SEO Metrics

SEO Metrics  – Unlock Success with Data-Driven Performance

By: Frank DePino | April 24, 2024

SEO metrics are one of the most important aspects of getting your business seen online. But it can be difficult to know which metrics matter and how you should go about tracking them.

There is a combination of Search Engine Optimization metrics that should be tracked on a regular basis to improve search ranking. The most important SEO metrics to track are organic search traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rate, bounce rate, and page loading speed. These metrics can be tracked using google console, google analytics, or SEMrush. Beyond just these 5 metrics, there are 10 more that you should keep an eye on to keep your business bringing in as many customers as possible.

Still confused about which metrics you should be watching? Keep reading to discover the most important SEO metrics and the best ways to track them.

The 15 most important SEO metrics to track

There are several different types of SEO metrics, but not all of them are important when you are trying to deduce whether or not your website is getting visitors. There are 15 critical ones, and these are the ones you should focus your time and energy on.

1. Organic search traffic

The main reason you are monitoring SEO is to attract more organic search traffic to your website, therefore, this is the most important SEO metric to track. Checking your organic search traffic will tell you whether or not what you are doing for Search Engine Optimization is working or if you need to make changes to your SEO metrics strategy.

It’s important to note that organic traffic is not the same as paid traffic. Organic traffic is customers who find your site based on a simple Google search without clicking on a paid ad. Organic traffic is critical as it indicates consistency and is real customers rather than bots.

Line graph in SEMrush interface displaying fluctuations in Organic Search Traffic over time, indicating a website's search engine performance.

2. Keyword rankings

Check your keyword rankings and your organic search traffic to understand how Google ranks your site; both are nearly equally important in SEO metrics. Your SEO strategy should include both branded and non-branded keywords for the best results.

If you are struggling with performing keyword research, it can be helpful to hire a company like MediaBoom to help. In a case study for Meraki, Mediaboom was able to increase organic traffic by over 300% thanks to keyword research, link analysis, and SEO implementation.

Line graph in a dashboard interface showing Click-Through Rate (CTR) percentages over a specific time period, indicating the effectiveness of online advertisements or search engine listings.

3. Click-through rate (CTR)

Just because your site is showing up in Google search results doesn’t mean that all visitors are landing on your site. Your click-through rate is the percentage of Google searchers who see your site in their search results and click through to your page and is an essential aspect of monitoring SEO metrics.

For example, if your website comes up 100 times on search results, but only 2 people click through to your site, your CTR is 2%. The higher your CTR rate, the more clicks you will earn in the future.

Without a high click-through rate, your business may be spending money on paid ads that aren’t working. A good SEO strategy can help you improve your CTR.

Contact Mediaboom today for a Search Engine Optmization evaluation of your site!

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4. Bounce rate

The bounce rate is the number of people who only take a look at one page of your site before leaving. Although bounce rate isn’t a core web vital, a high bounce rate could suggest a broken page on your website.

Bounce rate is one of many SEO performance metrics, page load speed is another, and both are important for customer conversion. SEO isn’t just about getting customers to your page, it is also about turning them into paying customers to keep your business growing.

5. Page load speed

Page load speed is part of core web vitals, and it is a measure of how fast the pages of your website load. It is directly correlated with a more positive customer experience and higher customer conversion rates. Basically, the faster your site is, the more likely someone is to stick around.

Are you struggling with creating excellent pages that load quickly? Schedule a consultation with Mediaboom today to help get your site up to speed.

6. Backlinks quantity and quality

Link building takes time, but it is a critical aspect of your metric SEO as it can be solely responsible for the way Google ranks your website. The more backlinks and referring domains, the higher up in the search results your website will be.

But don’t just start putting links to every site. Google also ranks the quality of links in your articles. This means it is important to ensure you are linking to high-quality sites which will boost your rankings rather than hurt them. It is also easier to add backlinks to long-form content than on landing or sales pages.

7.  Domain authority (DA)

The backlinking ranking your site receives feeds into your domain rating. The domain rating of a website is synonymous with your domain authority, and it can be used as an overall snapshot of the ranking of your site and is part of your website’s SEO metrics.

In one case study for Qazi, Mediaboom found that working to increase your website’s domain authority directly translated to more visitors and customer conversions. The company evaluated, Qazi, experienced a 200% increase in site conversions thanks to improved domain authority.

Screenshot of Moz's Domain Authority (DA) metric displayed on a computer screen, indicating the website's ranking power in search engines.

8. Page Authority (PA)

A step down from domain authority, page authority is the rank of a specific page on your website. Pages that are more highly ranked are more likely to appear higher in search results on Google.

Page authority can be just as important as domain authority in SEO metrics as it can show you which pages are working well and which may need a boost. This is especially important when gauging customer conversion for your site.

Screenshot of MediaBoom's website displayed on a smartphone screen, featuring responsive design elements and easy-to-read text, symbolizing a well-optimized, mobile-friendly user experience

9. Mobile-friendliness

In the modern day, a larger portion of society has access to a cell phone versus a computer. One research study indicated that over half of all web users do so from their phones and that only about 30% of all website visits are from computers. This means that a site that isn’t mobile-friendly could miss out on over 50% of its potential customers.

