New SEO Client? The Counterintuitive Truth About Early Drops in Traffic Metrics

We’ve all been there. It’s the first retainer review meeting with a new client. You’ve been busting your gut for a month to show them you know what you’re doing. You open up your analytics tool and BOOM – the numbers are lower than before you started… 🤦‍♂️ How do you explain yourself outta that?! 🤷‍♂️

Waiting for SEO results can feel like watching paint dry, but here’s the thing most people miss: the real signs of success can often be seen before the traffic increases. This is how you know you’re on the right track. 

Side note: This is why it’s imperative that you also hook your SEO success into something tangible for the client. More sales or more inquiries – whatever works for them, but something that is in their world, not yours… 

After years of managing SEO campaigns for more clients than I can remember, these are the early indicators I look for to make sure I’m on the right track (even if the numbers don’t show it yet):

1️⃣ Non-Branded Search Terms Are Growing

• Your site is starting to show up for keywords that aren’t just your business name.
• You’re seeing movement in the 15-40 position range for competitive terms.
• Local pack appearances are increasing for service-based queries.

2️⃣ User Behavior is Shifting

• Bounce rates are dropping as content better matches search intent.
• Time on site is creeping up.
• Users are visiting more pages per session.
• Your most optimized pages are seeing better engagement.

3️⃣ Google’s Paying More Attention

• More pages are being indexed (and staying indexed).
• Crawl rates are increasing.
• Your sitemap changes are being picked up faster.
• Google Search Console (GSC) is showing more impressions, even if clicks haven’t caught up.

4️⃣ Quality Indicators Are Improving

• Your content is ranking for longer-tail variations of your target keywords.
• Featured snippet appearances are starting to happen.

5️⃣ Early Business Impact Signs

• Inquiries are more relevant, even if volumes haven’t jumped massively.
• More sales transactions are happening from similar traffic levels (if ecomm).
• Phone calls mention finding you through search.
• Email signups are steadily climbing.
• Your sales team is reporting better-qualified leads.

Here’s the truth: Traffic is a vanity metric. It’s not actually that difficult to get 100,000 people to view a website, but finding 1,000 of them who are ready to make a purchase decision is a VERY different task! 

SEO is really about building a foundation that brings in the right visitors who are ready to engage with your business.

These early indicators often show up 3-4 months before the traffic increases are obvious. If you’re seeing these signs, stay the course – you’re probably closer to a breakthrough than you think. And if you’re not seeing them, now is the time to start course-correcting, rather than crossing your fingers and hoping the data comes good!

Most importantly: Tracking these early indicators helps you stay ahead of awkward client conversations. You can point to positive movement even when the top-line numbers aren’t there yet.

🤨 What’s your go-to metric for proving SEO success in those early months? Mention it below – it might just save someone from a stressful client meeting!