{"id":651551,"date":"2025-01-30T15:05:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T12:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T15:05:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T12:05:16","slug":"your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/","title":{"rendered":"#Your guide to SEO forecasting with Google Sheets"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2b08e446c54\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2b08e446c54\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#Learn_three_practical_forecasting_techniques_to_help_predict_SEO_performance_justify_strategies_and_measure_progress\" >Learn three practical forecasting techniques to help predict SEO performance, justify strategies, and measure progress.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#Forecasting_The_secret_to_navigating_SEOs_biggest_hurdles\" >Forecasting: The secret to navigating SEO\u2019s biggest hurdles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#What_is_forecasting_in_SEO\" >What is forecasting in SEO?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#How_to_forecast_for_SEO_using_Google_Sheets\" >How to forecast for SEO using Google Sheets<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#1_The_FORECAST_function\" >1. The FORECAST function<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#2_Exponential_smoothing_forecasting\" >2. Exponential smoothing forecasting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#3_Simple_moving_average_SMA\" >3. Simple moving average (SMA)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/your-guide-to-seo-forecasting-with-google-sheets\/#Simple_Google_Sheets_techniques_for_better_SEO_forecasts\" >Simple Google Sheets techniques for better SEO forecasts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Learn_three_practical_forecasting_techniques_to_help_predict_SEO_performance_justify_strategies_and_measure_progress\"><\/span>Learn three practical forecasting techniques to help predict SEO performance, justify strategies, and measure progress.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p>SEO forecasting is essential for predicting the future performance of your strategies, measuring progress, and making data-driven decisions.<\/p>\n<p>This guide will show you how to use Google Sheets to create accurate forecasts for traffic, rankings, and revenue, even if you\u2019re not a data expert.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-forecasting-the-secret-to-navigating-seo-s-biggest-hurdles\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Forecasting_The_secret_to_navigating_SEOs_biggest_hurdles\"><\/span>Forecasting: The secret to navigating SEO\u2019s biggest hurdles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In marketing and SEO, it\u2019s often necessary to illustrate our vision for what lies ahead. Common scenarios include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Getting buy-in for a new SEO or content strategy:<\/strong> We need to demonstrate the expected ROI of the proposed strategy. While it may not be perfectly precise, providing an estimate of the potential growth this strategy could bring is crucial for securing <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roval.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Website migrations:<\/strong> How can we tell if a website has fully recovered post-migration? With variables like seasonality, it can be challenging. For instance, a migration in November might leave you unsure whether December\u2019s performance reflects issues or seasonal trends. Having projected performance metrics as a benchmark is invaluable in these cases.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Highlighting the risks of neglecting SEO:<\/strong> In a new role, I created an SEO strategy and showed the projected performance if no changes were made. The outlook wasn\u2019t promising, which emphasized the need for ongoing SEO efforts and proved that SEO is far from a one-time task.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The solution? Forecasting!<\/p>\n<p>We need to do some math to project the future; we can\u2019t just say, \u201c<em>que sera, sera<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-forecasting-in-seo\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_forecasting_in_SEO\"><\/span>What is forecasting in SEO?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Forecasting in SEO is predicting future trends in organic search traffic, keyword rankings, user behavior, and revenue using historical data, analytics, and algorithms.<\/p>\n<p>Key metrics we typically forecast:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Metrics we typically want to forecast:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clicks:<\/strong> This is the bread and butter of SEO. We aim to predict how much traffic we\u2019ll generate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Impressions: <\/strong>Often underestimated, impressions reveal trends and can measure awareness. Higher impressions mean more visibility in search results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rankings:<\/strong> A key focus for clients, tools, and SEOs alike. (Although we may shift toward a greater emphasis on CTR in the future.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conversions and revenue:<\/strong> Ultimately, this is what matters most. Showing ROI through conversions and revenue is the true success in SEO.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: How to do an SEO projection<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-forecast-for-seo-using-google-sheets\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_forecast_for_SEO_using_Google_Sheets\"><\/span>How to forecast for SEO using Google Sheets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are various ways and tools for forecasting, including creating your own Python scripts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In many cases, with some manual data collection and cleaning, you can simply use Google Sheets.<\/p>\n<p>Forecasting ranges from simple tactics to more advanced ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Once you understand that SEO forecasting is about estimating rather than providing precise math, you\u2019ll likely develop your own methods.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-the-forecast-function\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_FORECAST_function\"><\/span>1. The FORECAST function<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The easiest, most straightforward way is to use the FORECAST function:<\/p>\n<p><code>=FORECAST(x, data_y, data_x)<\/code><\/p>\n<p>Where:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>x<\/code>: This is the specific point or value you want to predict or estimate.<\/li>\n<li><code>data_y<\/code>: This is the list of numbers representing the historical data for the SEO metric you\u2019re forecasting.<\/li>\n<li><code>data_x<\/code>: This is the list of dates corresponding to the historical data, showing when each value in <code>data_y<\/code> occurred.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The FORECAST function in Google Sheets predicts future values using linear regression.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It calculates a straight line that best fits your existing data points and uses this line to estimate future outcomes based on the trend.