SEO KPIs (key performance indicators) are the metrics you use to judge whether search engine optimisation is working. The right KPIs connect rankings and traffic to business results, so everyone can see what SEO is contributing and where to focus next.
Business KPIs (the ones that matter most)
1. Organic conversions
Leads, sign-ups, calls or sales from organic search. Set up conversions in Google Analytics 4 and filter by the Organic Search channel.
2. Organic revenue
For ecommerce, the revenue attributed to organic sessions. For lead generation, multiply leads by close rate and average deal value.
3. Cost per acquisition
Total SEO spend divided by organic conversions. Useful for comparing with paid channels; see SEO vs PPC.
Visibility KPIs
4. Organic clicks
From Google Search Console. The cleanest measure of search traffic.
5. Impressions
How often your pages appear in results. Rising impressions usually come before rising clicks.
6. Click-through rate
Clicks divided by impressions. Low CTR on high-impression pages signals weak titles or SERP features taking the clicks.
7. Rankings for priority keywords
Track a focused list of keywords tied to revenue, by location and device. Avoid tracking thousands of irrelevant terms.
8. Non-branded vs branded traffic
Separate searches for your brand name from generic searches. Non-branded growth shows SEO reaching new customers; branded growth shows awareness.
Health KPIs
9. Indexed pages and errors
The ratio of important pages indexed, plus crawl errors and Core Web Vitals pass rates.
10. Referring domains
The number of unique sites linking to you, and the quality of new ones each month.
AI search KPIs
Add referral sessions from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot, plus citation rates from a set of tracked prompts. See generative engine optimisation.
Local KPIs
For local businesses: Business Profile calls, direction requests and website clicks, map pack rankings across your area and review growth. See Google Business Profile.
Vanity metrics to treat carefully
- Total keywords ranked, which often includes irrelevant terms.
- Domain authority scores.
- Bounce rate on its own.
- Traffic to pages that never convert.
How to report SEO KPIs
- Report monthly, comparing year on year to remove seasonality.
- Lead with business results, then visibility, then health.
- Explain what changed, why, and what you will do next.
- Build a Looker Studio dashboard combining Search Console and GA4.
Frequently asked questions
How long before KPIs improve?
Health metrics move within weeks; traffic and conversions typically take three to six months.
What is a good organic CTR?
It depends on position and SERP features. Compare against your own averages by position.
Related terms
See SEO audit, keyword research and the SEO encyclopedia.
Mr. SEO
Mr. SEO is the webmaster at SEO TT - SEO tips and tricks, a publication about all things SEO related.