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Key Metrics
Performance indicators for traditional SEO and AI optimization.
Traditional SEO Metrics
Traffic Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Sessions | Visitors from search | GA4 |
| Organic Clicks | Search result clicks | GSC |
| Impressions | Search result views | GSC |
| CTR | Clicks / Impressions | GSC |
Ranking Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Average Position | SERP placement | GSC |
| Keyword Rankings | Position for targets | Ahrefs/SEMrush |
| Visibility Index | Overall search presence | Sistrix |
Technical Metrics
| Metric | Target | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | < 2.5s | PageSpeed |
| FID (First Input Delay) | < 100ms | PageSpeed |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | < 0.1 | PageSpeed |
| Crawl Errors | 0 | GSC |
| Indexing Rate | >95% of important pages | GSC |
AI Era Metrics
AI Visibility
| Metric | What It Measures | How to Track |
|---|---|---|
| Citation Frequency | How often you're cited | Manual audit / Otterly |
| Citation Position | Where in answer you appear | Manual audit |
| Platform Coverage | Which AI platforms cite you | Multi-platform audit |
AI Referral Traffic
Track in GA4 with these referrer patterns:
chat.openai.comperplexity.aiclaude.aigemini.google.comcopilot.microsoft.com
Brand Sentiment in AI
| Indicator | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendation language | "Best option", "Recommended" | "Avoid", "Issues with" |
| Comparison position | Listed first | Listed last or not at all |
| Context | Solution provider | Problem example |
Ecommerce Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Product Feed Approval | % products approved in GMC | >95% |
| Product Pack Appearance | Visibility in shopping results | Track weekly |
| AI Shopping Citations | Product recommendations in AI | Track weekly |
TikTok SEO Metrics
Vanity Metrics
Views and Likes are NOT ranking factors on TikTok. Focus on engagement metrics.
| Metric | What It Measures | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Average Watch Time | Seconds watched | Algorithm signal |
| Completion Rate | % who watch to end | Content quality |
| Search Impressions | Views from search | SEO effectiveness |
| Search CTR | Clicks from search | Title/thumbnail quality |
Access via: TikTok Search Console (in Creator Tools)
Vector Embedding Metrics
| Metric | Good Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cosine Similarity | 0.60+ | Strong semantic match |
| Cosine Similarity | 0.40-0.60 | Moderate match |
| Cosine Similarity | <0.40 | Weak match / gap |
Reporting Framework
Weekly Check
- [ ] AI traffic from GA4
- [ ] New citations discovered
- [ ] Indexing issues in GSC
- [ ] Core Web Vitals changes
Monthly Review
- [ ] Full AI visibility audit
- [ ] Competitor citation comparison
- [ ] Content gap analysis update
- [ ] Traffic trend analysis
Quarterly Assessment
- [ ] Strategy alignment check
- [ ] Tool stack evaluation
- [ ] KPI target adjustment
- [ ] Team training needs
Dashboards
Recommended Setup
- Looker Studio for custom dashboards
- GSC + GA4 data blending
- AI tracking via manual audit sheet
Template Structure
Dashboard Sections:
1. Executive Summary (key KPIs)
2. Traditional SEO Performance
3. AI Visibility Tracking
4. Technical Health
5. Action Items