Are you trying to determine whether your SEO efforts are paying off? Want to learn which key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you track and measure SEO success?

You’ll find the top KPIs to track in this infographic from Freddie Chatt.

Here’s a quick summary:

• Sales
• Traffic
• Conversion rate
• Email sign ups
• Commercial vs content
• Branded vs non-branded
• Customer Lifetime Value
• Cost Per Acquisition
• Return on investment
• # of Keywords
• # of Pages
• Organic Visibility
• Keyword Rankings
• Search Impressions
• Organic CTR

Check out the infographic for more information.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an essential strategy for driving organic traffic, increasing brand visibility, and ultimately boosting sales. However, success in SEO isn’t just about getting to the top of Google search results—it’s about tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure progress and help refine your strategy.

In this guide, we’ll explore 15 crucial SEO KPIs you should monitor to gauge your performance and improve your search rankings over time.

Sales – The Ultimate Goal

While many SEO metrics provide insights into performance, the ultimate goal is to drive sales. Whether you run an eCommerce store or offer services, your SEO efforts should contribute to revenue growth.

To measure this:

• Track organic revenue using Google Analytics.
• Use attribution models to see how SEO contributes to conversions.
• Compare organic vs. paid revenue to assess cost-effectiveness.

If traffic is high but sales are low, consider improving user experience, conversion rate optimisation (CRO), and content relevance.

Organic Traffic – Measuring Visibility

Traffic from search engines is a fundamental metric for SEO success. It reflects how well your website ranks and attracts visitors.

How to measure:

• Use Google Search Console to track organic clicks and impressions.
• Monitor Google Analytics for total organic sessions and page views.
• Identify traffic trends over time to evaluate growth.

A steady increase in organic traffic suggests that your SEO strategy is working, while stagnation may indicate the need for adjustments.

Conversion Rate (CR) – Quality Over Quantity

Attracting visitors is one thing, but converting them into customers is another. Your organic search conversion rate (CR) measures how well your website turns visitors into leads or sales.

Ways to improve CR:

• Optimise landing pages for user intent.
• Improve site speed and mobile-friendliness.
• Use compelling CTAs (Call-to-Action).

Compare your organic CR to other channels (social media, paid ads) to determine the effectiveness of your SEO efforts.

Email Sign-Ups – Capturing Leads

For content-heavy websites, growing an email list is a key objective. If visitors find your content valuable, they’re more likely to subscribe.

Track email sign-ups via:

• Google Analytics goal tracking.
• Your email marketing platform (Mailchimp, HubSpot).

If your sign-up rate is low, experiment with lead magnets, better CTAs, and more engaging content.

Commercial vs. Content Traffic – Balancing Your SEO Strategy

SEO isn’t just about getting visitors—it’s about attracting the right visitors. A balanced strategy should drive traffic to both product pages and informational content.

Monitor:

• How much traffic goes to product or service pages vs. blog content.
• The conversion rate for each type of page.
• How content assists conversions via attribution models.

If blog content gets lots of traffic but doesn’t convert, integrate better internal linking to product pages.

Branded vs. Non-Branded Traffic – Expanding Your Reach

Branded traffic comes from searches that include your company name, while non-branded traffic comes from general keywords. A strong SEO strategy should increase both.

How to track:

• Google Search Console > Performance Report.
• Compare branded vs. non-branded keyword performance.

If branded traffic dominates, focus on ranking for more non-branded keywords to attract new audiences.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) – Long-Term Impact of SEO

CLV measures the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with your business. SEO should not only drive new sales but also nurture repeat customers.

To assess SEO’s impact on CLV:

• Analyse organic search conversions in Google Analytics.
• Track returning visitors and their purchasing patterns.

If your CLV is low, focus on customer retention strategies like email marketing and loyalty programmes.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – SEO’s Profitability

CPA measures how much you spend to acquire a customer. While SEO is often more cost-effective than paid ads, it still requires investment in content, link building, and technical optimisation.

To track CPA:

• Compare SEO costs (content, tools, team) with organic conversions.
• Benchmark against PPC and other acquisition channels.

If SEO CPA is high, refine your targeting and conversion strategy to improve efficiency.

Return on Investment (ROI) – Proving SEO’s Value

ROI is the ultimate measure of SEO effectiveness. It compares the revenue generated from organic search with the costs involved.

To calculate SEO ROI:

• Determine total revenue from organic search.
• Subtract SEO-related costs (tools, agencies, in-house staff).
• Divide by total investment and multiply by 100.

A positive ROI indicates that SEO is paying off, while a negative one suggests the need for adjustments.

Number of Keywords Ranked – Expanding Visibility

The more keywords your website ranks for, the broader your reach. Tracking keyword growth shows whether your content strategy is effective.

Monitor keyword rankings using:

• Google Search Console.
• Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz.

If keyword growth stalls, refresh content, build backlinks, and target long-tail keywords.

Number of Indexed Pages – Maximising Content Reach

Google must index your pages for them to appear in search results. If important pages aren’t indexed, they won’t drive traffic.

Check indexing status with:

• Google Search Console > Coverage Report.
• “site:yourwebsite.com” search query in Google.

If critical pages aren’t indexed, fix technical SEO issues like crawl errors and noindex tags.

Organic Visibility – Competitive Benchmarking

Organic visibility measures your share of search traffic compared to competitors. If your visibility declines, competitors may be outranking you.

Tools for tracking:

• SEMrush Visibility Index.
• Ahrefs’ Organic Keywords report.

If visibility drops, update content, earn backlinks, and improve site authority.

Keyword Rankings – Staying Competitive

High rankings for valuable keywords mean better traffic potential. Monitor rankings regularly to ensure your strategy is on track.

How to track:

• Google Search Console > Performance Report.
• Rank tracking tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush.

If rankings drop, check for Google algorithm updates, lost backlinks, or outdated content.

Search Impressions – Early SEO Performance Indicator

Impressions show how often your pages appear in search results, even if they don’t get clicks. Rising impressions suggest growing visibility.

Check impressions in:

• Google Search Console > Performance Report.

If impressions rise but clicks don’t, improve meta titles and descriptions to boost CTR.

Organic Click-Through Rate (CTR) – Maximising Click Potential

CTR measures how often users click your site in search results. A low CTR means you’re ranking but not attracting clicks.

Ways to improve CTR:

• Write compelling meta titles and descriptions.
• Use numbers, power words, and emotional triggers.
• Test different formats with A/B testing.

If CTR remains low, check for search intent mismatches or competitors with better listings.

Final Thoughts

Tracking SEO success requires a combination of technical, content, and conversion-focused KPIs. While traffic and rankings are important, the ultimate goal is increasing revenue and ROI.

By consistently monitoring these 15 SEO KPIs, you can refine your strategy, improve performance, and ensure long-term success in search rankings.

Ready to take your SEO efforts to the next level? Start tracking these KPIs today and watch your organic growth soar!