What Should I Track to Know If My Marketing Is Working?
Why You Must Track Marketing KPIs
Your digital marketing efforts are only as good as the data you use to evaluate them. Without proper marketing KPIs (key performance indicators), you're flying blind.
Whether you’re running paid media, executing a content marketing strategy, or managing social media campaigns, tracking the right metrics tells you what’s working—and what’s not.
This guide walks you through the essential marketing KPIs, showing you how to measure and optimize your marketing performance across key channels.
1. Website Traffic: The Starting Point of Your Marketing Funnel
Website traffic shows how people find your brand and how they engage once they arrive.
What to Track:
Total sessions
Traffic by source (organic, paid, social, direct)
Page views, time on page
Bounce rate
Keyword rankings
Tools: Google Analytics, Search Console
2. Conversion Rate: Your Most Actionable KPI
Conversion rates measure how effectively your marketing efforts drive action. Whether it's form fills, purchases, or sign-ups, this is one of the most critical marketing metrics.
What to Track:
Conversion rates by source (email marketing, landing pages, Google Ads)
A/B testing variations
Form completion rates
Sales conversion rates
Formula:
(Conversions ÷ Total Visitors) × 100
Tip: Improve performance using marketing analytics tools and content signals like CTAs.
3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
CAC shows how much it costs to convert a prospect into a paying customer. It’s a cornerstone KPI when analyzing marketing campaign effectiveness.
Formula:
Total Marketing Spend ÷ Number of New Customers
Pair CAC with Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) to get a full picture of campaign ROI.
4. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)
CLTV helps forecast revenue by understanding how much a customer will spend over their journey.
Formula:
Average Purchase Value × Purchase Frequency × Customer Lifespan
Track this alongside retention metrics like churn rate and customer success feedback to increase profit margin.
5. Return on Investment (ROI)
ROI is the bottom line of any marketing strategy—it tells you how profitable your campaigns are.
Formula:
[(Revenue – Cost) ÷ Cost] × 100
Use case: Apply to email marketing, paid media, and content marketing initiatives.
6. Bounce Rate and Landing Page Performance
A high bounce rate often signals poor landing page design or misaligned content.
What to Track:
Bounce rate by landing page
Landing page metrics (form fills, scroll depth)
SEO traffic to key content pages
Tools: Google Analytics, analytics dashboard platforms
7. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR reveals how compelling your ads, emails, or CTAs are in prompting action.
Formula:
(Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100
Track CTR across:
Google Ads
Meta Business Suite
Email campaigns
8. Email Marketing Metrics
Email remains a powerful tool in the marketing plan. Track these KPIs to optimize effectiveness:
Email open rate
Click-through rates
Unsubscribes
Conversion from email (e.g., discount code redemption)
Use segmentation and personalization to improve campaign performance.
9. Lead Generation and Qualification
Good lead generation isn't just about quantity—it’s about quality.
What to Track:
Number of leads from different marketing channels
Cost per lead (CPL)
Form fills
Live chat engagement
Call tracking and lead qualification
Match these with marketing funnel stages and track deals closed from marketing.
10. Brand Awareness & Customer Engagement
Brand awareness shows how recognizable and memorable your brand is, while customer engagement tracks how involved your audience is.
Metrics to Track:
Branded search volume
Social media engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments)
Customer responses and review management
Net promoter score (NPS)
Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and sentiment trackers can help.
Bonus: Marketing Dashboard Metrics
Track all your KPIs in a centralized marketing analytics dashboard. Include key metrics like:
Marketing effectiveness score
Campaign performance and goals
Profit margin
Pipeline growth
Customer journey mapping
Content marketing reach
This holistic view helps optimize across the entire customer lifecycle—from search engine optimization visibility to customer marketing initiatives.
How to Choose the Right KPIs
Not all metrics matter equally. Here’s how to zero in on what counts:
1. Define Clear Marketing Goals
Align marketing KPIs with your strategic objectives—brand building, lead generation, customer retention, etc.
2. Prioritize What Moves the Needle
Start with high-impact KPIs: conversion rate, ROI, CLTV, CAC.
3. Benchmark and Iterate
Compare your metrics with industry standards (e.g., average bounce rates or email CTRs) and set target improvements.
Conclusion: Track What Matters
Your marketing results depend on how well you track, analyze, and act on your data. By focusing on the right marketing KPIs—from conversion rates and customer acquisition cost to brand awareness and website traffic—you’ll gain the clarity needed to make smarter decisions and scale your marketing plan.