{"id":13337,"date":"2025-06-23T15:46:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/"},"modified":"2025-06-23T15:46:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:46:09","slug":"the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/","title":{"rendered":"The SEO KPIs That Actually Matter (And How to Track Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Proving the value of your SEO efforts can seem like an uphill battle.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the cheat code to getting buy-in from stakeholders?<\/p>\n<p>Tracking the right SEO KPIs. Not just the default ones in your dashboards. But the <strong>right<\/strong> metrics.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to choose and monitor SEO KPIs that actually mean something. I\u2019ll show you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What makes an SEO metric a true KPI (and what doesn\u2019t)<\/li>\n<li>Which SEO KPIs matter most and why<\/li>\n<li>Which emerging KPIs to track in the era of AI Overviews and LLM search<\/li>\n<li>How to select KPIs based on your goals and maturity stage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" 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: #999;color:#999\" 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><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<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:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#What_Are_SEO_KPIs_And_What_Theyre_Not\" >What Are SEO KPIs? (And What They\u2019re Not)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Why_You_Need_to_Measure_the_Right_SEO_KPIs\" >Why You Need to Measure the Right SEO KPIs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#SEO_KPIs_That_Prove_Youre_Doing_Your_Job\" >SEO KPIs That Prove You\u2019re Doing Your Job<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Conversion_and_Revenue_KPIs\" >Conversion and Revenue KPIs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#How_to_Track_These_KPIs\" >How to Track These KPIs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#A_Note_on_Tying_SEO_KPIs_to_Revenue\" >A Note on Tying SEO KPIs to Revenue<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Visibility_and_Awareness_KPIs\" >Visibility and Awareness KPIs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#How_to_Track_These_KPIs-2\" >How to Track These KPIs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Who_Should_Use_These_KPIs\" >Who Should Use These KPIs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Engagement_and_Behavior_KPIs\" >Engagement and Behavior KPIs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#How_to_Track_These_KPIs-3\" >How to Track These KPIs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Who_Should_Use_These_KPIs-2\" >Who Should Use These KPIs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Authority_and_Ranking_Power_KPIs\" >Authority and Ranking Power KPIs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#How_to_Track_These_KPIs-4\" >How to Track These KPIs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Who_Should_Use_These_KPIs-3\" >Who Should Use These KPIs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Emerging_SEO_KPIs_for_the_AI_Era\" >Emerging SEO KPIs for the AI Era<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#How_to_Track_These_KPIs-5\" >How to Track These KPIs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#How_to_Choose_the_Right_SEO_KPIs_for_Your_Business\" >How to Choose the Right SEO KPIs for Your Business<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#1_Align_KPIs_to_Your_Business_Model\" >1. Align KPIs to Your Business Model<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#2_Map_Your_Audiences_Search_Journey\" >2. Map Your Audience\u2019s Search Journey<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#3_Define_Strategic_Business_Outcomes\" >3. Define Strategic Business Outcomes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#4_Match_KPIs_to_Your_Sites_SEO_Maturity\" >4. Match KPIs to Your Site\u2019s SEO Maturity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/the-seo-kpis-that-actually-matter-and-how-to-track-them\/#Track_the_Right_SEO_KPIs_to_Get_Real_Results\" >Track the Right SEO KPIs to Get Real Results<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_SEO_KPIs_And_What_Theyre_Not\"><\/span>What Are SEO KPIs? (And What They\u2019re Not)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>SEO KPIs are key performance indicators that tie your optimization efforts directly to business outcomes. They measure whether or not your <a title=\"How to Create an Effective SEO Strategy\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO strategy<\/a> is achieving its overall purpose.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, <a title=\"10 Important SEO Metrics to Track\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/metrics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO metrics<\/a> are more broad. They include all the available data you could monitor in SEO tools and analytics platforms.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the thing:<\/p>\n<p>Just because you can measure a bunch of different metrics doesn\u2019t mean you should treat them all as KPIs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">SEO Metric<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">SEO KPI<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"SEO Metric\">Organic traffic<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"SEO KPI\">Demo signups from organic traffic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"SEO Metric\">Bounce rate<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"SEO KPI\">Engagement on the page based by page type<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"SEO Metric\">Backlinks<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"SEO KPI\">Topical or brand authority growth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_You_Need_to_Measure_the_Right_SEO_KPIs\"><\/span>Why You Need to Measure the Right SEO KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Measuring your SEO KPIs over time is how you prove your SEO work is moving the business in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>Tracking the right KPIs can help you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Uncover blockers early:<\/strong> If conversions are dipping even though your traffic is increasing, you may have a content or UX issue.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make better decisions:<\/strong> Knowing which actions moved the needle (and when) helps you repeat tactics that work and avoid the ones that don\u2019t.