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of how this may look like on a graph:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"565\" height=\"410\" alt=\"Traffic forecast with variability using linear regression\" class=\"wp-image-451260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression.png.webp 565w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression-466x338.png.webp 466w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression-156x113.png.webp 156w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression.png.webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"565\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression.png.webp\" alt=\"Traffic forecast with variability using linear regression\" class=\"wp-image-451260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression.png.webp 565w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression-466x338.png.webp 466w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Trafic-forecast-with-variability-using-linear-regression-156x113.png.webp 156w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The red regression line is the forecasting line. It\u2019s the straight line that passes through as many data points as possible on the graph, allowing it to estimate future trends.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s another example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"518\" height=\"548\" alt=\"Sample Table With The FORECAST Function\" class=\"wp-image-451261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function.png.webp 518w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function-319x338.png.webp 319w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function-107x113.png.webp 107w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"518\" height=\"548\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function.png.webp\" alt=\"Sample Table With The FORECAST Function\" class=\"wp-image-451261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function.png.webp 518w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function-319x338.png.webp 319w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Sample-table-with-the-FORECAST-function-107x113.png.webp 107w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Columns A and B have the historical clicks data by month from September 2023 to December 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to predict the clicks for January 2025, February 2025, and March 2025 and put those values in Column C.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This method is easy to use and explain, but not all data fits neatly into a straight line, as shown in the first example above.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-exponential-smoothing-forecasting\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Exponential_smoothing_forecasting\"><\/span>2. Exponential smoothing forecasting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This forecasting method emphasizes recent data more than older ones, making the forecast more responsive to recent changes and trends in data. Here\u2019s how to get started:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add an index column next to your data columns as follows:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"310\" height=\"452\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 1\" class=\"wp-image-451262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1.png 310w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1-232x338.png.webp 232w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1-78x113.png.webp 78w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"310\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1.png\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 1\" class=\"wp-image-451262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1.png 310w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1-232x338.png.webp 232w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-1-78x113.png.webp 78w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the \u201cIndex\u201d and \u201cClicks\u201d columns, then go to the <em>Insert<\/em> menu and click on <em>Insert chart<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"595\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 2\" class=\"wp-image-451263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2.png.webp 1100w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-600x325.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-800x433.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-200x108.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-768x415.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2.png.webp\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 2\" class=\"wp-image-451263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2.png.webp 1100w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-600x325.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-800x433.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-200x108.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-2-768x415.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Customize the chart by selecting the <em>Customize<\/em> tab.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"622\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 3\" class=\"wp-image-451264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-600x233.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-800x311.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-200x78.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-768x299.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-1536x597.png 1536w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3.png.webp\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 3\" class=\"wp-image-451264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3.png.webp 1600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-600x233.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-800x311.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-200x78.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-768x299.png.webp 768w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-3-1536x597.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Series<\/a><\/em> and adjust the settings as follows. (Notice how the graph now includes a trend line for forecasting.) You can use the formula pointed to by the arrow to fill in the remaining values in the \u201cClicks\u201d column.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1013\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 4\" class=\"wp-image-451265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4.png 1013w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-600x284.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-800x379.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-200x95.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-768x364.png 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1013\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4.png\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 4\" class=\"wp-image-451265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4.png 1013w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-600x284.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-800x379.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-200x95.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-4-768x364.