Choosing the right metrics.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Organic traffic over time Conversions from organic traffic Which pages bring traffic Which queries bring traffic Conversion rate
WHAT NOT TO FIXATE ON
Position on a single keyword. It fluctuates, varies by searcher and location, and one keyword rarely matters commercially. Total impressions, which can rise while clicks fall. Bounce rate in isolation, which is frequently misread.
THE QUESTION THAT MATTERS
Is search bringing more customers than last quarter?
If traffic is up and enquiries are flat, the traffic is the wrong traffic, or the site is not converting it.
SETTING A BASELINE
Record where you are now. Without it, later changes cannot be judged.
REPORTING PERIODS
Month on month is noisy. Quarter on quarter, or year on year, shows real trends and accounts for seasonality.
ATTRIBUTION
Someone may find you through search, leave, and return directly a week later. Search gets no credit in simple reporting, which understates its value.
Ask new customers how they found you.