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Discover much-needed pivots:<\/strong> Monitoring KPI-linked performance data makes it easier to adjust content, targeting, and resource investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SEO KPI Feedback Loop\" alt=\"SEO KPI Feedback Loop\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.60285714285714\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/seo-kpi-feedback-loop.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at the KPIs that most effectively show how SEO is moving the business forward.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEO_KPIs_That_Prove_Youre_Doing_Your_Job\"><\/span>SEO KPIs That Prove You\u2019re Doing Your Job<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Which KPIs you choose to measure should reflect where your business is going and what SEO is expected to deliver along the way.<\/p>\n<p>So, not all of the KPIs below are <strong>your<\/strong> KPIs. They depend on your specific business model, SEO maturity, and desired outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, we created a <a title=\"Free SEO KPI Planner\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1pOiKS-gwRB5RIJ-kXLxSd8Vt5NnX8qout_B1GzaYdDM\/copy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free SEO KPI planner<\/a> to help you build your own custom SEO KPI system.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 SEO KPIs Planner Worksheet\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 SEO KPIs Planner Worksheet\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.66428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/backlinko-seo-kpis-planner-worksheet.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This worksheet is a brainstorming tool. It will help you connect your SEO actions to the KPIs you need to monitor to hit your business goals.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019ll also help you avoid common mistakes like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Overreporting vanity metrics (e.g., rankings without conversion context)<\/li>\n<li>Ignoring conversions altogether<\/li>\n<li>Treating all SEO metrics as your SEO KPIs<\/li>\n<li>Failing to communicate SEO gains in terms the business cares about<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Side note:<\/strong> Your KPIs might shift over time depending on whether you\u2019re building brand awareness, driving conversions, or trying to improve user experience and engagement on the page. Use this planner to keep track of things as your business goals evolve.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conversion_and_Revenue_KPIs\"><\/span>Conversion and Revenue KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You should track conversion or revenue-related KPIs no matter what stage of SEO investment you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because these are the metrics most clearly tied to your larger goals of <strong>lead generation<\/strong> and <strong>revenue impact<\/strong>. In other words: goals that drive business growth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">KPI<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Definition<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Why It Matters<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">How to Measure<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Organic-assisted conversions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Conversions where organic search appeared in the user\u2019s journey, even if not the final touchpoint<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Shows SEO\u2019s role in the full customer journey<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Attribution paths report in GA4<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Tracking how often organic content influences purchases (even when social or paid channels get last-click credit)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Demo or trial signups<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Number of demos or trial signups attributed to organic search<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Indicator of lead generation from SEO<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Event tracking in GA4 with source segmentation<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Monitoring improvements in signups after implementing new content strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Form opt-ins<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Email signups and contact form submissions from organic traffic<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Measures mid-funnel conversions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Event tracking in analytics; form analytics tools<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Comparing form completion rates across different landing pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Revenue from organic traffic<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Earned revenue from organic search visitors<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Measures SEO ROI<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Ecommerce tracking in analytics; CRM integration for B2B<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Determining quarterly organic revenue to justify increased SEO investment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Track_These_KPIs\"><\/span>How to Track These KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>You\u2019ll need to configure a tool like <a title=\"Google Analytics 4 (GA4): The Ultimate Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/google-analytics-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Analytics<\/a> to track these types of SEO metrics based on your unique needs or goals.<\/p>\n<p>For example, using the <strong>Attribution paths<\/strong> report to track organic-assisted conversions:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Attribution Paths Report\" alt=\"Attribution Paths Report\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.89571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/attribution-paths-report.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>And the <strong>Key events<\/strong> feature to track conversions and signups:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"GA \u2013 Traffic Acquisition \u2013 Key events\" alt=\"GA \u2013 Traffic Acquisition \u2013 Key events\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.65142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ga-traffic-acquisition-key-events.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Note_on_Tying_SEO_KPIs_to_Revenue\"><\/span>A Note on Tying SEO KPIs to Revenue<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>There\u2019s some debate in the SEO community about KPIs that tie into business revenue.