What KPIs should you track to measure the effectiveness of your SEO?
- Annick Vivicorsi
- Jun 16
- 3 min read
Natural referencing is a strategic lever for generating qualified traffic, improving the visibility of a site and developing its activity.
But how do you know if the actions you've implemented are effective? What are the real performance indicators in SEO , the ones that really count?
Here are the essential SEO KPIs to track to manage your strategy and make the right decisions.
1. Positioning on targeted keywords
Why it's important:
Appearing on the first page of Google for specific phrases remains a major goal. But it's still important to track the actual evolution of these positions.
How to measure it:
Regular monitoring via tools like Ubersuggest, SE Ranking, Search Console
Monitoring of strategic keywords (products, services, cities, etc.)
Concrete case:
On bonbain.ca , the keyword “bathroom renovation montreal” went from 35th to 5th place in a few months, following a content overhaul and an adapted backlink strategy.
2. Organic traffic
Why it's important:
The better your pages are positioned, the more visits they generate from Google's organic results .
How to measure it:
Google Analytics (organic traffic vs. other channels)
Search Console (impressions, clicks, change over time)
Please note: volume alone is not enough. It must be combined with traffic quality .
3. Click-through rate (CTR)
Why it's important:
A good ranking without a click is pointless. CTR indicates the percentage of people who see your page in Google and click on it.
How to improve it:
Clear and attractive titles
Optimized meta descriptions
Rich snippets if possible
A good CTR is between 3 and 8% , depending on the sector and position.
4. Time on page and bounce rate
Why it's important:
This data shows whether your visitors are finding what they are looking for:
A high time indicates engaging content.
A low bounce rate shows that the page is meeting the search intent well.
If a page is well positioned but does not retain visitors, you must:
rework its content,
improve user experience,
clarify the offer or call to action.
5. The number of indexed pages
Why it matters: If your pages aren't indexed, they're invisible to Google .
The “Pages” report in Google Search Console allows you to check:
valid pages,
those excluded (noindex tag, error, not explored, etc.),
evolution over time.
Regular monitoring of indexing allows errors to be detected and corrected.
6. The backlink profile
Why it's important: Inbound links build your site's credibility in Google's eyes. But it's not about quantity: quality and consistency matter more.
How to follow:
Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest…
Number of referring domains
Theme, authority, relevance of the sites that cite you
On global-compta.com , targeted backlink work has enabled us to increase the rankings for queries such as “accounting firm Luxembourg foreign company” or “intra-EU VAT Luxembourg”.
7. Conversions from SEO traffic
Why it's essential: SEO isn't just about attracting people. It must generate concrete actions :
making contact,
request for quote,
appointment booking,
online shopping…
How to follow:
Google Analytics (events, page views, funnels)
E-commerce platforms (orders, sales funnels)
Contact forms or booking systems ( example here )
Conclusion
Tracking the right SEO KPIs helps you drive an effective strategy , prioritize high-impact actions, and prove SEO ROI.
Every month, I create a clear and usable dashboard for my clients: positions, traffic, indexing, conversions, action recommendations.
Annick Vivicorsi
