{"id":7795,"date":"2023-01-20T14:50:55","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T14:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/"},"modified":"2023-01-20T14:50:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T14:50:55","slug":"13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"13 key SEO metrics to track in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s software to track just about every piece of SEO data. For marketers, this is a blessing and a curse. Access to data helps make savvy marketing decisions and, when analyzed correctly, aids a deeper understanding of users.<\/p>\n<p>That said, having access to data doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you need to monitor it, especially if it\u2019s unhelpful or feels overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>For this article, I reached out to marketers and SEOs who shared the SEO metrics they\u2019ll be tracking in 2023 and why they\u2019re important.<\/p>\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\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#What_are_SEO_metrics\" >What are SEO metrics?<\/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\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#SEO_metrics_you_can_track_in_GA4\" >SEO metrics you can track in GA4<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#1_Engagement_rate\" >1. Engagement rate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#2_Enhanced_measurements\" >2. Enhanced measurements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#3_Landing_pages\" >3. Landing pages<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#SEO_metrics_you_might_not_think_to_track\" >SEO metrics you might not think to track<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#4_Email_sign-ups\" >4. Email sign-ups<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#5_PPC_metrics_that_are_influenced_by_SEO_Retargeting_and_keywords\" >5. PPC metrics that are influenced by SEO: Retargeting and keywords<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#6_Images\" >6. Images<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#SEO_metrics_that_arent_going_anywhere_in_2023\" >SEO metrics that aren\u2019t going anywhere in 2023<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#7_Content_engagement\" >7. Content engagement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#8_Customer_lifetime_value\" >8. Customer lifetime value<\/a><\/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\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#9_Brand_visibility\" >9. Brand visibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#10_Missed_brand_searches\" >10. Missed brand searches<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#11_Conversions_and_conversion_rate\" >11. Conversions and conversion rate<\/a><\/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\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#12_Revenue\" >12. Revenue<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#13_Clicks_and_impressions\" >13. Clicks and impressions<\/a><\/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\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#Benefits_of_tracking_SEO_metrics\" >Benefits of tracking SEO metrics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#Which_SEO_metrics_shouldnt_you_track\" >Which SEO metrics shouldn&#8217;t you track?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/20\/13-key-seo-metrics-to-track-in-2023\/#SEO_metrics_A_summary\" >SEO metrics: A summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_SEO_metrics\"><\/span>What are SEO metrics?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>SEO metrics are data sets that help determine the success of SEO\u2019s role in digital marketing campaigns. <\/p>\n<p>By analyzing data, marketers can understand how valuable SEO\u2019s contribution to marketing is. It allows marketers to benchmark success and understand what went well and what didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n<p>More importantly, SEO metrics help businesses refine marketing campaigns to steer them toward the delivery of marketing goals.<\/p>\n<p>Some SEO metrics are more useful than others. You might be familiar with the term \u201cvanity metrics,\u201d referring to metrics that might increase with marketing efforts, but do not move the needle for the business. In SEO, vanity metrics might include impressions and even clicks.<\/p>\n<p>But does that mean these metrics aren\u2019t important? No.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is, the metrics you measure will depend on your goals. <\/p>\n<p>The skill \u2013 which comes with time \u2013 is knowing which metrics to monitor, which ones to measure in consideration with others, and which metrics to put aside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-seo-metrics-you-can-track-in-ga4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO metrics you can track in GA4<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-1-engagement-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Engagement rate<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-enhanced-measurements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enhanced measurements<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-3-landing-pages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Landing pages<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-seo-metrics-you-might-not-think-to-track\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO metrics you might not think to track<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-4-email-sign-ups\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Email sign-ups<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-5-ppc-metrics-that-are-influenced-by-seo-retargeting-and-keywords\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PPC metrics influenced by SEO: Retargeting and keywords<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-6-images\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Images<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-seo-metrics-that-aren-t-going-anywhere-in-2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO