Search engine optimization is a critical part of any digital marketing strategy. But with so many metrics to monitor, it can be challenging to know which SEO KPIs (key performance indicators) really matter.
Tracking the right SEO KPIs allows you to measure your organic search performance, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions. Without this data, you‘re flying blind.
In this post, we‘ll break down the 10 most important SEO KPIs every marketer should track in 2024. For each one, we‘ll cover:
- What the KPI measures
- Why it‘s important
- How to track it
- Key benchmarks and what good performance looks like
We‘ll also share expert tips for using these KPIs to level up your SEO strategy and drive more organic traffic and revenue. Let‘s dive in!
1. Organic Traffic
Organic traffic is the number of visitors coming to your website from organic (non-paid) search results. This is typically the north star metric for SEO.
Why organic traffic matters:
- It shows how many people are finding your site through search engines
- More organic traffic means more potential customers and revenue
- It indicates how well your content is performing in search
How to track organic traffic:
- Use Google Analytics and go to Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels > Organic Search
- Look at the number of organic users and sessions over time
- You can also view traffic to specific pages or sections of your site
Organic traffic benchmarks:
- Aim for steady month-over-month and year-over-year growth in organic traffic
- Organic traffic should make up a significant portion (50%+) of your total site traffic
- Traffic growth will vary by industry and site size, but 10-20% YoY is a solid goal
2. Organic Keyword Rankings
Keyword rankings refer to where your web pages appear in search results for target keywords. The higher you rank, the more organic traffic you‘ll typically get.
Why keyword rankings matter:
- Rankings indicate your content‘s relevance and authority for target topics
- You need Page 1 rankings to capture significant organic traffic
- Tracking rankings helps you monitor progress and identify quick wins
How to track keyword rankings:
- Use SEO tools like Semrush, Moz, or Ahrefs that show your ranking positions
- Track your primary target keywords as well as longer-tail variations
- Pay attention to any big movements up or down in rankings
Keyword ranking benchmarks:
- The goal is to increase the # of keywords you rank for on Page 1 (positions 1-10)
- Focus on moving keywords from Page 2 to Page 1 for quicker traffic gains
- Ranking in the top 3 positions will earn you the lion‘s share of clicks
3. Organic Conversions & Revenue
Organic conversions are the number of leads or sales generated from organic search traffic. Organic revenue is the monetary value of those conversions.
Why organic conversions and revenue matter:
- Conversions justify the ROI of SEO and show business impact
- This is what your leadership team really cares about
- You can calculate organic traffic value based on conversions
How to track organic conversions and revenue:
- Set up goals and ecommerce tracking in Google Analytics
- View organic conversions by going to Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels > Organic Search
- For ecommerce, go to Conversions > Ecommerce > Overview and look at Revenue by Channel
Organic conversion benchmarks:
- Average organic conversion rates hover around 1-3% depending on industry
- Aim to increase your organic conversion rate to 3%+ over time
- Organic traffic is 5-10X more likely to convert vs social or paid search traffic
4. Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on your site and leave without interacting further or visiting a second page. It signals potential issues with your content.
Why bounce rate matters:
- A high bounce rate suggests your content isn‘t meeting user needs
- It can indicate thin content, poor design, or slow page load times
- High bounce rates may negatively impact your SEO rankings
How to track bounce rate:
- In Google Analytics, go to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages
- View the bounce rate for individual pages and site sections
- Watch out for pages with bounce rates over 70-80%
Bounce rate benchmarks:
- Average bounce rates are 40-60% across industries
- Aim for a bounce rate of 40% or lower on your key landing pages
- Blog posts tend to have higher bounce rates and that‘s okay
5. Pages Per Session
Pages/session is the average number of pages a user views during a session on your site. It measures how engaged visitors are with your content.
Why pages per session matters:
- More pages per visit signals visitors are finding your content useful
- Higher engagement can lead to more conversions down the funnel
- Engaging content keeps people on your site and may boost SEO
How to track pages per session:
- In Google Analytics, go to Audience > Overview
- You‘ll see pages/session for your entire site there
- You can also view it by page or section in Behavior > Site Content reports
Pages per session benchmarks:
- Aim for at least 2-3 pages per session on average
- Top-performing content sites see 4+ pages per session
- A good benchmark is 3-4 pages for informational queries and 2-3 for transactional
6. Average Session Duration
Session duration measures how long visitors spend on your site on average. Like pages per visit, it indicates engagement and content quality.
