Pick metrics that map to money
It's easy to track everything and learn nothing. Anchor on a short list tied to outcomes:
- Acquisition — sessions (visits) by channel: organic (unpaid search), AI referrals, social, direct, paid.
- Engagement — pages per visit, scroll/read depth, key page views.
- Conversion — the actions that matter: leads, bookings, sales, signups.
- Value — revenue, average order/contract value, and where it came from.
Vanity vs. actionable
Impressions and follower counts feel good but rarely change decisions. A metric is useful only if a change in it would make you do something different. Favor rates — conversion rate, or CTR (click-through rate: the share of people who see your link and click it) — over raw counts, and break numbers out by channel so averages don't hide the truth.
One north-star + supporting metrics
Choose a single north-star (e.g., qualified leads/month) and a few supporting metrics that explain it. Review on a steady cadence. Clarity about what matters is what turns data into growth.