What Are SEO KPIs?
SEO KPIs (key performance indicators) are metrics to measure how well your SEO efforts perform. Common SEO KPIs include organic visibility, keyword rankings, organic click-through rate (CTR), and conversions.
Monitoring these KPIs helps you:
- Track and evaluate performance
- Assess ongoing SEO efforts
- Make data-driven decisions
- Demonstrate return on investment (ROI) to stakeholders
The specific KPIs you track depend on your website and goals. But, some SEO KPIs are relevant to most websites.
1. Organic Conversions
Organic conversions occur when visitors from unpaid search results complete a desired action. This action may be a purchase, newsletter sign-up, or resource download. Your organic conversion rate is the percentage of these visitors who convert.
This KPI is important because it measures how well your SEO efforts drive business results.
How to track organic conversions:
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), conversions are tracked as events you mark as important. Like "sign_up” or "purchase."
Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics by clicking the “settings” icon at the bottom left corner of your screen.
Then, go to “Admin” > “Events.”
Mark your desired events as conversions to begin tracking.
Once an event is marked as a conversion, it can take up to 24 hours for the data to appear in reports.
Further reading:
- How to Set Up GA4: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
- Google Analytics 4 Events Guide: Event Tracking Explained
2. Search Visibility
Search visibility measures how often your website appears in search engine results for target keywords. It covers multiple SERP features (e.g., “People Also Ask,” featured snippets) and shows your site’s prominence across different queries.
Tracking this KPI provides a broader view of your visibility across multiple keywords. It also helps you see if your SEO efforts succeed beyond individual rankings.
How to track search visibility:
Open Google Search Console (GSC). In the left-hand menu, find “Performance” and click “Search results.”
Check “Total impressions” to see how many times your site appeared in search results over a specific period.
GSC tracks your impressions for all keywords. Even keywords you weren’t originally targeting or ones you’ve deemed irrelevant.
Track your search visibility for specific target keywords using Semrush’s Position Tracking tool.
Enter your target keywords as you set up your project. Click “Start Tracking.”
The tool will create a report specifically for your target keywords.
The “Landscape” tab displays your site’s search visibility score. And how that score has changed over time.
The “Overview” tab shows a trend graph of your site’s visibility.
Further reading: SEO Visibility: What It Is & How to Improve It
3. Organic Traffic
Organic traffic refers to visitors who land on your site from unpaid search results. Each visit counts as an organic session. This KPI indicates how many people see your page in SERPs and click through.
Tracking organic traffic reveals how many visitors your site attracts naturally and which pages gain the most interest.
How to track organic traffic:
In GSC, go to “Performance” > “Search results.”
Select “Total clicks” to see how many people visited your site from organic search.
Scroll down to see details about which keywords drive traffic and which pages receive it.
Use the Organic Research tool for deeper keyword insights (e.g., ranking position and SERP features).
You can also identify your main competitors for organic traffic.
Further reading: What Is Organic Traffic? (And How to Increase It)
4. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of users who click on your website after seeing it in search results. A higher CTR often signals relevant and compelling content.
Calculate it by dividing the number of clicks over the total number of impressions. And multiply it by 100.
Like this:
How to track organic CTR:
In GSC, under “Performance” > “Search results,” review the Average CTR metric and its trend.
Scroll down and select the “Pages” tab to see the CTR for each page.
Further reading: How to Understand, Measure, and Improve Your Organic CTR
5. Keyword Rankings
Keyword rankings show where your site appears in SERPs for specific terms. You want to rank as high as possible to boost visibility and clicks.
Tracking rankings helps you find drops, spot high-performing pages, and discover new keyword opportunities.
How to track keyword rankings:
Use the Position Tracking tool. Enter your domain and click “Set up tracking.”
Select the search engine, device, location, and language.
Add your target keywords and click “Add keywords to campaign.” Choose to receive weekly email updates by checking “Send me weekly ranking updates via email.”
Click “Start Tracking.”
View your keyword rankings, visibility, and share of voice.
Further reading: Keyword Rankings: What They Are & How to Check Yours
6. Backlink Metrics
Backlinks are incoming links from other websites. They signal that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Search engines often see more backlinks from authoritative sites as a sign of credibility.
You should track:
- Total number of backlinks
- Total number of referring domains
- Number of lost backlinks
- Number of new (earned) backlinks
How to track backlink metrics:
Use Backlink Analytics. Enter your domain and click “Analyze.”
In the “Overview” tab, see your total referring domains, total backlinks, and Authority Score (a measure of the domain’s reputability).
Scroll down to view trends, including gains and losses in referring domains and backlinks.
Compare your backlink profile to competitors by adding their domains.
For example, this chart shows pet brand Chewy’s authority score, referring domains, and number of backlinks in comparison with four of its competitors.