metrics that aren\u2019t going anywhere in 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-7-content-engagement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Content engagement<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-8-customer-lifetime-value\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Customer lifetime value<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-9-brand-visibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brand visibility<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-10-missed-brand-searches\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Missed brand searches<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-11-conversions-and-conversion-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conversions and conversion rate<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-12-revenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Revenue<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-13-clicks-and-impressions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clicks and impressions<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-benefits-of-tracking-seo-metrics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benefits of tracking SEO metrics<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/#h-which-seo-metrics-shouldn-t-you-track\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Which SEO metrics shouldn\u2019t you track?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEO_metrics_you_can_track_in_GA4\"><\/span>SEO metrics you can track in GA4<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is here, and with it comes <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/3-valuable-google-analytics-4-reports-for-seos-387368\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">valuable reports like traffic acquisition<\/a>. Also, engagement rate, which (if you ask me) is a far superior metric to bounce rate.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Engagement_rate\"><\/span>1. Engagement rate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Engagement rate is one of the newer metrics which graced us with its presence with GA4.<\/p>\n<p>Engagement rate is an SEO metric that measures meaningful <em>engagements<\/em> on your site. Out of the box, engagements include clicks, scrolls, conversions, and more.<\/p>\n<p>On engagement rate, SEO professional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kylerushtonmcgregor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Rushton<\/a> says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTracking engagement rate will give you insights as to what pages or channels need improvement \u2013 whether that\u2019s on-page, the speed or the page or something else that is driving lower engagements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Low-engagement pages, that are falling short of expectations will benefit from additional work.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Enhanced_measurements\"><\/span>2. Enhanced measurements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>GA4 tracks conversion data as an event. Enhanced measurements provide a level of granularity on user behavior that we didn\u2019t have \u201cout of the box\u201d with Universal Analytics (UA).<\/p>\n<p>Freelance SEO consultant <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/natalie-mott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Natalie Slater<\/a> shares the value of form interactions and form submissions. Slater says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGA4 has the capability to automatically track interactions with forms, both starting the form fill (form_start), and the form submission itself (form_submit) via Enhanced Measurement. I am coming across cases where this automatic tracking can be perhaps a bit too general, and a manual tracking solution has been required, but it\u2019s a good feature overall, especially the form_start aspect as this allows you to see drop-offs in the form-filling process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Form interactions vs. form submissions provide two great data sets for SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, and most obviously, form submissions are likely to be completed by qualified leads and may result in a sale. Where possible, emails gathered from form submissions should be nurtured and remarketed to via emails or PPC.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, monitoring metrics such as form interactions vs form submissions may help with CRO. Many users interacting with a form, but not submitting, might point to a form that is too cumbersome to complete or an issue with your submit button.<\/p>\n<p>You can use these metrics to identify potential CRO issues on a site.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Landing_pages\"><\/span>3. Landing pages<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Google Analytics Landing Page report seems to be a firm favorite among SEOs, with many mentioning it when asked about SEO metrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The landing page report is perfect for understanding how effective the first page a user visits is.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can see which landing pages result in a conversion within the same session \u2013 perfect for identifying sales direct from SEO efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Originally you had to customize your own report on GA4, but (probably) thanks to its popularity, GA4 has now <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/9164320?hl=en#:~:text=evaluate%20your%20landing%20pages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">released a standard landing page report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note here that looking at sales direct from SEO does an injustice to SEO\u2019s contribution to conversion and that\u2019s why it\u2019s important to track other metrics that don\u2019t seem so obvious.