What are SEO Metrics & KPIs?
SEO metrics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. They track various aspects like organic traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rates, and conversion rates, helping you assess visibility, user engagement, and technical performance, ultimately ensuring your SEO strategies support business goals.
By regularly tracking key metrics, you can gain insights into how well your SEO strategies are working, optimise based on real user behaviour, and continuously enhance your website’s performance. While benchmarks can provide a useful starting point, remember that industry specifics and audience nuances can skew these numbers. That’s why it’s essential to regularly review your data, adapt your benchmarks, and fine-tune your approach for continuous improvement.
In this guide, we dive into a comprehensive list of SEO metrics you should track across different areas, from traffic and engagement to conversion and technical SEO. Whether you’re looking to improve visibility, user experience, or conversion rates, these metrics will help you assess and refine your strategy.
Traffic and Visibility
Traffic and visibility metrics focus on the reach and discoverability of your website. These metrics help you understand how well your site is performing in search engines and how many users are visiting your site through organic search. Key indicators include organic traffic, keyword rankings, and impressions, all of which reveal how effectively your SEO efforts are driving visitors to your site and increasing its online presence.
1. Search Volume
- Definition: The number of searches for a specific keyword or phrase on search engines like Google.
- Purpose: Indicates the level of interest and demand for a particular topic or keyword.
- Benchmark: There isn’t a specific benchmark for search volume, as it varies widely based on industry, keyword competitiveness, and other factors. Higher search volumes generally indicate higher interest in a topic or keyword.
2. Keyword Rankings
- Definition: The positions your website holds in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords.
- Formula: N/A (Monitored using SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush)
- Purpose: Indicates how well your site is optimised for target keywords.
- Benchmark: Aim for high rankings (top 10 positions) for important keywords.
3. Impressions
- Definition: The number of times your website’s pages are displayed in SERPs.
- Formula: N/A (Tracked via Google Search Console)
- Purpose: Shows how often your site appears in search results.
- Benchmark: A growing number of impressions indicates increased visibility.
4. Organic Traffic
- Definition: The number of visitors who arrive at your website through unpaid search results.
- Formula: N/A (Typically tracked via Google Analytics or similar tools)
- Purpose: Measures the overall visibility of your website in search engines.
- Benchmark: Varies widely by industry; consistent growth is a positive indicator.
Engagement Metrics
Engagement metrics measure how users interact with your site once they arrive. These metrics provide insights into user behaviour and the quality of your content. Key metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), bounce rate, average session duration, and pages per session help you understand how engaging and relevant your content is to your audience, highlighting areas for improvement in user experience.
5. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Definition: The percentage of users who click on your site’s link when it appears in SERPs.
- Formula: CTR = (Total Clicks / Total Impressions) * 100
- Purpose: Measures the effectiveness of your page titles and meta descriptions.
- Benchmark: Aim for a CTR of 3% or higher, but this varies by industry and keyword.
6. Bounce Rate
- Definition: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
- Formula: Bounce Rate = (Single Page Sessions / Total Sessions) * 100
- Purpose: Indicates the relevance and quality of your landing pages.
- Benchmark: Aim for a bounce rate below 40%, though this varies by industry.
7. Average Session Duration
- Definition: The average amount of time visitors spend on your site during a single session.
- Formula: Average Session Duration = Total Duration of All Sessions / Number of Sessions
- Purpose: Reflects the engagement level of your content.
- Benchmark: Strive for an average session duration of over 2 minutes.
8. Pages Per Session
- Definition: The average number of pages viewed during a session.
- Formula: Pages Per Session = Total Page Views / Total Sessions
- Purpose: Measures the depth of user engagement.
- Benchmark: Aim for 2+ pages per session.
Conversion Metrics
Conversion metrics track the effectiveness of your website in driving desired actions, such as form submissions, purchases, or sign-ups. These metrics are crucial for assessing the return on investment (ROI) of your SEO efforts. By monitoring conversion rates, goal completions, and revenue per visitor, you can determine how well your site supports your business goals and identify opportunities to enhance conversion rates.
9. Conversion Rate
- Definition: The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action (e.g., form submission, purchase).
- Formula: Conversion Rate = (Total Conversions / Total Visitors) * 100
- Purpose: Assesses the effectiveness of your site in achieving business goals.
