SEO agencies love throwing around impressive-sounding numbers. "Your domain authority increased!" "You're ranking for 500 more keywords!" Cool, but are you getting more customers? That's the only question that should matter to a business owner.
Priority Metrics | These KPIs Drive Business Outcomes
Tier 1: Business Outcomes (Most Important)
Organic Conversions
Leads, calls, and sales from organic traffic. This is THE metric that justifies SEO investment. Everything else supports this.
Revenue from Organic
Dollar value of customers acquired through search. Track customer lifetime value, not just initial conversion.
Tier 2: Performance Indicators
Organic Traffic
Total visits from search engines. Growth here typically leads to more conversions if you're attracting the right audience.
Keyword Rankings
Positions for your target keywords. Focus on business-critical terms, not random keywords.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Percentage of impressions that become clicks. Shows how compelling your listings are in search results.
Impressions
How often your site appears in search. Growing impressions means growing visibility.
Tier 3: Health & Technical Metrics
Core Web Vitals
Page speed and user experience metrics. These affect rankings and user satisfaction.
Indexed Pages
Pages Google has in its index. Important pages should be indexed; unimportant ones shouldn't be.
Crawl Errors
Technical issues preventing Google from accessing pages. Should be zero for important pages.
Backlinks (Quality)
Links from other sites. Focus on quality and relevance, not raw numbers.
Vanity Metrics | These Numbers Distract From Results
- Domain Authority (DA): Third-party score that doesn't directly impact rankings
- Total keywords ranking: Meaningless without context of which keywords
- Total backlinks: 1,000 spam links hurt; 10 quality links help
- Page views alone: Without conversion data, traffic means nothing
- Social shares: Nice for ego, minimal SEO impact
Local Metrics | Indianapolis Businesses Track These KPIs
| Metric | Where to Find It | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Local Pack Rankings | Manual search or rank tracker | Map pack visibility drives calls and visits |
| GBP Views | Google Business Profile | Shows local visibility reach |
| GBP Actions | Google Business Profile | Calls, directions, website clicks from GBP |
| Review Count & Rating | Google Business Profile | Affects rankings and click-through |
| "Near me" Rankings | Search Console or rank tracker | Captures high-intent local searches |
Tracking Setup | Configuration Steps Enable Measurement
Define Conversions
What actions count as success? Form fills? Phone calls? Purchases? Set these up in Google Analytics.
Connect Search Console
Link to Analytics for complete picture. Search Console provides keyword data Analytics can't.
Set Up Rank Tracking
Monitor 10-20 priority keywords. Include local variations for Indianapolis businesses.
Create a Dashboard
Compile key metrics in one view. Monthly review is sufficient for most businesses.
Review Frequency | Optimal Schedules Balance Insight and Efficiency
- Conversions: Weekly (to catch issues quickly)
- Traffic: Weekly (for trends) or monthly (for reporting)
- Rankings: Monthly (daily fluctuations are noise)
- Technical health: Monthly (or when issues arise)
- Full analysis: Quarterly (big-picture strategy review)
Common Questions | Expert Answers Clarify Metric Selection
Is Domain Authority important?
No. DA is a third-party metric (from Moz) that Google doesn't use. It's a rough indicator of site strength, but improving DA doesn't directly improve rankings. Focus on actual traffic and conversions instead.
Why do my rankings fluctuate daily?
Normal. Google constantly tests and adjusts rankings. Daily changes are noise—focus on monthly trends. Position 4 becoming position 6 for a day doesn't matter if the monthly average stays stable.
What's a good conversion rate from organic traffic?
Varies by industry. E-commerce: 2-3%. Service businesses: 5-10%. The key is tracking YOUR rate and improving it over time, not comparing to generic benchmarks.
Related Resources | Additional Guides Explore SEO Analytics
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