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEO_metrics_you_might_not_think_to_track\"><\/span>SEO metrics you might not think to track<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>SEO has obvious metrics like traffic, clicks, impressions and revenue. But you might not have thought about tracking metrics from other marketing efforts to understand SEO\u2019s contribution to sales.<\/p>\n<p>SEO will always be a traffic driver \u2013 and the aim is to drive qualified traffic to a site. Qualified traffic is traffic that is interested in your site\u2019s offering and may purchase.<\/p>\n<p>For many of your web users, SEO will be the first touch point in the marketing funnel. Users will search for a problem and stumble upon your page or article. From here, they might sign up for emails or join an audience for PPC retargeting.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Email_sign-ups\"><\/span>4. Email sign-ups<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/zackreboletti\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zack Reboletti<\/a>, SEO consultant at Get Web Focused, says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmail marketing is the lifeblood of many businesses and regularly publishing SEO-informed content on a blog is one of the best ways to grow an email list. While blog posts can and do drive conversions, a more common path is for blog posts to drive traffic, followed by an email sign-up, and then a conversion from email later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to see how metrics from other marketing tactics are improved by SEO. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, when it comes to email marketing, SEO data provides the trends and click data to see exactly when your users are looking for certain types of content.<\/p>\n<p>For example, an article might have a particular interest at a certain time of year. Instead of waiting for your audience to search for it and find you (or worse, find your competitor), you can be proactive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The data provided by SEO should inspire your content calendar for email or even social media. You can put the content you know people are looking for based on SEO metrics in front of your audience.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_PPC_metrics_that_are_influenced_by_SEO_Retargeting_and_keywords\"><\/span>5. PPC metrics that are influenced by SEO: Retargeting and keywords<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>SEO drives traffic that PPC can retarget. And long tail keywords serve ads well by pulling in relevant traffic with specific problems. <\/p>\n<p>Think about articles ranking for longer tail keywords such as \u201c[product] for [specific problem]\u201d or your \u201chow to [solve problem] guides.\u201d Clicks to these content pieces give ads qualified traffic with specific problems.<\/p>\n<p>Display ads and retargeting messaging can be highly targeted to capture attention, nurture the potential buyer, keep your brand front of mind and later convert.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/leighbuttrey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leigh Buttrey<\/a>, a paid media specialist, says:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithin Google Ads, you can set up audiences to capture users who visit specific pages. Set these up early so you can, in the future, set up ads for retargeting. Another tip if you are already running ads, monitor search terms regularly. You will be able to see in real-time what users are searching for and this data can be used in any organic strategies you are using.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As much as SEO supports PPC, PPC supports SEO, too. PPC is a fast track to the top of SERPs. You can test desired keywords for conversion and determine whether they\u2019re working the efforts to rank organically. <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/get-ppc-seo-working-together-386083\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Align SEO and PPC<\/a> to dominate SERPs.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Images\"><\/span>6. Images<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In 2022, Google <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-brings-continuous-scroll-to-desktop-search-results-390004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rolled out their continuous scroll to SERPs<\/a>. With continuous scroll, websites might need a listing that stands out in SERPs more than they did before. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that <a href=\"https:\/\/freedom.to\/blog\/infinite-scroll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scrolling is addictive<\/a>, and users might have an easier time flicking through SERPs until they land on a listing that\u2019s most engaging.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, as we explore this new way of searching, it might be worth tracking the impact of high-quality images.<\/p>\n<p>Using Google Search Console you can see how many clicks you\u2019ve earned from images. To get to this report:<\/p>\n<p>Go to Google Search Console.<\/p>\n<p>Head to <em>Search Results<\/em> in the left-hand menu.<\/p>\n<p>Change the search type, above the graph, to \u201cImage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Which pages are generating the right clicks? Which images might be contributing to this?<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Bonus tip: <\/strong>Increase your chances of ranking images in image SERPs by <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-image-optimization-for-seo-316046\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">optimizing your alt text<\/a>. (And remember to be natural when doing so.)<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEO_metrics_that_arent_going_anywhere_in_2023\"><\/span>SEO metrics that aren\u2019t going anywhere in 2023<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are some metrics as old as SEO itself and are still as useful as ever. Here are some of the metrics that, if you aren&#8217;t tracking already, you probably should be.