Causal impact analysis
A statistical method that estimates the effect of an intervention by forecasting what would have happened without it, using control series…
AnalyticsLift testing
Incrementality testing
Measuring the additional outcomes caused by an activity, by comparing a treated group against an untreated control, rather than inferring causation from attribution.
In full
In SEO, true randomised tests are hard because you cannot randomise search results, so practitioners use geo holdouts, template-level split tests across matched URL groups, and switchback designs. The value is in answering whether a change caused an effect, as opposed to whether it coincided with one. Designs must control for seasonality, algorithm updates and cross-contamination between groups.
Example
A retailer applies new title templates to a random half of 6,000 product pages and compares clicks against the untouched half.
Related terms
Attribution
Assigning credit for a conversion across the touchpoints that preceded it, using rules such as last click, first click, or data-driven…
SEO split testing
Testing SEO changes by applying them to a random subset of similar pages and comparing outcomes against a held-back control group.
SEO forecasting
Projecting future organic performance from current rankings, expected position changes, demand trends and seasonality, usually as a range…
SEO ROI
The financial return generated by SEO investment, calculated from incremental revenue or cost savings against the fully loaded cost of the…