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>For row index 17, the clicks would be equal to <code>=123*Exp(-0.0949)^A18<\/code>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"549\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 5\" class=\"wp-image-451266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5.png.webp 1100w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-600x299.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-800x399.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-200x100.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-768x383.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1100\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5.png.webp\" alt=\"Exponential smoothing forecasting - Step 5\" class=\"wp-image-451266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5.png.webp 1100w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-600x299.png.webp 600w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-800x399.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-200x100.png.webp 200w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Exponential-smoothing-forecasting-Step-5-768x383.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: How to reliably predict SEO success before publishing content<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-simple-moving-average-sma\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Simple_moving_average_SMA\"><\/span>3. Simple moving average (SMA)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This forecasting method calculates the forecast as the average of historical data over N periods, where N represents the number of past periods considered.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, to forecast clicks for next month using the past three months\u2019 data (100, 120, and 110 units), the calculation would be:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Forecast = (100 + 120 + 110) \u00f7 3 = 110 clicks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here, N is 3 because we used three months of historical data.<\/p>\n<p>To forecast using the SMA method in Google Sheets, simply calculate the average of the past few months. For example, to forecast Jan. 2025, Feb. 2025, and Mar. 2025, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For January 2025, the forecast is the average of the last three months (October \u2013 December 2024).<\/li>\n<li>For February 2025, the forecast is the average of the previous three months (the forecasted value for November 2024 \u2013 January 2025).<\/li>\n<li>Continue the same way for each following month.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"434\" alt=\"Simple moving average example\" class=\"wp-image-451267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example.png.webp 525w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example-409x338.png.webp 409w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example-137x113.png.webp 137w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"434\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example.png.webp\" alt=\"Simple moving average example\" class=\"wp-image-451267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example.png.webp 525w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example-409x338.png.webp 409w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Simple-moving-average-example-137x113.png.webp 137w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-simple-google-sheets-techniques-for-better-seo-forecasts\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Simple_Google_Sheets_techniques_for_better_SEO_forecasts\"><\/span>Simple Google Sheets techniques for better SEO forecasts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google Sheets offers various forecasting models. With time and experimentation, you can determine which best suits your data.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that these models provide estimates, not exact figures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As long as this is clearly communicated to stakeholders, any model you choose will add value.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use the linear regression model when your data is best represented by a straight line.<\/li>\n<li>Consider exponential smoothing to assign more weight to recent data, which is especially useful if your website has undergone significant changes, such as a design overhaul, in the past few months.<\/li>\n<li>Opt for the simple moving average to identify trends and gauge the direction of future performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I recommend combining these methods to achieve the most reliable forecast for your data.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: How to use RStudio to create traffic forecasting models<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"about-author\">\n<p>About the author<\/p>\n<div class=\"information\">\n<div class=\"author-module\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 text-center\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" alt=\"Sara Taher\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/09\/Sara-Taher.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/09\/Sara-Taher.png.webp\" alt=\"Sara Taher\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-9\">\n<div class=\"about\">\n<div class=\"name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Sara Taher<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"row g-2 pt-2\">\n<div class=\"col-auto twitter\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/follow?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearchengineland.com%2F&amp;region=follow_link&amp;screen_name=SaraTaherSEO&amp;tw_p=followbutton&amp;variant=2.0\" rel=\"me\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-x-twitter\"><\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-auto\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sara-seo-specialist\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\tSara Taher is a Canadian based SEO consultant with over 8 years experience in the field. She is most known for her SEO tips and riddles that she shares on her Linkedin account. You can sign up for her <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter &amp; check out her blog <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sara-taher.com\/\">here<\/a>.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seo-forecasting-google-sheets-guide-451253\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn three practical forecasting techniques to help predict SEO performance, justify strategies, and measure progress. SEO forecasting is essential for predicting the future performance of your strategies, measuring progress, and making data-driven decisions. This guide will show you how to use Google Sheets to create accurate forecasts for traffic, rankings, and revenue, even if you\u2019re&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":651552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/01\/Your-guide-to-SEO-forecasting-with-Google-Sheets.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[26293,78070],"class_list":["post-651551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-google","tag-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=651551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/651552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=651551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=651551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}