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Content_engagement\"><\/span>7. Content engagement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Monitoring content is improved in GA4. The loss of bounce rate and the new engagement rate means the value of great content is less likely to be undermined by the bounce.<\/p>\n<p>In GA4, you can measure, by page:<\/p>\n<p>Scroll depth (to 90%)<\/p>\n<p>Clicks<\/p>\n<p>Video plays<\/p>\n<p>Site search<\/p>\n<p>Video engagement<\/p>\n<p>File downloads<\/p>\n<p>All of the above metrics help determine the value of a page. If someone scrolls to 90%, reads an entire article, then leaves the site, the content was still useful. In UA, bounce rate could undermine these meaningful actions.<\/p>\n<p>Content that earns an in-depth scroll or file download is an indicator of an engaged audience that can be retargeted or nurtured through marketing automation, later.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Customer_lifetime_value\"><\/span>8. Customer lifetime value<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Customer lifetime value (CLV) is incredibly important when tracking revenue from SEO. Subscription-based businesses are a great way to demonstrate this.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If a user lands on your site, via a non-branded Google Search and signs up for a subscription, the initial payment might be $10 for the first month.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But, if they signed up for 10 months, the value of that interaction is really $100. If that customer is offered a referral scheme and brings on three friends for a subscription the CLV increases again.<\/p>\n<p>Customer lifetime value enables you to see the longevity of SEO efforts.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Brand_visibility\"><\/span>9. Brand visibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Tracking brand mentions and clicks from brand search terms can help marketers determine how brand searches are converting. In theory, those searching for your brand are looking exactly for <strong>you <\/strong>and what you have to offer.<\/p>\n<p>Tracking brand searches can be useful in understanding which pages earn brand clicks and which do not.\u00a0If you have pages that receive clicks from Google, but don\u2019t have many (or any) queries related to the brand, then SEO can be attributed entirely to the click. <\/p>\n<p>If these pages also result in a conversion, SEO is likely solely responsible for the click and conversion. These conversions are harder to achieve, but great when they come!<\/p>\n<p>Tracking brand searches lets you see how people are searching for your brand. You\u2019ll find brand searches that you\u2019d otherwise miss.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Missed_brand_searches\"><\/span>10. Missed brand searches<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you stay close to how users search for your brand, you\u2019ll get insights into how confident users are in your brand.<\/p>\n<p>Fellow Search Engine Land contributor <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/author\/sara-taher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sara Taher<\/a> says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLooking for missed branded search opportunities and making sure that you satisfy those queries and capture this traffic that was leveraged by other websites is essential. Branded searches can get captured by third-party websites instead of the brand&#8217;s own website.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t stay on top of brand searches you could miss an opportunity to rank and lose clicks (and users) to competitors or non-authoritative sites.<\/p>\n<p>Potential buyers who are close to conversion, but perhaps a little nervous, might search for things like:<\/p>\n<p>Is [brand] legit<\/p>\n<p>[brand] reviews<\/p>\n<p>How does [brand] work?<\/p>\n<p>A good example of these search terms can be found for Groupon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>The nature of the industry (discounts and coupons) potentially adds to the buyer\u2019s caution, but these searches can be found for many other brands.<\/p>\n<p>Reviews, in particular, can result in lost clicks for brands with websites like Trust Pilot or Facebook taking the rank over the site&#8217;s domain. <\/p>\n<p>Brands can manage these queries by creating pages that satisfy the intent. By doing this, the brand\u2019s site is more likely to rank, earn a click, and control the narrative the potential buyer sees.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_Conversions_and_conversion_rate\"><\/span>11. Conversions and conversion rate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Conversions and conversion rates (CVR) are metrics to look at in relation to each other. <\/p>\n<p>Conversion is a meaningful action taken on your site. For ecommerce, that might be sales, but it could also be a contact form submission, download, or other.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/rebecca-oliver-a3a5ba7b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rebecca Oliver<\/a>, digital marketing manager at Sixty Eight People, shares the importance of tracking conversion and conversion rate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love to learn more about what happens to impressions and that&#8217;s where the conversion rate is invaluable. Out of all the people we did reach, how many of those decided to submit a contact form, call the office phone, register for mailers, and spent time reading a blog post? If you could prove you need 12,000 website visits per month to convert 700 who take an action which leads to 70 business transactions you can then map out future marketing investment and ultimately get a little more budget.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"12_Revenue\"><\/span>12. Revenue<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Marketing should always be a revenue generator. After the initial investment, if marketing isn\u2019t making more than it costs, it\u2019s failing.