What is A/B Split Testing in SEO?

Earning profit and staying ahead of your competitors should not be the only motivators for those who want to start a business. You should also be able to understand your target market and how they interact with a brand or business, whether it is through social media or the official website. 

Before starting a business or building a website, you should also run some tests, too. This is where website testing comes in. This will help find out what your users want to see on your website, or whether your content is relatable to your target audience.

By comparing a control page with a test group, you will be able to determine the necessary improvements needed. After all, website owners will want to create a positive and hassle-free experience for their clients through their websites. 

 

What is A/B Split Testing? 

A/B testing involves the comparison between a test page and the original page in terms of overall performance. It determines which page performs and converts better. Usually, A/B testing involves testing color changes and call-to-action messaging. From there, it will allow necessary changes needed so that the original page is able to perform better than before. 

There is also such a thing as multivariate testing, which is a more complex version of A/B testing. Unlike the latter, the former tests several page sections all at the same time. The headlines and images, buttons, and body text combinations are often tested through multivariate testing. 

This is to determine which changes or improvements are the most effective among users. This way, you will know which page elements work best and how they can create a positive impact on your page. 

 

Common issues you might encounter during website testing 

Among the main issues that you would encounter with website testing. 

 

Redirecting inconsistencies 

This happens during A/B testing wherein the main URL is visible on search engines. Yet, it ends up redirecting to the other URL sometimes. As a result, it leads to confusion as to which URL is to be indexed by search engines. 

 

Page duplication 

This refers to having multiple sets of pages that are almost identical, hence creating page duplicates. This can confuse search engines as well and affect your website’s overall performance. 

 

Cloaking 

For starters, this goes against Google guidelines and can be detrimental to your site rankings. It happens when test site versions vary and that Google sees a different version of the website compared to what other users see. 

 

How A/B testing impacts SEO 

On the one hand, it will help a lot if you run tests to understand your target users and how they interact with your website. As mentioned, doing such tests will help identify the necessary changes that need to be done to improve the site. Website owners often struggle with ranking and inefficient SEO optimization, and this is why you should testing in your digital marketing strategy. 

In other words, site testing can make or break your website in terms of organic search and overall performance. It is an important part of your digital marketing strategy that will boost your brand presence and improve conversions and performance. A digital marketing expert in Franklin TN will guide you in the right direction and ensure your brand’s success.