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve had this discussion with marketing leaders many times:<\/p>\n<p>Should you consider revenue-based SEO KPIs when determining if SEO efforts are successful?<\/p>\n<p>Just take a quick afternoon stroll in the r\/SEO subreddit, and you\u2019ll encounter wildly different opinions regarding the tie between revenue and SEO performance.<\/p>\n<p>Some will tell you that revenue-based KPIs are the only ones that matter:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Reddit \u2013 Revenue based KPIs\" alt=\"Reddit \u2013 Revenue based KPIs\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/reddit-revenue-based-kpis-scaled.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Others will tell you that all that matters is where you rank:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Reddit \u2013 Where you rank\" alt=\"Reddit \u2013 Where you rank\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.58\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/reddit-where-you-rank.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>They\u2019ll argue that KPIs based on revenue impact are unfair because an SEO team doesn\u2019t control sales team outcomes, brand messaging, product improvements, or <a title=\"Conversion Rate Optimization: The Definitive Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/conversion-rate-optimization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conversion rate optimization (CRO)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But:<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re performing SEO to help the business gain online visibility and drive growth. As long as your KPIs are linked to these broad goals, they\u2019re worth tracking.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Visibility_and_Awareness_KPIs\"><\/span>Visibility and Awareness KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>SEO KPIs related to visibility and awareness are worth tracking if you\u2019re trying to grow a brand.<\/p>\n<p>But we\u2019d argue they\u2019re now essential for <strong>all<\/strong> brands to track \u2014 no matter the growth stage.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because <a title=\"AI Overviews: What They Are and How to Optimize for Them\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-overviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI Overviews<\/a> and other <a title=\"8 AI SEO Tools We Absolutely Love Using\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-seo-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI tools<\/a> have changed the game. It\u2019s no longer just about ranking at the top of Google. Being included in AI responses is going to become an increasingly important factor in your SEO success.<\/p>\n<p>For example, here\u2019s the SERP for \u201cwhat\u2019s the best crm\u201d:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Google SERP \u2013 What\u2019s the best CRM\" alt=\"Google SERP \u2013 What's the best CRM\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2771428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/google-serp-whats-the-best-crm-scaled.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Notice how the \u201ctop\u201d result is an AI Overview that immediately tells the user a few examples of CRMs.<\/p>\n<p>Salesforce and HubSpot would never rank top for such a competitive term on their own. Appearing in an AI Overview gives them a new way to instantly appear as the right choice for a user searching for this term.<\/p>\n<p>How do you increase your chances of appearing in these responses?<\/p>\n<p>By boosting your brand visibility (among other things).<\/p>\n<p>The specifics of how you can do that are a topic for another article. For now, here are some important SEO KPIs you can use to gauge your overall brand visibility:<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">KPI<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Definition<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Why It Matters<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">How to Measure<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Organic impressions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Number of times your website appears in search results viewed by users<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates overall search visibility and potential reach<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Google Search Console impressions data<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Tracking impression growth in targeted categories following content expansion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Branded search<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Searches for your brand name and variations<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates brand awareness<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Google Search Console; Semrush\u2019s Domain Overview (useful for comparing to competitors)<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Measuring correlation of TV campaign on branded search volume<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">SERP feature ownership<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Visibility in featured snippets, knowledge panels, People Also Ask boxes etc.<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates growing authority signals<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">SERP feature tracking tools, like Semrush Position Tracking<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Monitoring featured snippet acquisition after implementing FAQ schema<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Track_These_KPIs-2\"><\/span>How to Track These KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>You can use Google Search Console to monitor organic impressions:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"GSC \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Performance \u2013 Total impressions report\" alt=\"GSC \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Performance \u2013 Total impressions report\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.1485714285714\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gsc-backlinko-performance-total-impressions-report-scaled.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>You can also use it to track branded search visibility:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"GSC \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Queries table\" alt=\"GSC \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Queries table\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.05\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gsc-backlinko-queries-table-scaled.