user experience. Their algorithm updates show that they're always looking for ways to improve user searches. This means that changes that improve your site’s performance will also likely improve user experience. By testing different elements, you can find ways to make your site more user-friendly, leading to better rankings.

Get the Edge Over Your Competitors

These days, everyone is doing SEO. It's no longer enough just to optimize your site. A/B testing sets you apart by giving you insights that your competitors might not have. With so many sites vying for attention, having data-backed strategies gives you an advantage. You’re not just doing SEO; you’re doing it better.

What Types Of Websites Can Run SEO A/B Testing

woman on a laptop - SEO A/B Testing

Regarding SEO A/B testing, the number of pages and their structure are crucial. You need a substantial number of pages built on the same template. They should have a similar layout or structure, like product listings or blog posts. This uniformity ensures that ranking changes are due to your test, not because the pages differ. Consistency is key here.

Traffic is equally essential. The more visitors your pages receive, the faster you can gather enough data to see if your changes are making a difference. Websites with low or irregular traffic will struggle to reach statistical significance. You’ll need more significant changes or extended test periods for meaningful results.

How Much Traffic Do You Need for Effective Testing?

For effective SEO A/B testing, aim for at least 30,000 organic monthly sessions on the group of pages you want to test. This excludes traffic to unique pages like your homepage. If your traffic is below this threshold, you can still run tests, but you'll need more significant traffic fluctuations to detect meaningful effects.

Types of Websites Best Suited for SEO A/B Testing

Some websites are better suited for SEO A/B testing than others. Here are a few examples:

Travel Websites

Sites with pages for different destinations, hotels, or experiences are perfect for testing. You can tweak page meta descriptions to see which drives more clicks.

Local Listings Websites

Directories or sites with local business listings often have thousands of location-based pages with similar templates, making them ideal candidates.

Retail/E-Commerce Websites

E-commerce platforms with product pages are a goldmine for testing. Experiment with title tags, headings, or schema markup to improve rankings and click-through rates.

Recruitment or Job Sites

These platforms typically have pages for individual job postings or employer profiles. Testing different approaches to optimizing job listings can reveal what attracts applicants most.

Real Estate Websites 

Real estate sites often feature property listings that share uniform templates and generate significant traffic. Testing things like property descriptions or CTAs can lead to substantial improvements.

Publishers and Media Sites

To optimize article traffic, blogs, news outlets, and content publishers can test headline formats, meta tags, or internal linking strategies.

Listings Websites

Platforms like Craigslist, eBay, or event directories are excellent for testing, as they generate many pages with consistent layouts. For example, test whether adding structured data improves visibility for specific categories.

When to Pivot: Adjusting SEO Testing Strategies for Sites Below Traffic Benchmarks

If your site doesn’t hit these benchmarks, consider focusing on other SEO strategies or testing on smaller sections of your site with noticeable traffic variations.

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How To Perform SEO A/B Testing On Your SEO Strategy

seo - SEO A/B Testing

Start by zeroing in on specific components of your page and testing everything at once. That’s chaos. You won’t know what moved the needle. So, pick your targets: 

  • Title tags
  • Meta descriptions
  • H1s
  • Internal linking
  • Content length
  • Keyword distribution

The goal is to isolate variables to get precise data on what works.

Hypothesis: Your Testing North Star

Create a solid hypothesis. It’s your roadmap. Be specific and measurable. Think about what you know, what you believe, and how you’ll test it. For instance, Google uses H1s for keyword relevance. Do you think tweaking H1s to match page topics boosts relevance? You’ll test refined H1s against existing ones, measuring organic traffic.

Split Pages Into Control and Variant Groups

Grab a batch of similar pages. You’re not looking to test blog titles against product pages. Keep it apples to apples. Divide these pages into control and variant groups. The control group stays the same; the variant group gets the changes. Random assignment is key to avoid skewing your results.

Make Changes and Wait

Apply your changes to the variant group and only those changes. Resist the urge to tinker. You’re isolating specific adjustments, not making general updates. Once you’ve done this, take a step back and wait.

Measure and Analyze Your Results

After setting up your A/B test, let it run for a few weeks—2 to 4 should do it—track performance metrics: organic traffic, keyword rankings, and click-through rates. Look for changes, but stick to your timeline. Analyze the data to see if your hypothesis holds water.

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