Further reading: What Are Backlinks & Why They Matter in SEO
7. User Engagement Metrics
User engagement metrics show how visitors interact with your site. Key metrics include:
- Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who view only one page and leave in under 10 seconds
- Average engagement time: How long users actively engage with your site (scrolling or clicking)
- Session duration: Total time a visitor spends on your site in a single visit
- Pages per session: Average number of pages a user views per session
The importance of each metric depends on your content type and business goals. For example, a long session duration on a blog post is usually good. A long session duration on a checkout page may signal a problem.
Let’s look at two of the most important user engagement metrics:
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of users who leave immediately (less than 10 seconds) without taking any action. A high bounce rate may mean the page content is irrelevant or the site has technical issues.
While bounce rate is not a direct ranking factor, a poor user experience may affect rankings over time. Track bounce rate to identify underperforming pages, gauge content quality, and spot technical issues.
How to track bounce rate:
In GA4, go to “Reports” > “Engagement” > “Pages and screens.” Click the pen (customize report button) in the top right corner.
Under “Metrics,” add “Bounce rate” and click “Apply.”
Now you’ll see a table with bounce rate data for all your pages.
Further reading: What Is Bounce Rate & What Is a Good Rate?
Average Engagement Time
Average engagement time measures how long users actively interact with your website or app. It only counts when the page is active in the foreground and users are scrolling or clicking.
Longer engagement times suggest users find your page valuable. This may also indicate to search engines that your content is high-quality.
How to track average engagement time:
In GA4, go to “Reports” > “Engagement” > “Overview.” Review the “Average engagement time” above the graph.
Further reading: How to Find & Increase Average Time on Page in Google Analytics
8. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a predictive measure of the total revenue a customer generates during their relationship with your business. Tracking CLV for SEO shows the long-term value of customers acquired through organic search.
How to calculate CLV:
CLV = (Average purchase value) x (Average purchase frequency) x (Average customer lifespan)
For example, if your average customer spends $100 per order, makes three orders per year, and remains a customer for five years:
CLV = $100 x 3 x 5 = $1500
Your average CLV from organic search is $1500 per customer. Each organic visitor who turns into a customer will probably spend $1500 throughout their interactions with your brand.
9. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
Cost per acquisition (CPA) measures how much it costs to acquire one converting user. In SEO, this includes team salaries, agency fees, SEO tool costs, content creation, and link building.
A dropping CPA indicates your SEO strategy is becoming more cost-effective. A rising CPA may signal problems.
How to calculate CPA:
CPA = Total SEO costs (agency fees, content production costs, SEO tool expenses, etc.) / Total number of conversions
For example, if you spend $4000 on in-house SEO and $1000 on an agency, and gain 100 new customers:
CPA = ($4000 + $1000) / 100 = $50
It costs you $50 on average to acquire one converting user.
10. Non-Branded Traffic
You can receive two types of organic traffic: branded and non-branded. Branded traffic comes from searches that include your company name or branded products. This shows brand awareness but does not always reflect broader SEO success.
Non-branded traffic comes from searches related to your industry or products without your brand name. Growing this traffic indicates you are reaching new users who did not know about your brand.
How to track non-branded traffic:
Use Organic Research. Enter your domain and click “Search.”
In the “Overview” tab, see your branded and non-branded traffic split at the top.
11. Return on Investment (ROI)
ROI measures how much revenue you earn compared to how much you spend. For SEO, it shows if your optimization efforts produce enough revenue to justify the costs.
A positive ROI is the ultimate goal of every SEO strategy.
How to calculate SEO ROI:
ROI = (Revenue from SEO - Cost of SEO) / Cost of SEO x 100
For example, if you spend $9000 on SEO and generate $16,000 in revenue:
ROI = ($16000 - $9000) / $9000 x 100 = 77.8%
Further reading: The ROI of SEO: How to Measure SEO ROI (with Formulas)
12. Google Business Profile Metrics
A Google Business Profile (GBP)—formerly Google My Business—lets you manage your local business’s presence in Google Search and Maps. It can also boost your local SEO.
How to track Google Business Profile metrics:
Set up your Google Business Profile to see how users interact with your listing. These metrics include:
- Number of searches
- Profile views
- Clicks
- Direction requests
- Calls
This data helps you see your local visibility and how potential customers engage with your business.
Easily Track and Report on Your SEO KPIs
Start collecting data for your chosen KPIs as soon as possible. Early tracking helps you establish benchmarks and guide future strategy.
SEO tools can automate data collection, aggregation, and reporting. They also make it easier to uncover insights.
For example, Organic Traffic Insights combines data from Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Semrush into one dashboard.
When you need to prove your results, use My Reports to generate PDF reports. Semrush’s SEO report templates include:
- Monthly SEO report
- Full site audit report
- Monthly competitor analysis
- Full backlinks report
- Google Business Profile insights
And more.
Sign up for a free Semrush account (no credit card required) to access these tools and 50+ others.