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>To monitor <a title=\"SERP Features: What They Are &amp; Why They Matter\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/serp-features\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SERP feature<\/a> ownership, you can use <a title=\"Position Tracking: Keyword Rank Tracker Tool | Semrush\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/position-tracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Semrush\u2019s Position Tracking<\/a> tool. It shows you which SERP features you appear in for your custom-tracked keywords.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Position Tracking \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Domain ranks drop-down\" alt=\"Position Tracking \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Domain ranks drop-down\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.97571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/position-tracking-backlinko-domain-ranks-drop-down.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> A free Semrush account lets you track up to 10 keywords. Or you can use this link to access a <a title=\"Backlinko &amp; Semrush: 14-day PRO Trial\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/backlinko-offer\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Should_Use_These_KPIs\"><\/span>Who Should Use These KPIs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Visibility and awareness KPIs usually include metrics that measure larger goals of <strong>brand visibility<\/strong> and <strong>authority building<\/strong>. While they\u2019re worth tracking for all brands, they\u2019re particularly important for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Early-stage and growth-stage orgs that prioritize brand authority investment<\/li>\n<li>A small business that just started investing in SEO and marketing<\/li>\n<li>Established sites that have seen a noticeable decline in branded search<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Engagement_and_Behavior_KPIs\"><\/span>Engagement and Behavior KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ll want to monitor engagement and behavior KPIs once you\u2019re past the initial investment in SEO and into stages of SEO growth or maturity. You\u2019re getting decent traffic, and now you want to optimize the site to better engage that traffic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">KPI<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Definition<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Why It Matters<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">How to Measure<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Click-through rate (CTR)<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Percentage of impressions that result in clicks to your site<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates relevance of content to search intent<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Google Search Console CTR metrics<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Monitoring CTR improvements on pages with new title tags<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Scroll depth \/ engaged sessions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">How far users scroll; sessions with on-page engagement<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Measure of content relevance and quality<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">GA4 engaged sessions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Measuring engagement for mid-funnel pages after content restructuring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Pages per session<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Average number of pages users view during a session<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates content interest and sufficient site structure<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Analytics platforms (GA4 calls it \u201cViews per session\u201d)<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Analyzing the effectiveness of updated internal linking strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Average engagement time<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Time users spend actively engaging with content<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates how well content engages and keeps users interested<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">GA4 engagement time<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Determining which topics on the site hold user attention to guide content strategy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">On-page \u201chot spots\u201d<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Visual indicators of where users focus attention<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Reveals actual user behavior<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Heatmaps and click maps (using tools like Hotjar, VWO)<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Monitoring where and when users drop off<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Track_These_KPIs-3\"><\/span>How to Track These KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>GA4 has a lot of built-in ways to monitor KPIs related to user behavior and engagement:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"GA \u2013 Reports \u2013 Engagement \u2013 Overview\" alt=\"GA \u2013 Reports \u2013 Engagement \u2013 Overview\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.82428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ga-reports-engagement-overview.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>But you\u2019ll need to use a specialized tool like Hotjar to monitor more granular page engagement:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Hotjar \u2013 Heatmaps\" alt=\"Hotjar \u2013 Heatmaps\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.69857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/02\/hotjar-heatmaps.