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SEO and AI search analytics

SEO metrics that matter for a small business

By the editors of Analytics1.comLast reviewed 19 October 20262 min read

The short answer

Watch clicks and impressions by query and page in Google Search Console, organic conversions by landing page in your analytics, and the number of pages that receive any search traffic. Treat third-party estimates such as domain authority scores and traffic estimates as directional only.

Key takeaways

  • Search Console clicks, impressions and positions are first-party and free.
  • Measure organic conversions by landing page, not just traffic.
  • Treat third-party traffic estimates and authority scores as directional only.
On this page 3 sections
  1. The core five
  2. Metrics to treat with care
  3. Add Bing

The core five

  1. Organic clicks (Search Console): real visits from Google.
  2. Impressions by query: what you are being shown for, including queries you never targeted.
  3. Average position by page: useful for spotting pages on page two that need work.
  4. Organic conversions by landing page (GA4 or your lead tracking): which pages produce enquiries.
  5. Pages with search traffic: the share of your pages that earn any impressions.

Metrics to treat with care

  • Third-party traffic estimates: useful for comparing competitors, not for measuring yourself.
  • Domain authority style scores: vendor metrics, not Google's.
  • Keyword rank for a single term: rankings vary by location and device; track groups of terms.
  • Bounce rate in isolation: a page that answers the question quickly can have a high bounce rate and be doing its job.

Add Bing

Bing Webmaster Tools gives the same first-party data for Bing, and Bing results feed several AI assistants. It takes ten minutes to verify.

For AI assistants, see how to track your visibility in AI search.

Next step

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