- Benchmark: Target a conversion rate of 2-5%, but this can vary widely.
10. Goal Completions
- Definition: The number of times users complete predefined goals on your website.
- Formula: N/A (Set up in Google Analytics or similar tools)
- Purpose: Tracks specific user actions that contribute to business objectives.
- Benchmark: Varies based on goals; consistent growth is a positive indicator.
11. Revenue per Visitor (RPV)
- Definition: The average revenue generated per visitor.
- Formula: RPV = Total Revenue / Total Visitors
- Purpose: Measures the financial value of your traffic.
- Benchmark: Aims to increase over time; industry-specific benchmarks apply.
Technical SEO Metrics
Technical SEO metrics focus on the backend aspects of your website that affect its performance in search engines. These metrics include page load time, mobile usability, crawl errors, and index coverage. By ensuring your site is technically sound, you can improve its accessibility to search engine crawlers and enhance the overall user experience, leading to better rankings and higher visibility.
12. Page Load Time
- Definition: The time it takes for a web page to load.
- Formula: N/A (Measured using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights)
- Purpose: Affects user experience and SEO rankings.
- Benchmark: Aim for a load time under 3 seconds.
13. Mobile Usability
- Definition: The ease of use of your website on mobile devices.
- Formula: N/A (Monitored via Google Search Console’s Mobile Usability report)
- Purpose: Ensures a good user experience on mobile, affecting SEO rankings.
- Benchmark: Strive for no mobile usability errors.
14. Crawl Errors
- Definition: Issues that prevent search engines from crawling your site effectively.
- Formula: N/A (Reported in Google Search Console)
- Purpose: Identifies technical issues affecting site visibility.
- Benchmark: Aim for zero crawl errors.
15. Index Coverage
- Definition: The number of pages indexed by search engines.
- Formula: N/A (Tracked via Google Search Console)
- Purpose: Ensures your important pages are being indexed.
- Benchmark: Aim for all critical pages to be indexed.
16. Total Backlinks
- Definition: The total number of external links pointing to your site.
- Formula: N/A (Monitored using tools like Ahrefs, Moz)
- Purpose: Indicates the authority and trustworthiness of your site.
- Benchmark: More high-quality backlinks generally improve rankings.
17. Referring Domains
- Definition: The number of unique domains linking to your site.
- Formula: N/A (Monitored using SEO tools)
- Purpose: Measures the diversity of your backlink profile.
- Benchmark: A higher number of referring domains typically boosts SEO.
18. Domain Authority (DA)
- Definition: A score indicating the overall strength and authority of your site.
- Formula: N/A (Calculated by tools like Moz)
- Purpose: Predicts your site’s ability to rank in search engines.
- Benchmark: Aim for a DA score that is competitive within your industry.
User Behaviour Metrics
User behaviour metrics provide insights into how visitors interact with your site over time. These metrics, including return rate and exit pages, help you understand user loyalty and identify areas where users may be encountering issues. By analysing these behaviours, you can make informed decisions to improve user satisfaction and retention.
19. Return Rate
- Definition: The percentage of visitors who return to your site.
- Formula: Return Rate = (Returning Visitors / Total Visitors) * 100
- Purpose: Measures user loyalty and engagement.
- Benchmark: Higher return rates indicate strong content and user satisfaction.
20. Exit Pages
- Definition: The pages from which users most frequently leave your site.
- Formula: N/A (Tracked via Google Analytics)
- Purpose: Identifies pages that may need optimisation to retain visitors.
- Benchmark: Aim to reduce exit rates on key pages.
Competitive Metrics
Competitive metrics help you understand your performance relative to your competitors. Metrics like share of voice and competitor keyword gap highlight your market position and reveal opportunities for improvement. By benchmarking against your competitors, you can identify strengths and weaknesses in your SEO strategy.
21. Share of Voice (SOV)
- Definition: The percentage of total industry traffic your site receives.
- Formula: SOV = (Your Traffic / Total Industry Traffic) * 100
- Purpose: Measures your market visibility compared to competitors.
- Benchmark: Strive for a higher SOV than your main competitors.
22. Competitor Keyword Gap
- Definition: The difference in keyword rankings between your site and competitors.
