Optimizing content has always been a sure-shot way to rank web pages on the Google search engine results pages. Creating engaging content has been a primary technique to increase the awareness of users and provide information to the audience about your website since the inception of perhaps the internet itself. You can create a robust content strategy to dominate the SERPs. While this is plausible, have you wondered how you are going to gauge the effectiveness of your content? Here comes tracking of the content into play! The technique that we use to track the performance of the content is KPI tracking. Hence, KPI (Key Performance Indicators) is a perfect solution since you can determine specific elements that you want to measure. With KPI measurement technique, you can actually measure the effectiveness of content on a website.
KPIs plays a vital role in content marketing as it familiarizes you with the success of the content. Content marketing is being highlighted for years now but if you can’t measure its achievement then it is nearly impossible to improve your strategy. So, using KPI measurement trick is a great idea. It is pretty obvious that you can optimize the content only if you are aware of the fact that it is not helping to raise your website on top.
In this blog I’m going to describe the meaning of KPIs and how can you use it to track the success of your content strategy.
What are KPIs?
The term “KPIs” is an acronym for Key Performance Indicators; there are two aspects to it. One is KPI measurement technique to measure the value of the content that demonstrates how effectively it is working for your business website. Another is KPI tracking technique to track the conversions that are coming through reading the content. Not only this, there are other sectors where it plays a vital role.
There are multiple levels of Key Performance Indicators that are used by the website owners. The high-level KPIs focus on the overall performance of a business site whereas low-level KPIsspotlights different departments like sales, HR, support, etc.
Quick note on content!
Okay! So now let’s talk something about content and content marketing.
Content marketing is one of the major tactics to gain users that can be converted into leads. But still, if you are unable to measure it, you can’t strategize how to repair the damage it is causing. A content marketing campaign, if running smoothly, can give you surprising results. Basically, the content is used to engage users on your website’s page, and for that, you need to know how to create great content. If you think writing content is not your cup of tea then you can always reach out to a digital marketing agency. These agencies can hook you up with content writers that can write blogs, newsletters, service pages, etc. keeping in mind the core voice of your brand. Well, all the labor that you did while choosing SEO agency will go into the trash if you outsource your project to the wrong agency. So, my suggestion to you is to do some research while choosing so.
Stages of KPIs
Now let’s get back to the main topic. The KPIs are basically divided into four stages; Awareness KPIs, Content Engagement KPIs, Conversion KPIs, and Loyalty.
So, let’s get started!
- Awareness KPIs
This stage basically focuses on grabbing the eyeballs of the users towards your content. This stage makes sure that the users are provided relevant answers to their queries from your content. Relevant content is a sure-shot solution to this. If you are not providing topic-related information then the users will be disappointed and it is possible that they won’t consider coming back to your page.
There are a few KPIs for this that may suit you.
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- Share of voice
Share of voice (SoV) basically works on percentage. The KPI measurement tactic helps measure how often your website is displayed on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) as compared to the searches for keywords you have selected.
Just for an instance, suppose that there are 1000 searches and your website shows 300 times, then your SoV would be 30%.
This will give you a clear idea whether your blog page is displaying on the search results page for the searches related to it or not; and if not, you can take the help of a digital marketing agency that can develop a strategy to rank your website on top.
SoV’s can be easily tracked on search platforms. You or your digital marketing service providers can do this for you.
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- Search impressions
Organic search results are very important. As you are not creating a PPC (pay-per-click) ad, you or the digital marketing agency hired by you will have to create a strategy for top ranking on SERPs.
Running an SEO campaign for your content can work on the awareness part of the funnel where the main target of an SEO specialist would be placing your web page on top of the search engine result page. Outsourcing SEO services is always an option if you think that the process is daunting.
By doing so, it will create an awareness in searchers’ mind that your website is a solution for their query.
The visibility of your page will result in attracting more users to it.
You can use different tools to track it like Google search console.
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- New visitors
New visitors are the audience who have never visited your website earlier. Hence, they will give a perfect idea of the number of people that are actually connecting to your website through your content.
You can always track these users with the help of Google Analytics or Google ads.
- Content engagement KPIs
Suppose that the users are visiting your page, but would they stay if they find your content to be boring? Perhaps not. Hence, this increases the chances of them bouncing off your website. Our aim is to reduce bounce rate by engaging the users and for that, you need to write eye-catching content that captivates user attention. It should be attractive, easy to understand, and relevant to the topic.
It is an important stage as it confirms that people are actually taking an interest to visit your website and the products or services you are offering.
There are a few KPIs that you can consider.
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- Bounce rate
Bounce rate is basically the count of the users coming to your website and leaving right away without even viewing the other pages on the same site.
The engagement relies on the fact that the users that are coming to your website are spending some time and are taking an interest to read the content published on it.