<\/p>\n<p>When tracking revenue, consider organic metrics, but don\u2019t neglect overall revenue. Remember, SEO <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seo-investment-not-cost-384995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contributes to other marketing channels<\/a> that drive qualified traffic to the website.<\/p>\n<p>On tracking revenue, <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/louis-smith-b968a5b5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Louis Smith<\/a>, an ecommerce SEO expert, says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2023, you need to be tracking your business revenue growth. It\u2019s important to understand which of your pages are driving revenue and which are not. Tools like Google Analytics will help you track key metrics. Then, your business can work towards financial growth in 2023 knowing your revenue channels are tracked.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"13_Clicks_and_impressions\"><\/span>13. Clicks and impressions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Ultimately, earning clicks and traffic to a website will always be one of the primary goals for SEO. So, clicks are likely something you\u2019ll track in 2023. You don\u2019t get conversions without earning a click and you don\u2019t get clicks without impressions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/growthandcommunity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jacob Andra<\/a> says it best:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClicks are the most important metric that SEOs have direct control over. Of course, we want clicks to turn into conversions, but you can\u2019t steer a parked car. First and foremost, we need to drive organic traffic: as much of it as possible. If there\u2019s a conversion issue, we need to address it \u2013 after we\u2019re driving enough traffic to have a robust data set.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to monitoring the value of clicks you need to be monitoring clicks alongside other SEO metrics like:<\/p>\n<p>Engagements<\/p>\n<p>Downloads<\/p>\n<p>Sales direct from SEO efforts (try the landing page report)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0The key is to identify which SEO efforts are driving <strong>qualified<\/strong> traffic to a website.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Benefits_of_tracking_SEO_metrics\"><\/span>Benefits of tracking SEO metrics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The benefits of tracking SEO metrics include a deeper understanding of:<\/p>\n<p>Your audience.<\/p>\n<p>Website performance.<\/p>\n<p>What it takes to build a successful marketing campaign.<\/p>\n<p>How marketing tactics can be executed together to pursue marketing goals.<\/p>\n<p>Campaigns that failed to meet marketing objectives (and shouldn\u2019t be repeated).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_SEO_metrics_shouldnt_you_track\"><\/span>Which SEO metrics shouldn&#8217;t you track?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s not easy for anyone to tell you which metrics are valuable and which are not. The truth is, the metrics that you value will depend on what you\u2019re trying to achieve with your marketing.<\/p>\n<p>The important thing is to look at the bigger picture. When analyzing SEO metrics, you need to look at a few metrics in conjunction with another.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, users spending a long time on site is generally a good indicator when considered in isolation, but if the traffic isn\u2019t converting, maybe you\u2019re attracting the wrong people, or the site is cumbersome to use and people are struggling to navigate to the page they want.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEO_metrics_A_summary\"><\/span>SEO metrics: A summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you were to track every metric recommended by our experts, you\u2019d be tracking:<\/p>\n<p>Engagement rate (by session and page)<\/p>\n<p>Conversions (by session, page and channel)<\/p>\n<p>Enhanced measurements like form submissions<\/p>\n<p>Email sign-ups and conversions<\/p>\n<p>PPC\u2019s retargeting conversions<\/p>\n<p>Phone calls<\/p>\n<p>Clicks from images<\/p>\n<p>Customer lifetime value<\/p>\n<p>Brand visibility<\/p>\n<p>Missed brand searches<\/p>\n<p>Conversions and conversion rate<\/p>\n<p>Revenue<\/p>\n<p>Clicks and Impressions<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t an exhaustive list, but these items certainly came up time and time again as we reached out to experts. Not all metrics apply to your site or goals, but if they are, track them and see what you find.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Remember: <\/strong>Have fun with tracking SEO metrics and approach it from a place of curiosity.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t be a victim of analysis paralysis. Instead, enjoy the journey. You can get incredibly close to data with reports in GA4 and track audience behavior with granularity.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t hurt to track \u201ctoo much\u201d and if you\u2019re just exploring SEO monitoring, it might even be better to track more until you can find the metrics that you find most valuable for you and your site\u2019s objectives.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seo-metrics-track-391864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">13 key SEO metrics to track in 2023<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s software to track just about every piece of SEO data. For marketers, this is a blessing and a curse. Access to data helps make savvy marketing decisions and, when analyzed correctly, aids a deeper understanding of users. That said, having access to data doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you need to monitor it, especially if it\u2019s unhelpful or feels overwhelming. For this article, I reached out to marketers and SEOs who shared the SEO metrics they\u2019ll be tracking in 2023 and why they\u2019re important. What are SEO [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7795","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"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7795\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}