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Should_Use_These_KPIs-2\"><\/span>Who Should Use These KPIs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Your team should measure engagement and behavior KPIs to monitor progress toward goals related to <strong>lead generation<\/strong>, <strong>revenue impact<\/strong>, and <strong>authority building<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few example scenarios where you\u2019d want to measure these KPIs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SEO teams that focus on driving up on-page engagement<\/li>\n<li>Businesses that need to determine which content topics are resonating with their audience<\/li>\n<li>Organizations that have built a content library but are noticing underperformance<\/li>\n<li>Any team facing low conversion rates with no obvious cause<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Authority_and_Ranking_Power_KPIs\"><\/span>Authority and Ranking Power KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If topical authority or share of voice drives your strategy, track these ranking-power KPIs:<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">KPI<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Definition<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Why It Matters<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">How to Measure<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Referring domains or backlinks<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Number of external websites linking to your site<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">External signal of site authority<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Semrush Backlink Analysis and Backlink Audit<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Benchmarking authority backlinks earned from digital PR campaign<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Ranking content percentage<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Portion of indexed content ranking in target positions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates content quality and optimization effectiveness<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">SERP tracking tools with position filtering (like Semrush Position Tracking)<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Monitoring content library pages ranking in positions 1-3 for target topics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Share of voice in key topic clusters<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Visibility compared to competitors for core topic areas<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Shows topical authority and competitive position<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">SERP visibility tools, like Position Tracking<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Measuring share-of-voice compared in core topics after content refresh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Average SERP ranking positions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Average position of rankings across tracked keywords<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Overall indicator of search visibility<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Google Search Console; rank tracking tools with averaging capabilities<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Benchmarking growth in top SERP rankings over time for core keywords<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Track_These_KPIs-4\"><\/span>How to Track These KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>You\u2019ll generally need more specialized tools to track these KPIs. Semrush\u2019s <a title=\"Backlink Checker for Any Website | Semrush\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/backlinks\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backlink Analytics<\/a> shows lots of metrics about your site\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n<p>These include total numbers and trends of backlinks and referring domains:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlink Analytics \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Overview\" alt=\"Backlink Analytics \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Overview\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.07\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/backlink-analytics-backlinko-overview-scaled.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Rank tracking tools like Semrush\u2019s <a title=\"Position Tracking: Keyword Rank Tracker Tool | Semrush\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/position-tracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Position Tracking<\/a> can help you work out the percentage of your key content that ranks in target positions. And you can even get at-a-glance data about your share of voice:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Position Tracking \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Share of Voice\" alt=\"Position Tracking \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Share of Voice\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.75571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/position-tracking-backlinko-share-of-voice.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Finally, use Google Search Console to track your average ranking positions at the page or query level:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"GSC \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Queries \u2013 Average position\" alt=\"GSC \u2013 Backlinko \u2013 Queries \u2013 Average position\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0471428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gsc-backlinko-queries-average-position-scaled.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Should_Use_These_KPIs-3\"><\/span>Who Should Use These KPIs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Authority and ranking power KPIs are important for teams working toward <strong>brand visibility<\/strong> and <strong>authority building<\/strong> goals. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Organizations that prioritize backlink and <a title=\"7 Link Building Services That Actually Work\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/link-building-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital PR<\/a> investment<\/li>\n<li>Teams that are investing in growing their topical authority or increased topic ownership<\/li>\n<li>Established sites that have organic visibility but want to outpace competitors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emerging_SEO_KPIs_for_the_AI_Era\"><\/span>Emerging SEO KPIs for the AI Era<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>So much has changed in SEO since the introduction of AI and LLM-based chat and search functions.<\/p>\n<p>And with all this change comes the need to adjust how we monitor SEO success for our stakeholders, teams, and clients.