You can track the bounce rate with the help of Google analytics. You can, in fact, measure the bounce rate of the page at once. KPI tracking will give you a better idea of the engagement of the audience to your website.
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- Time on the page
If someone is visiting your website then there are two possibilities –the first is that they are clicking your website and spending some time on it, and the second possibility is that they are coming to your website and leaving it under a few seconds.
If you are publishing content of 4000 words or more, then the reading time will be obviously more than 10 minutes. Now let’s suppose that the users reach the content page and depart within 30 seconds, then clearly the users are not engaging with that piece of content. It is definitely not a good sign and clearly stating that you need to optimize it.
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- Click
In order to gain clicks on the website, you need to create an interesting, eye-catching title. If the title is not engaging then there is a chance that people will pass and won’t click on it. This can also result in a decrease in CTR(Click through Rate). Well, a digital marketing service provider can perform different tactics that can improve your CTR. They also provide PPC services that can increase Google Ads CTR.
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- Scroll
Scrolling is an activity that is done by users. It doesn’t happen automatically, they have to do some actions for this activity. Well, it is a good sign as it shows that the users are actually interacting with your page.
Other actions like clicking or forgetting something they opened can’t give you an assurance that they are engaging with the page because these things can happen accidentally. So, if the users are scrolling then definitely they are taking interest in it and getting the information they have been looking for.
With the help of different tools like Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager you can track scrolls.
- Conversion KPIs
Tracking conversion is an important process to follow. By this, you can actually understand what the value of your content is as it shows how many clicks you are getting on it. With the help of KPI tracking technique, you can easily do so.
This tactic also encourages you to write new content as if you are getting a good number of users that are converting into leads will inspire you to write more content. A digital marketing service provider can always give a hand to you in conversion analysis.
There are a few KPIs related to it.
Let’s follow!
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- Goal completions
Goal completion can have different aspects. A digital marketing agency provides different SEO as well as PPC services to achieve these goals by running ads like search ads, video ads, display ads, mobile ads, etc.
But the main goal here is to influence more users to read the content so that they can be converted into leads and further into fruitful customers.
Okay! So if a user is engaged with your content then it simply means that the goal is completed and this could be considered as conversion.
No matter what, but if the users are engaging themselves with the content, it would be considered as a goal. You can track these goals with the help of Google Analytics.
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- Purchases
Talking about purchases, only one thing comes to my mind and that is straightforward. It will directly affect the conversion rate, as the users if making any purchase will be considered as the customers no matter what.
You can track purchases using Google Analytics if have enabled it. Otherwise, you can track sales by adding a new goal.
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- Revenue
We all like to see the results after creating an ad or any campaign. Similarly, you will also want to know the ROI (Return on Investment) of the content you or your digital marketing service provider have created. There are many ways to increase ROI that you can read further. So, now let’s come back to the chief subject.
To calculate or track the ROI you can take the help of Google Analytics and for that, you need to know what investments you made to your content. Then after you will know the ROI generated by your content.
- Loyalty
As you know in the business sector gaining people back to your website is very important. The possibility of returning is always lower than of gaining customers.
So, what you can do is that you can keep an eye if people are coming back or not. With the help of KPI tracking, you can track loyalty that can give you an idea of the money that you saved by keeping people to the business website.
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- Return users
Coming back of the users is a very good sign for your business. It means that the content is actually providing the information they need. If people are coming back many times in a row to interact with your content then it simply means that your content is providing enough information that they need.
You can track returned users by selecting audience > behavior > new returning.
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- Repeat business
It is always better if the customers are coming back to your website to do business with you again. For example, if someone outsources link building service to a digital marketing agency and is impressed by the results provided by the company, then for sure the client will want to make the business with this agency again. Thus, this means that they find quality service after having business with the agency.
To track business you have to rely on the customer relationship management system or on sale system.
Use KPI tracking to do so.
Wrap up
By reading the above blog you must have gotten an idea of what Key Performance Indicators are and why you or any digital marketing agency should consider it. Basically, Key Performance Indicators help you to measure your content to know if it is bringing the desired quality traffic to your website or not.
Digital marketing service providers know how to use these KPIs to know whether the content is effective or not. As you read, there are different levels of KPIs that are used by website owners. You can use the high-level KPIs to analyze the overall performance of your business website and the low-level KPIs focus on different aspects like HR, sales, etc.
Also, it is divided into four stages i.e., Awareness KPIs, Conversion KPIs, Content Engagement KPIs, and Loyalty and is described to you in the above blog. There are sub-levels too that you may have read in the above blog.
Hence, you or any digital marketing service providers hired by you can use KPI measurement tactic to measure the effectiveness of the content written. Not only this, there are several other factors like mobile-first indexing, site speed, keyword research, etc., that can affect the ranking of the website. Hope you find the blog effective and informative.
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