4 critical inbound marketing metrics

The best ways to measure your marketing efforts

Measuring your inbound marketing is the final part of a successful inbound marketing strategy. There are hundreds of inbound marketing metrics to choose from, including inbound links, Facebook likes, SEO ratings and blog subscribers. However, there are only four critical metrics you need to focus on to track your inbound marketing strategy progress.

1. Organic traffic growth.

Tracking your organic traffic – people who reached your website by means of something other than paid advertising – is a great way to understand how successful your content (including blogging and social media) is in attracting visitors to your website. If your monthly organic traffic grows, it means your inbound marketing efforts are working. If not, you need to adjust and improve your content quality and placement.

Conversion rates.

Conversion rates are one of the most essential metrics. Conversion measures the number of visitors who have taken a desired action on your website – for example, visitors who downloaded your e-book through a call to action. You can track conversion rates using Google Analytics. Make sure you set up your conversion goals first for successful tracking.

Social engagement.

Every marketer knows there is a big difference between your social media reach and your social media engagement. Not all your social media followers and fans are engaged with your brand. On Facebook, in particular, you should pay attention to your “People Talking About This” metrics. The more people talk about your page, the more it will show in your followers’ news feeds.

Most popular content and traffic sources.

You need to know the sources that bring you most of your traffic and which content drives most leads. This will help you know where to publish your high-demand content to attract more traffic.

The most important part of measuring your inbound marketing progress is to make necessary adjustments to your strategy to achieve your business objectives. By measuring your organic traffic and conversion rates as well as analyzing your social media engagement, content performance and sources of traffic, you will be able to make changes to your inbound marketing strategy to make the most of your efforts.

Axia Public Relations strives to maximize its clients’ ROI by improving the inbound marketing strategies they use to achieve their business objectives. Download Axia’s e-book Maximizing Your Public Relations Investment to take your inbound marketing strategy to the next level.

Yulia Dianova is a public relations professional who is skilled in building relationships with target audiences. She provides counsel to organizations that seek PR help to further their growth and reach their goals. Yulia earned a master’s degree in public relations management from University of Maryland University College. She is fluent in Russian and English and is always looking for a new challenge.