I Trusted the Wrong Marketing Metrics for Years — Here's What I Track Now Instead Success in marketing isn't just about running campaigns. It's about tracking the right numbers.

For years, I put my faith in metrics that looked good on paper but didn't drive real business growth. I learned the hard way that vanity metrics don't pay the bills.

If you're spending money on marketing, you need to measure what actually matters. I'm going to show you which metrics are worth tracking and which ones are misleading. Every business and campaign is different, but these are the numbers to focus on if you want meaningful results.

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What makes a metric the wrong metric to track?

Not all metrics are created equally. Some look impressive but don't contribute to your bottom line. Here are three common reasons why certain marketing metrics are a waste of time:

• They're purely vanity metrics: Large social media followings or high website traffic may seem impressive, but they don't mean much if they don't translate into leads or sales. A million followers won't keep your business afloat if none of them convert.
• They're no longer relevant: What was important a few years ago may not be relevant today. For example, clicks were once a critical SEO metric, but impressions are becoming just as important with AI-generated summaries and zero-click searches increasing.
• They yield unclear takeaways: Some data points, like exit rate, are difficult to interpret. Did a user leave your page because they found what they needed? Or because they were frustrated? Without context, these numbers can be misleading.

Additionally, relying on single-metric evaluations can lead to misguided decisions. Businesses should always analyze multiple metrics together for a complete picture of performance.

The right metrics to track for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most powerful tools for growing a business. It helps your website rank higher on search engines, attracting organic traffic from people actively searching for your products or services. Done right, SEO provides long-term benefits, making it one of the highest-return on investment (ROI) strategies in digital marketing.

Organic traffic

This is the foundation of SEO success. More traffic from search engines means more potential customers discovering your business. Keep an eye on your organic traffic trends to gauge whether your SEO efforts are working.

Look at Google Analytics to see which pages drive the most traffic and where visitors are coming from. Additionally, track traffic quality by analyzing bounce rates, session durations and conversion paths.

Keyword rankings

Ranking high for strategic keywords puts your business in front of customers who are actively searching for solutions. Track keyword movement over time to identify trends and gaps in your SEO strategy.

Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush or Google Search Console can help monitor rankings and uncover new keyword opportunities. Beyond just rankings, monitor click-through rates (CTR) and impressions to assess how well your listings attract and engage users.

Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are Google's way of measuring user experience, focusing on metrics like page load speed, interactivity and visual stability. A fast, responsive site drives better rankings and more conversions. Improving these elements enhances both SEO and overall site performance. And that directly impacts conversion rates. Consider using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse to assess and optimize your site's performance.

Pages per session

This metric measures the average number of pages a user visits per session. A higher number suggests engaging content that keeps visitors exploring, while a low number may indicate a lack of interest or poor site navigation.

The right metrics to track for content

Content marketing is essential for establishing authority, building trust and driving organic traffic. High-quality content can position your business as a thought leader, nurture relationships with customers and generate long-term leads without requiring constant ad spend.

Returning visitors

If people are coming back to your site, it means your content is valuable. A high percentage of returning visitors suggests that your audience finds your content useful and engaging. Focus on strategies like email marketing, push notifications and fresh content updates to keep them coming back. Track content-specific engagement metrics such as time spent on page, scroll depth and social shares.

Domain authority

A higher domain authority (DA) means Google sees your website as trustworthy. Building domain authority takes time, but it's a good indicator of long-term SEO success. Track DA over time using Moz or Ahrefs and focus on earning high-quality backlinks to improve your score. Additionally, monitor competitor DA to gauge your progress within your industry.

Backlinks

When reputable websites link to your content, Google takes notice. Backlinks signal trust and help improve rankings. Backlink quality matters more than quantity — a few links from high-authority sites are better than dozens from low-quality sources. Use outreach, guest blogging and valuable content to acquire these links. Diversify your backlink sources and monitor anchor text distribution for SEO optimization.

Average time on page

This metric helps determine whether visitors engage with your content or leave quickly. A longer average time on page suggests you have valuable, compelling content.

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The right metrics to track for paid marketing

Paid marketing helps businesses quickly reach targeted audiences, making it a powerful tool for lead generation, brand awareness and customer acquisition. Do it right, and paid advertising can deliver a predictable and scalable return on investment.

Conversion rate

This tells you what percentage of visitors take action, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter or booking a call. A strong conversion rate means your ad spend is paying off. Optimize landing pages, ad copy and calls to action (CTAs) to improve performance. Consider tracking micro-conversions (e.g., add-to-cart actions, email signups) to help you get to the bottom of user intent.

Return on ad spend (ROAS)

ROAS measures how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on advertising. It helps determine whether your campaigns are profitable or need optimization.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC)

This tells you how much you spend to acquire a customer through paid ads. To gauge profitability, compare CAC to customer lifetime value (LTV) — the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with your business. If CAC is too high, consider refining your targeting or improving retention strategies to maximize LTV.

Ad click-through rate (CTR)

CTR measures how often users click on your ad compared to how many times it's shown. A higher CTR means your ad copy and targeting are effective.

The right metrics to track for social media marketing

Social media marketing is crucial for brand building, engaging audiences and driving traffic to your website. Unlike paid marketing, which requires constant ad spend, social media creates long-term customer relationships and increases organic visibility through shares and interactions.

Engagement rate

Engagement rate measures how well your content resonates with your audience. It includes likes, comments, shares and other interactions. A high engagement rate indicates your content is relevant, interesting and encourages community interaction. If engagement is low, consider experimenting with different content formats, posting times or interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions.

Follower growth

Follower growth tracks the increase in your social media audience over time. While raw follower numbers alone can be a vanity metric, consistent and organic growth signals that your content is reaching new people and that your brand is gaining credibility. It's important to measure this alongside engagement. That way, you know your followers are active participants rather than just passive numbers.

Social referral traffic

This metric tracks how much traffic your website receives from social media platforms. Social referral traffic helps determine which platforms are most effective in driving visitors to your site. If you have high engagement but low referral traffic, consider optimizing your CTAs, using link tracking tools like UTM parameters and ensuring your content encourages users to take action beyond social media.

Video completion rate

For businesses using video content, this metric measures how many viewers watch a video to completion. High completion rates suggest engaging, valuable content.

How you can choose the right digital marketing metrics for your business to focus on

Choosing the right metrics to track is crucial because different businesses have different goals. Here are three key criteria to consider:

1. Tie metrics to business goals: Align the metrics you track with your company's growth strategy, whether it's increasing sales, improving brand awareness or generating leads.
2. Make sure it's measurable over time: The best metrics empower you to track progress over weeks, months and years so you can make informed decisions based on trends.
3. Use actionable metrics: Focus on data that provides clear next steps. If a metric doesn't influence decision-making, it may not be worth tracking.

Additionally, segmenting data by different channels, customer demographics and campaign types can help refine your approach and inform data-driven decision-making that optimizes your marketing efforts.

Conclusion

Marketing success isn't just about effort; it's about tracking the right numbers. Many businesses focus on vanity metrics that look good but don't drive revenue. You can make data-driven decisions that actually grow your business by shifting your focus to meaningful SEO, content, paid marketing and social media metrics.

The right metrics give you clarity. They show you what's working, what's not, and where to invest next. Make sure your marketing numbers are working for you — not just for show.