Plus, customers are always on the go. Google knows this as well and will rank your page lower and show it to users less often if it is not mobile-friendly.

Line graph displayed within Google Analytics 4 (GA4) interface, illustrating various user engagement metrics such as 'Average Engagement Time"

10. User engagement metrics

User engagement metrics is an SEO metric that measures how engaged your audience is when they spend time on your page. For those wondering what user engagement is, it’s a combination of a few other metrics, namely, the time spent on a page and the number of recurring visitors a certain page has.

A measure of your user’s engagement levels can give you a good idea of which pages of your site work well and which ones may need some adjustments. It can also alert you to problems like a page that has a slow loading speed.

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11. Conversion rate from organic traffic

After working on your user engagement, your web page’s conversion rate from organic traffic is one of the more critical SEO metrics to track. It is a measure of the quality of the traffic your site is getting. A conversion is when a visitor purchases something from your site, whether a product or service.

A low conversion rate but high organic traffic could indicate that your site is appealing to the wrong demographic. Conversion rate is critical for the bottom line of your business. If customers are coming to your site but not spending money on your products, then your business is likely wasting money on paid ads or search functions that aren’t working.

12. Return on investment (ROI) from SEO efforts

Improving your website’s SEO metrics isn’t free. It’s important to compare the cost of your SEO with the returns you are gaining from sales and sign-ups. If you have a low ROI on your investment in SEO, it may be time to try a new strategy.

To track ROI, keep track of the amount of money spent on SEO tactics and the revenue from the customers acquired using SEO. Many companies that have worked with Mediaboom, such as Qazi, have found that their ROI increases tremendously using SEO methods, and their cost per customer acquisition lowers thanks to SEO.

Social media is vital for marketing and SEO metrics. Low engagement or shares may require revising your SEO strategy.

13. Social media shares and engagement for SEO content

Social media is one of the most important aspects of marketing and one of the critical SEO metrics, whether you are marketing a product or service. If you aren’t getting a lot of social media engagement or shares, it may be time to rethink your social media SEO strategy.

If you aren’t getting a lot of attention on social media, you may also be using the wrong platform for your customers. Remember that certain generations of users are more likely to choose different apps than other generations.

14. Pageviews per visit

The number of pages a potential customer visits, while they are on your site, can be an indication of how well your site is working to funnel users where you want them to go. If most people only visit one page and leave, this is a sign that you may need better calls to action.

Need help to increase your page views? Mediaboom is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation to help you increase your website SEO.

15. Brand mentions and online reputation

One of the ultimate goals of metric SEO is to build a brand name that others will recognize. Once you see your brand getting mentions across the web, you know your SEO campaign has been successful.

Building a brand reputation isn’t always easy, especially if your website is older or is still using media from over a decade ago.

Meraki Case Study

Meraki's website was modernized to build their brand's online reputation and run a successful SEO campaign

In this case study performed by Mediaboom for Meraki, it was discovered that an overhaul in website design can go a long way toward building a competitive brand.

After modernizing the website, the company in the study enjoyed an increase in users of over 600% than with their old website.

How can you track SEO Metrics?

There are several different tools you can use to track SEO metrics. The best tool for you will depend on the metrics you wish to track as well as your domain hosting platform.

Screenshot of SEMrush SEO Audit results, displaying a 95% health score, indicating excellent website optimization for search engines.

Site audit on Semrush

Semrush is a complete SEO toolbox. It can assist with keyword research, content marketing, and search engine ranking. It can also help with social media management, paid platform advertising, and more.

One thing that is cool about Semrush is that it can provide information about several different websites on the internet, meaning you can track your SEO as well as take a look at the websites of competitors. Semrush is an important tool when looking into technical SEO.

Screenshot of Google Search Console dashboard, featuring total web search clicks

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is one of Google’s many SEO tools which can be sued to track SEO metrics. This specific tool is geared toward website performance as well as search engine result ranking. It can also help you to see how your website compares to competing websites.

To use the  Search Console you have to sign up with Google and allow it to connect directly with your domain host. You can only use this SEO tool for your own website and it cannot be used it for looking at other websites.

Dashboard view of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), displaying views by page path and screen class over time

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the most popular tools for tracking SEO metrics and is employed by several different large domains. In fact, Google Analytics monitors impressions and CTR from Google and provides information about the customers who visit your site to help you better target your desired audience.

It’s important to note that Google Analytics and Google Search Console are not the same thing. While they are both popular SEO tools hosted by Google, they have different capabilities which may not be suitable for all business types.

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Conclusion

Overall, there are a lot of SEO metrics you need to keep an eye on. Mediaboom is a professional SEO agency ready to help you upgrade your SEO. Contact Mediaboom today for a free consultation on improving your website’s SEO and help your site get noticed by customers and Google alike!

By: Frank DePino

Frank DePino is Principal and Founder of Mediaboom. Since 2002, Frank has led Mediaboom’s award-winning staff of creative and technical professionals, building the most effective marketing and advertising solutions for its clients.

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