Six mistakes that weaken SEO experiments, borrowed from scientific method

Key points

• Start tests from a real business question, then write a hypothesis that the data could prove wrong.
• Isolate variables and log concurrent site changes, since other teams' releases can distort results.
• Set success criteria before launch to avoid cherry-picking metrics that happen to look positive.
• Keep experiment logs for every test, including failed and inconclusive ones, to build compound knowledge.

Why it matters for marketers: Teams can judge whether an SEO change truly caused a result, and avoid acting on misleading wins or inconclusive tests.