What Content Marketing KPIs Should You Track?

It’s no secret that many people are drowning in data. And for content marketers, too much data is just as bad as too little. In fact, according to technology company OpenText, 76% of workers in the U.S. feel that information overload contributes to their daily stress, with 35% saying this overload is detrimental to their work performance. For marketers, that stress is even greater. We’re swimming in numbers — but are we tracking the right ones?

Marketers are drowning in a sea of data and information.

Michelle Jackson, Chief Strategy Officer, BackPocket Agency, puts it best: “For content marketers, data can be a bit of a double-edged sword. It helps us better understand our audience’s needs, and it can help us deliver more impactful, relevant content. At the same time, when we don’t have a plan in place for thoughtful, strategic measurement, we can quickly get overwhelmed by data to the point that it’s not helping us.”

A key part of that plan should include establishing a framework for content marketing measurement — one that you’ll stick to and that includes cutting through the noise and clutter with specific key performance indicators (KPIs). Content KPIs cut through the noise and ensure your content marketing strategy is driven by insights, not just numbers.

But how do you know which KPIs to track? What’s the right number of KPIs to monitor? While there are some right answers — and some answers that are better than others — rest assured: There are no wrong answers, either. (Assuming you have a reason for tracking the numbers you chose.) 

Once you’ve identified your KPIs, your data life simplifies, allowing you and your team to rally behind a few sticking points, with all content creation flowing back to those principles. 

Why Content KPIs Are Important

When you invest in developing a content strategy — no doubt one that requires time, effort, and a budget — you want to be sure you’re seeing measurable benefits. 

Without clear and specific targets, it’s hard to tell if your work is successful, if adjustments are needed, or if anyone’s engaging with the content to begin with. 

In addition to optimizing content and streamlining decision-making, KPIs also help you create buy-in among senior leaders who want quantitative information on marketing efforts. Showing them how well-spent content efforts are can encourage greater buy-in for your work. 

And, perhaps best of all on the individual level, it cuts down on that persistent data fatigue. Having select metrics to track per initiative decreases data reporting time as well as information overload. 

How to Align Content KPIs With Organization Goals

When determining your content KPIs, first consider your organization’s broader business objectives, specifically the ones that your content strategy is built around. 

• What are you trying to achieve?
• What’s your mission for this year?
• For the next five years?

When determining your content KPIs, first consider your organization’s broader business objectives, specifically the ones that your content strategy is built around.

Let’s say the primary goal of your content strategy is generating new leads for your business. With that in mind, you might prioritize KPIs such as:

• Conversion rate: How many visitors actually take action (form fills, sign-ups, downloads)? If they’re not converting, your content isn’t doing its job.
• Email sign-ups: The number of new users who subscribe to your emails or e-newsletter.
• Content downloads: The number of times someone offers their email address to download a piece of content.
• Webinar sign-ups: The number of people who register with their email address to attend an online webinar or event.
• New vs. returning website users: A comparison of first-time visitors (potential new leads) compared to those who have previously visited.
• Lead quality: Are your leads high-intent prospects or just casual browsers? Measure how well they align with your ideal customer profile.
• Customer acquisition cost: Measures the average cost of getting a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses.  

Using that same example, other KPIs might be less relevant to you. Those might include:

• Time on page: This is certainly a useful measure of engagement, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate lead generation.
• Returning visitors: Since lead generation focused on acquiring new visitors, retention metrics might matter less.
• Pages per session: This is more of an engagement metric rather than a lead generation one.
• Total page views: High page views don’t necessarily indicate lead generation either. 

And forget one-size-fits-all. “There’s no one way to measure content effectiveness,” Jackson says. “Your plan should be laser-focused on measuring what matters most to your organization. It’s perfectly OK to leave certain KPIs on the cutting-room floor if they don’t match up to what you’re trying to achieve with your content program.”

Sample Content Marketing KPIs to Track 

Maybe lead generation isn’t your jam, and that example isn’t super relevant to you. We’ve got you covered.

In: Focusing on what matters to your brand. Out: Measuring everything under the sun.

Below, we’ve outlined a variety of potential organizational goals with appropriate content marketing KPIs to track.

Increase Engagement

• Page views: Indicates the number of times a website page is visited. One of the most commonly tracked metrics, page views are a handy and easy metric to compare the performance of different content pages. 
• Time on page: Shows how long visitors spend reading your content. The longer they spend, the more engaged they are. 
• Returning website visitors: People who have been to your site before, which is useful for tracking engagement. 
• Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after engaging with only one page. A higher bounce rate might mean your content is not relevant or that you’re attracting the wrong audience. 
• Social shares and comments: Reflects audience interest and engagement. Are people enjoying your content so much that they’re sharing your content with their network or wanting to spark further discussion? 
• Click-through rate: The percentage of people who visit a webpage after clicking a specific link or advertisement. 
• Scroll depth: A measurement of how far a user scrolls on a page, typically measured as a percentage. 

Improve Overall Reach

• Organic traffic: The number of visitors to your website that come from unpaid (thus “organic”) search results.  
• Referral traffic: The number of visitors to your site that come from other websites, such as an influencer or partner organization linking to your content. 
• Direct traffic: How many users visit your site without a referral, typically when they type the URL directly into their browser, click on a bookmarked link, or there isn’t referral source information. 
• New visitors: People who have never visited your website, which is helpful when trying to grow and expand your audience. 
• Open rates: Percentage of people that open your email, indicating the effectiveness of your email. 

Enhance Revenue and Overall ROI 

• Return on investment (ROI): Calculates revenue generated from content marketing compared to its cost.
• Conversion rate: Measures the rate of how many users convert a specific action, which could be opening an email, filling out a registration form, signing up for a conference, or buying a product. The higher the rate, the more effective the content. 
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): Estimates the total revenue a customer generates over time. It gives you a benchmark of what to spend, given how much money you can expect in return for attracting a new customer. 

Improve SEO Performance and Overall Thought Leadership

• Keyword rankings: Tracks how well your content ranks for targeted keywords. You’ll want to rank high for what your target audience is searching for. 
• Domain authority: A score developed to predict a website’s ability to rank highly on search engine results pages, usually represented as a score of 0–100. SEO company Moz developed the metric. 
• Backlinks: Indicates how many external sites link to your content. Not only do backlinks increase traffic to your site, but they also add credibility and help your site be seen as trustworthy. Backlinks can also help improve your SEO. More backlinks and shares are a sign of thought leadership. 

Ready to Supercharge Your Content Marketing Measurement?

At BackPocket Agency, we’re more than just content creators — we’re strategic partners committed to helping you achieve your marketing goals. With our comprehensive content strategy services, we’ll guide you through every step of the process, ensuring that your content doesn’t just exist but thrives. Let’s work together to create a content strategy that not only tells your story but drives your success. Reach out to BackPocket to start strategizing today.