What is the OVI?

The OVI (Online Value Index) is a visibility index, a metric that shows how visible and how present a website is in the results of search engines such as Google. OVI is the name the German SEO tool XOVI gives to its visibility metric, and other tools run comparable indexes under their own names.

Every index of this kind is built on a range of factors: the number and the quality of the backlinks, the structure of the website, the relevance and the quality of the content, plus further technical aspects. The OVI is normally expressed as a score on a scale from zero up to a maximum that depends on the calculation behind the individual tool. A higher OVI points to better online visibility.

How does the OVI affect SEO?

The OVI has a real effect on the search engine optimization of a website. It works as an indicator of how well an SEO strategy is doing, because it shows how present the site is in the search results. A high OVI can lift the click-through rate (CTR) and with it the traffic and the potential conversions. On top of that the OVI works as a benchmark: it lets you measure your own visibility against your competitors.

Reading the OVI also tells you which parts of your optimization are working particularly well and where there is still room to improve. That is what allows companies and site owners to adjust and refine their SEO strategy for a stronger online presence.

What can I do to improve my OVI?

To improve the OVI of a website you need a broad SEO strategy that covers the different sides of optimization. These are measures that help:

• Create high quality content: content should be informative, well researched and original. It should contain the keywords that are relevant to the topic and give readers something of value.
• Technical work: this covers the structure of the website, better loading speed and making sure the site works on mobile devices.
• Link building: quality backlinks from trustworthy and relevant websites can improve visibility and rankings in the search results.
• Local SEO: for companies with a local focus it matters to appear in local online directories and to collect positive reviews, which is the daily work of a local SEO agency.
• On-page SEO: this includes work on meta tags and URL structures, plus better internal linking.
• User signals: a better user experience helps produce positive signals such as low bounce rates and long visits, which can feed back into the OVI.

Working through these measures step by step raises the OVI over time, which means better visibility in the search results and more traffic to the website. Ongoing work of exactly that kind is what our SEO services cover.