- Formula: N/A (Analysed using SEO tools)
- Purpose: Identifies opportunities to outrank competitors.
- Benchmark: Reduce the keyword gap over time.
Testing and Optimisation Metrics
Testing and optimisation metrics focus on the continuous improvement of your SEO efforts. Through A/B testing and heat maps, you can experiment with different elements of your site and make data-driven decisions to enhance performance. These metrics guide you in refining your strategies to achieve better results over time.
23. A/B Testing Results
- Definition: Comparison of different versions of a page to determine which performs better.
- Formula: N/A (Set up and analysed using tools like Google Optimize)
- Purpose: Optimises elements such as titles, content, and CTAs for better performance.
- Benchmark: Aim for a minimum 5% improvement on key metrics from A/B tests.
24. Heat Maps
- Definition: Visual representations of where users click and scroll on your site.
- Formula: N/A (Generated using tools like Hotjar)
- Purpose: Identifies areas of high engagement and potential issues.
- Benchmark: Use heat maps to refine and optimise page layouts.
At a Glance
This table provides a quick reference to the benchmarks and formulas for evaluating the performance of your website’s traffic and visibility, engagement, conversions, technical SEO, user behaviour, competitive positioning, and optimisation efforts.
Traffic and Visibility Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Search Volume | Higher volumes indicate higher interest | N/A (Monitored using SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush) |
| Keyword Rankings | Aim for top 10 positions for important keywords | N/A (Monitored using SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush) |
| Impressions | Increasing impressions indicates growing visibility | N/A (Tracked via Google Search Console) |
| Organic Traffic | Consistent growth is a positive indicator | N/A (Typically tracked via Google Analytics or similar tools) |
Engagement Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 3% or higher | (Total Clicks / Total Impressions) * 100 |
| Bounce Rate | Below 40% | (Single Page Sessions / Total Sessions) * 100 |
| Average Session Duration | Over 2 minutes | Total Duration of All Sessions / Number of Sessions |
| Pages Per Session | 2+ pages per session | Total Page Views / Total Sessions |
Conversion Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Rate | 2-5% | (Total Conversions / Total Visitors) * 100 |
| Goal Completions | Consistent growth is a positive indicator | N/A (Set up in Google Analytics or similar tools) |
| Revenue per Visitor (RPV) | Increase over time; industry-specific benchmarks apply | Total Revenue / Total Visitors |
Technical SEO Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Page Load Time | Under 3 seconds | N/A (Measured using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights) |
| Mobile Usability | No mobile usability errors | N/A (Monitored via Google Search Console’s Mobile Usability report) |
| Crawl Errors | Aim for zero crawl errors | N/A (Reported in Google Search Console) |
| Index Coverage | All critical pages indexed | N/A (Tracked via Google Search Console) |
| Total Backlinks | More high-quality backlinks generally improve rankings | N/A (Monitored using tools like Ahrefs, Moz) |
| Referring Domains | Higher number of referring domains typically boosts SEO | N/A (Monitored using SEO tools) |
| Domain Authority (DA) | Competitive score within your industry | N/A (Calculated by tools like Moz) |
User Behaviour Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Return Rate | Higher return rates indicate strong content and user satisfaction | (Returning Visitors / Total Visitors) * 100 |
| Exit Pages | Reduce exit rates on key pages | N/A (Tracked via Google Analytics) |
Competitive Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Share of Voice (SOV) | Higher SOV than main competitors | (Your Traffic / Total Industry Traffic) * 100 |
| Competitor Keyword Gap | Reduce the keyword gap over time | N/A (Analyzed using SEO tools) |
Testing and Optimisation Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| A/B Testing Results | Minimum 5% improvement on key metrics | N/A (Set up and analyzed using tools like Google Optimize) |
| Heat Maps | Use heat maps to refine and optimise page layouts | N/A (Generated using tools like Hotjar) |
Over to You!
Tracking the right SEO metrics is key to measuring the success of your strategies and identifying areas for improvement. Whether you’re just starting or refining your efforts, focusing on metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates can provide clear insights into your site’s performance and help you reach your business goals. Remember, SEO is a continuous process, and regularly monitoring these metrics will keep you on track for long-term success.
What SEO metrics have you found most valuable? Share your thoughts or ask any questions in the comments – we’d love to hear your experiences!