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to show up at key AI-powered search moments, start tracking these new KPIs for AI mentions and visibility:<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-primary table-striped table-hover\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">KPI<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Definition<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Why It Matters<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">How to Measure<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">LLM mentions<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Frequency of brand\/product mentions in AI response outputs<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates visibility in the growing AI search ecosystem<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Manual testing; Semrush AI Toolkit<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Monitoring increased brand mentions via LLM models after implementing structured data<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">AIO visibility and inclusion rate<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Presence in Google\u2019s AI Overviews<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Critical for visibility in AI-enhanced SERPs<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">Manual tracking; Semrush Position Tracking<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Benchmarking growth in AIO optimizations for high-value queries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">Topic authority<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Demonstrates the relevance of your domain to the topic of a selected seed keyword<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Indicates potential for ranking in key topic areas<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">SEO tools with topical authority metrics, like Semrush; custom scoring<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Determining increased authority in specific targeted topics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td scope=\"row\" data-before=\"KPI\">LLM-driven traffic<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Definition\">Visitors coming from AI search channels<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Why It Matters\">Measures impact of AI tools as a new traffic channel<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"How to Measure\">GA4 with source identification; UTM parameters<\/td>\n<td data-before=\"Example\">Using GA4 and\/or UTM tagging to monitor organic traffic from LLMs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Track_These_KPIs-5\"><\/span>How to Track These KPIs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Tracking AI mentions is still a bit tricky at the moment. You can see some referral traffic from sites like ChatGPT in your Google Analytics account:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"GA \u2013 Traffic Acquisition \u2013 Session source \/ medium\" alt=\"GA \u2013 Traffic Acquisition \u2013 Session source \/ medium\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.79\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ga-traffic-acquisition-session-source-medium.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>But monitoring your brand\u2019s inclusion in AI Overviews might be easier than you think.<\/p>\n<p>Using Semrush\u2019s <a title=\"Position Tracking: Keyword Rank Tracker Tool | Semrush\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/position-tracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Position Tracking<\/a> tool, you can filter keywords by those for which you rank in the AI Overview:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Position Tracking \u2013 Ebay \u2013 Overview \u2013 SERP Features menu\" alt=\"Position Tracking \u2013 Ebay \u2013 Overview \u2013 SERP Features menu\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.77285714285714\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/position-tracking-ebay-overview-serp-features-menu.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Choose_the_Right_SEO_KPIs_for_Your_Business\"><\/span>How to Choose the Right SEO KPIs for Your Business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know what SEO KPIs you could track, you need to connect the dots between your business goals and the SEO metrics that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>Use these four approaches (alone or combined) to zero in on the KPIs that matter most to your team.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Four Ways to Choose SEO KPIs\" alt=\"Four Ways to Choose SEO KPIs\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.64571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/four-ways-to-choose-seo-kpis.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Align_KPIs_to_Your_Business_Model\"><\/span>1. Align KPIs to Your Business Model<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The way your business operates has a direct impact on which metrics signal success.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a local HVAC service provider and a global SaaS company won\u2019t measure SEO wins the same way.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples of how you might prioritize SEO KPIs based on different business models:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Small ecommerce site: Focus on revenue per organic visit, product page visibility in SERPs, and even top-of-the-funnel indicators like newsletter opt-ins or coupon searches.<\/li>\n<li>Startup SaaS platform: Track branded search growth, demo or free trial signups from organic visits, and the performance of long-tail, solution-focused keywords.<\/li>\n<li>Service-based businesses: Monitor metrics tied to future conversions, like free consultation forms, quote requests, and engagement indicators like <a title=\"What Are Pageviews? (How to Track and Improve Them)\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/pageviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">page views<\/a> per session.<\/li>\n<li>Local businesses: Prioritize local visibility KPIs like Map Pack presence, Google reviews, and organic visits from users in your service regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Pro-tip:<\/strong> There is no one-size-fits-all SEO KPI list. Determine the goals that are important to your clients, stakeholders, marketing leadership, and adjoining teams, and then decide on the ones you\u2019ll monitor over time.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Map_Your_Audiences_Search_Journey\"><\/span>2. Map Your Audience\u2019s Search Journey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To fuel real growth, map out how your audience moves through their search-to-buy journey. Then, focus on the KPIs that matter most to monitoring the goals you want to achieve.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Where is your audience in the search journey\" alt=\"Where is your audience in the search journey\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.61857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/where-is-your-audience-in-the-search-journey.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Think through the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Where does your audience search at different points of the journey? Are they using Google, TikTok, Instagram, ChatGPT?<\/li>\n<li>How does your target audience search for your product or service? Are they typing in problem-based queries or searching by brand?