Why average session duration matters:
- Longer visits mean people are consuming and engaging with your content
- Higher engagement correlates with better SEO performance
- Longer sessions may lead to higher dwell time, a Google ranking factor
How to track average session duration:
- Go to Audience > Overview in Google Analytics to see average session duration
- View session duration by page in Behavior > Site Content > All Pages
- See average time on page and average session duration metrics
Average session duration benchmarks:
- Shoot for at least 2-3 minutes average session duration sitewide
- Top-performing blogs and content sites often see 4+ minutes
- For a single piece of content, aim for at least 2 minutes time on page
7. Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are user-centric metrics that measure a page‘s load time, interactivity, and visual stability. They directly impact SEO and user experience.
Why Core Web Vitals matter:
- Google uses these metrics as ranking signals in its algorithm
- Fast-loading, stable sites rank higher and keep visitors engaged
- Poor Core Web Vitals lead to higher bounce rates and lower conversions
How to track Core Web Vitals:
- Use the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console
- It scores your pages as "Good", "Needs Improvement" or "Poor" on each metric
- PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse also report on these metrics
Core Web Vitals benchmarks:
- To provide a good user experience, you should aim for:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): ≤ 2.5 seconds
- First Input Delay (FID): ≤ 100 milliseconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): ≤ 0.1
- At least 75% of your site‘s pages should meet these thresholds
8. Pages Indexed
Pages indexed refers to the number of pages on your site that are included in Google‘s index. These are the pages that can show up in search results.
Why pages indexed matters:
- You want as many quality pages as possible in Google‘s index
- More indexed pages means more opportunities to rank for keywords
- Large drops in pages indexed can indicate technical SEO issues
How to track pages indexed:
- Use the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console
- It shows Valid (indexed), Valid with warnings, Error, and Excluded pages
- Watch the trend to spot big increases or decreases in indexed pages
Pages indexed benchmarks:
- Aim to have all your key pages indexed with a low number of errors
- Valid + Valid with Warnings should make up the majority of your site‘s pages
- Typically you want to see your number of indexed pages growing steadily over time
9. Referring Domains & Backlinks
Referring domains are websites that link to your site. Backlinks are the actual hyperlinks pointing to your web pages. They act as "votes of confidence" that boost your site‘s authority and rankings.
Why referring domains and backlinks matter:
- Backlinks are one of the most important Google ranking factors
- Sites with more high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher
- Referring domains show how many unique sites are linking to you
How to track backlinks and referring domains:
- SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz track your site‘s backlink profile
- Watch your number of referring domains and backlinks grow over time
- Also look at the Domain Authority/Rating of sites linking to you
Backlink benchmarks:
- Seek to consistently gain quality backlinks and referring domains each month
- Look at the number of linking sites your top search competitors have to benchmark against
- Focus on earning backlinks and mentions from authoritative, relevant websites
10. Keyword Footprint
Your keyword footprint is the number of unique keywords your site ranks for in organic search. It measures your topical authority and overall reach in the SERPs.
Why keyword footprint matters:
- A larger keyword footprint means more organic search exposure
- Ranking for more keywords leads to increased organic traffic
- Keyword footprint reveals your strengths and gaps versus competitors
How to track keyword footprint:
- SEO platforms like Semrush and Ahrefs show the number of ranking keywords for your site
- Track your ranking keyword counts in different ranges, e.g. Top 3, Top 10, Top 50
- View which specific keywords you rank for and their estimated monthly search volumes
Keyword footprint benchmarks:
- Leading brands often rank for hundreds of thousands or millions of keywords
- Aim to grow your ranking keywords in priority topic areas for your business
- The goal is expanding your overall keyword reach while improving individual rankings
Key Takeaways
Measuring the right SEO KPIs is key to improving your organic search performance. The most important metrics fall into 3 main categories:
- Organic traffic, rankings and conversions
- User engagement signals
- Technical SEO and site health
By regularly tracking these SEO KPIs and watching for trends, you can:
- Benchmark your SEO progress over time
- Identify your top-performing content and keyword gaps
- Diagnose technical SEO issues and page experience problems
- Make data-driven optimizations to boost rankings and traffic
The specific KPIs most important to your organization will depend on your business goals and industry. Pick a core set of 4-5 SEO KPIs to focus on and report on those consistently.
What gets measured gets improved! If you monitor and work to improve these essential SEO KPIs, you‘ll be rewarded with better organic search performance.
Looking for more expert SEO insights? Check out our top SEO strategy tips and free courses in HubSpot Academy.
