Critical SEO Metrics Every Business Should Track

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One of the great things about digital marketing is that you can track everything. However, that wealth of data can also be our downfall if we don’t know how to filter out all the noise and focus on the right metrics. There are a thousand different metrics you can measure related to search engine optimization. It’s so much that one can quickly become overwhelmed by all the different numbers.

Here’s a better idea: forget about 95% of all the SEO metrics you could be focusing on and just make sure you improve on these five key metrics and you’ll see your SEO results skyrocket.

1. Organic search traffic
You could optimize every page of your website with a new SEO strategy, but if it doesn't bring you traffic, what's the point? Organic search traffic is one of the best indicators of whether or not your SEO is working well. For example, a companies whatsapp numbers month-over-month increase in visitors through organic search shows that your site is ranking higher and showing up for more keywords that people are searching for.

You can easily track organic search traffic in Google Analytics. To get a quick snapshot of your organic search traffic, look at “Channels” under “Acquisition” in Google Analytics to see all total sessions compared to other channels. Change the time period of the report to see how organic search traffic compares to previous weeks or months. This is helpful to know where organic traffic is coming from so you can continue creating content and expand your strategy.

You can also dig deeper into the behavior of website visitors coming from organic search by adding an organic search segment in Analytics. When logged in, click “Add Segment” at the top of any report and select “Organic Traffic” or Sort Organic to see only organic search visitor data for the selected report.

2. Branded and non-branded keyword traffic
Branded keywords refer to queries that include your brand or product name, as well as any variations. For example, Nike shoes, Nike running shoes, Nike basketball shoes, or Nike slip-on shoes are all branded keywords for Nike.

Keywords that do not refer to your brand or company name are known as non-branded keywords. If your content ranks well, you will have traffic for both branded and non-branded keywords.

It can be difficult to track branded and non-branded keywords for organic search in Google Analytics or rank better organically because Google doesn’t provide a lot of organic keyword data. If you look at your keyword reports in Google Analytics, you’ll notice that most clicks fall into a keyword group simply identified as (not provided). That means all of those clicks from organic search were encrypted by Google to protect the privacy of its users. There are still ways to capture some keyword data so you can track the breakdown of your search traffic from branded and non-branded keywords. The best source for keyword data is Google Search Console.

In Google Search Console, look under “Performance” and then “Queries” to see the keyword queries that are driving impressions and clicks for your site. You can select the time period and export the report to more easily examine and separate branded and non-branded keywords.

Further...
There are several third-party tools that integrate with Search Console to simplify the process and could save you a lot of time sifting through your data. These can be especially useful if you have a large site with a lot of query data.

Google Analytics also has a report that pulls data from Search Console where you can see specific search keywords. You should also make sure that your Analytics and Google Search Console accounts are linked to access this data. Once your Analytics and Search Console accounts are connected, look under “Acquisition” and click on “Queries.” While the report only shows query information from the past 90 days, you can see all keywords. Using the advanced filter option, you can isolate branded and non-branded terms.

Once you have a system in place to separate branded and non-branded keyword traffic, track it monthly to see how it improves over time.

3. Conversions (leads or sales)
Organic search traffic is the first step, but it doesn’t do much good if that traffic doesn’t convert into new customers. You need to track your conversion rate from organic search traffic. What percentage of those organic search visitors take action and become leads or complete a purchase? Conversion goals can be set up in Google Analytics for each call to action on your site. If you have a multi-step checkout process, you can also look at Goal Flow reports to see how far your organic search visitors get in the process.

Conversion rates can be affected by several factors. One important factor for search traffic is where the searcher is in the buying cycle. If most of your traffic is coming from early research keywords, they may not be driving immediate conversions, but that doesn't mean it's not working. Consider how organic search works alongside other traffic channels to drive overall conversions. Spend some time in the "Multi-Channel Funnels" reports, including "Assisted Conversions" and the "Model Comparison Tool" to see how organic search can help conversions that typically appear to be coming from other channels. You may also find that organic search is over-attributed in some cases where navigational searches are driving a large number of leads or sales.