<\/li>\n<li>Are they using Google\u2019s AI Overviews (AIOs) to make decisions, or do they largely ignore them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you have the answers to these questions, you can map out where your brand needs to be seen by your target audience.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say you have a complex product and your audience has a long sales journey, and they do a lot of research before they make their final decision via several channels.<\/p>\n<p>Impressions across different search platforms, branded search increases, and on-page engagement would be better KPIs than immediate organic conversions or form opt-ins.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, imagine your audience is high-intent, they don\u2019t use LLMs as part of their search journey, and your site focuses on providing only bottom-of-funnel content. In this case, you\u2019d want to focus on <a title=\"What Is Click-Through Rate (CTR)?: And How To Improve It\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/what-is-ctr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CTR<\/a> and organic conversion metrics.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Define_Strategic_Business_Outcomes\"><\/span>3. Define Strategic Business Outcomes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your KPIs should reflect business outcomes you expect your strategy to influence.<\/p>\n<p>I like to think of this in four major types of strategic SEO goals:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Brand visibility<\/li>\n<li>Lead generation<\/li>\n<li>Revenue impact<\/li>\n<li>Authority building<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SEO KPIs to Track by Goal\" alt=\"SEO KPIs to Track by Goal\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/seo-kpis-to-track-by-goal.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Match_KPIs_to_Your_Sites_SEO_Maturity\"><\/span>4. Match KPIs to Your Site\u2019s SEO Maturity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ll also need to consider your KPIs based on your site\u2019s SEO maturity stage.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re in the early stage of SEO investment, you\u2019ll want to zero in on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Content production goals:<\/strong> Report on the number of new blog posts or landing pages published per month.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyword rankings:<\/strong> Track how many of your target keywords break into the top 20 search results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Visibility growth:<\/strong> Monitor the overall increase in impressions and clicks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But if you\u2019re further along in your SEO strategy?<\/p>\n<p>Shift your focus from visibility to impact and trust.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re in the advanced stages of SEO investment, rather than just asking \u201cWhat\u2019s improving?\u201d ask yourself things like:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>How many pages rank in the top 10 from our entire content library?<\/strong>For example, if only 10% of your pages rank on page 1, you\u2019ll want to monitor the topic clusters where you\u2019re weakest and set a KPI to improve those over time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Which pages or topics convert best and why?<\/strong>Let\u2019s say you have a post that drives five demo signups per month, but another page in a different topic cluster drives zero. As you work to better optimize your pages, track demo signup growth by topic to gauge improvement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Where do we see the least engagement?<\/strong>For example, if you\u2019re experiencing high impressions but low average time on page in one particular topic cluster, your content may be missing the mark. Set a goal to optimize those pages and ensure you\u2019re tracking on-page engagement as a KPI to determine which actions move the needle.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Track_the_Right_SEO_KPIs_to_Get_Real_Results\"><\/span>Track the Right SEO KPIs to Get Real Results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know what KPIs to track (and which metrics to ignore), you\u2019ll want to do the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Do a KPI audit:<\/strong> Are you tracking what really matters? Use the SEO KPIs planner to help you decide on the right ones for your business or client.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set a review cadence:<\/strong> Monitor your KPIs weekly, monthly, or quarterly based on your goals.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evolve as you grow:<\/strong> Your KPI mix should mature with your SEO strategy. You\u2019ll measure different KPIs in year one of your SEO efforts vs. year three.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This will help you drive real <a title=\"How to Measure SEO Performance &amp; Results\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/seo-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO results<\/a>. Results that grow your business and show your clients the impact of your SEO efforts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/icon-remember-v2.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Free resource:<\/strong> Remember to download our <a title=\"Free SEO KPI Planner\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1pOiKS-gwRB5RIJ-kXLxSd8Vt5NnX8qout_B1GzaYdDM\/copy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free SEO KPI planner<\/a> to set yourself up for success.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/icon-remember-v2.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-kpis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The SEO KPIs That Actually Matter (And How to Track Them)<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backlinko<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Proving the value of your SEO efforts can seem like an uphill battle. What\u2019s the cheat code to getting buy-in from stakeholders? Tracking the right SEO KPIs. Not just the default ones in your dashboards. But the right metrics. In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to choose and monitor SEO KPIs that actually mean something. I\u2019ll show you: What makes an SEO metric a true KPI (and what doesn\u2019t) Which SEO KPIs matter most and why Which emerging KPIs to track in the era of AI [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backlinko"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/seo-kpi-feedback-loop-ZN3Ple-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/seo-kpi-feedback-loop-ZN3Ple-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/craig\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}