The visibility index (SI) reflects success in the search engine. A certain level of visibility ultimately means traffic and consequently sales.
What is the visibility index?
The visibility index is a metric used to determine the value and position of a website. A higher value indicates better visibility of the website. The visibility index can be mapped using tools such as Sistrix or Xovi. However, each tool uses a different basis for determining this – there is no standardized index.
How is the visibility index calculated?
The visibility index is calculated using various aspects, which also differ depending on the tool. The features or factors include, among others:
- Keyword pool: A collection of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of keywords, whereby the top 100 are regularly taken into account, which can be widely distributed.
- This is determined by ranking under the keywords and which traffic can be expected according to placement.
Sistrix handles this very transparently and states that over 250,000 keywords are used for the calculation. 10 percent represent current events, such as keywords for the current Formula 1 season, soccer World Cup, Olympic Games and the like. These calculations result in a visibility index, which is then also used in a
can be compared with competitor analysis.
How up-to-date is the data for the calculation?
The data for the visibility index is usually updated once a week for each tool. In the case of Sistrix, this means that new calculations are available every Sunday. However, the value does not necessarily have to be updated on a daily basis, which primarily relates to the placement in the search engine ranking.
Is the visibility index meaningful?
The visibility index is one of many other metrics used to measure the results of search engine optimization. However, an increase in the visibility index does not necessarily mean that more organic visitors will land on the website. The conversion rate cannot necessarily be derived from the visibility index. The visibility index is usually meaningful, but there are also cases in which it is irrelevant. This is the case with niche websites, for example. Their keywords may not be in the keyword pool and therefore the SI for this website is negligible.
How is the value taken into account in SEO?
Due to the fact that only a certain number of keywords are taken into account, this is an approximate value. This is particularly the case if it is considered for a short period of time. The visibility index should always be considered in relation to the competition. However, the index can also show how the website has developed since its launch, as it is definitely worth looking at the historical development. This is particularly important with regard to Google updates or relaunches.
