Single Test - Setup Instructions
This guide will show you how to set up a Single SEO Test in SEOTesting and interpret the results.
Click on the ‘SEO Tests’ link on the left-hand navigation bar:
Click on the button 'Create a new SEO Test.'
Click on the 'Create Single Test' button.
Fill in the test details, including:
Test Name
Test Description
Test, Filter, and Search Type
Country Code (If Applicable)
Date the Change was Made
Test Duration
Click on the 'Create' button.
The next screen shows the test comparison periods, where you can select a different Control Period, such as last year if you want to run a year-on-year comparison.
If you are happy with using the dates that SEOTesting has pre-selected, you do not need to change anything in this section.
Several configuration options are available when setting up a single SEO test
Single tests have four different test types:
Page: Used for analyzing changes on specific pages or website sections.
Page & Query: Combines page and query analysis to evaluate how specific pages perform for particular search terms.
Query: Used to analyze a website change’s impact on queries.
Site: Used to analyze changes made across your site, such as a template or website migration.
The Filter Type is used to refine your test scope in combination with the Test Types mentioned above, and SEOTesting has the following options available:
Contains: Includes pages/queries that contain specific text.
Equals: Matches exact pages or queries.
Not Contains: Excludes pages/queries containing specific text.
Not Equals: Excludes exact matches.
Including RegEx: Includes pages/queries matching a regular expression pattern.
Excluding RegEx: Excludes pages/queries matching a regular expression pattern.
Changing the Search Type the SEO tests focus on is also possible. SEOTesting lets you select Web, Image, News, and Video as possible traffic sources for the test.
You can use the Optional Country Code to narrow your SEO Test to traffic from a specific country.
You must also set the date the change was made. Often, this will be today’s date, but it is also possible to set it in the past, allowing you to back-test changes made within the last 15 months. This is useful when you can't create the test on the same day they're implemented.
A Single SEO Test can run for 2 to 8 weeks, so when creating the test, select the desired Test Period.
You can also integrate Google Analytics 4 event tracking alongside your SEO Test.
When setting up your test, SEOTesting imports all default GA4 events and any custom events you've created in your property, giving you visibility into user behavior during your test period.
At the top of your SEO test results page, you'll find all your test configuration details, such as the type of test performed and any active filters.
The results table below presents the main performance metrics SEOTesting tracks and measures:
Clicks Per Day: the number of clicks the test pages/queries get daily.
Site Clicks Per Day: the number of clicks all pages on the site get from Google.
Impressions Per Day: the number of impressions the test pages/queries get daily.
Average Position: the average position of the query/pages.
Click Through Rate: the CTR of the test query/pages.
Queries Per Day: the number of queries the test pages rank for per day.
When Google Analytics 4 tracking is enabled, additional GA4 data appears below the results table, providing deeper insights into user behavior.
The SEO test results page also shows a graph for each metric to visualize its performance over time, with a vertical line marking the test start date.
At the bottom of the page, you'll find statistical calculations that help determine the significance of your test results. This includes the p-value to interpret the statistical validity of your findings.
For tests with GA4 integration, additional debug information appears here to help you verify the data.
How to create a Single SEO test
Click on the ‘SEO Tests’ link on the left-hand navigation bar:
Click on the button 'Create a new SEO Test.'
Click on the 'Create Single Test' button.
Fill in the test details, including:
Test Name
Test Description
Test, Filter, and Search Type
Country Code (If Applicable)
Date the Change was Made
Test Duration
Click on the 'Create' button.
The next screen shows the test comparison periods, where you can select a different Control Period, such as last year if you want to run a year-on-year comparison.
If you are happy with using the dates that SEOTesting has pre-selected, you do not need to change anything in this section.
Single SEO Test settings
Several configuration options are available when setting up a single SEO test
Single tests have four different test types:
Page: Used for analyzing changes on specific pages or website sections.
Page & Query: Combines page and query analysis to evaluate how specific pages perform for particular search terms.
Query: Used to analyze a website change’s impact on queries.
Site: Used to analyze changes made across your site, such as a template or website migration.
The Filter Type is used to refine your test scope in combination with the Test Types mentioned above, and SEOTesting has the following options available:
Contains: Includes pages/queries that contain specific text.
Equals: Matches exact pages or queries.
Not Contains: Excludes pages/queries containing specific text.
Not Equals: Excludes exact matches.
Including RegEx: Includes pages/queries matching a regular expression pattern.
Excluding RegEx: Excludes pages/queries matching a regular expression pattern.
Changing the Search Type the SEO tests focus on is also possible. SEOTesting lets you select Web, Image, News, and Video as possible traffic sources for the test.
You can use the Optional Country Code to narrow your SEO Test to traffic from a specific country.
You must also set the date the change was made. Often, this will be today’s date, but it is also possible to set it in the past, allowing you to back-test changes made within the last 15 months. This is useful when you can't create the test on the same day they're implemented.
A Single SEO Test can run for 2 to 8 weeks, so when creating the test, select the desired Test Period.
You can also integrate Google Analytics 4 event tracking alongside your SEO Test.
When setting up your test, SEOTesting imports all default GA4 events and any custom events you've created in your property, giving you visibility into user behavior during your test period.
Interpreting SEO test results
At the top of your SEO test results page, you'll find all your test configuration details, such as the type of test performed and any active filters.
The results table below presents the main performance metrics SEOTesting tracks and measures:
Clicks Per Day: the number of clicks the test pages/queries get daily.
Site Clicks Per Day: the number of clicks all pages on the site get from Google.
Impressions Per Day: the number of impressions the test pages/queries get daily.
Average Position: the average position of the query/pages.
Click Through Rate: the CTR of the test query/pages.
Queries Per Day: the number of queries the test pages rank for per day.
When Google Analytics 4 tracking is enabled, additional GA4 data appears below the results table, providing deeper insights into user behavior.
The SEO test results page also shows a graph for each metric to visualize its performance over time, with a vertical line marking the test start date.
At the bottom of the page, you'll find statistical calculations that help determine the significance of your test results. This includes the p-value to interpret the statistical validity of your findings.
For tests with GA4 integration, additional debug information appears here to help you verify the data.
Updated on: 11/11/2024
Thank you!