Key performance indicators (KPI) are the best means by which any website owner should be measuring Search Engine Optimization (SEO) success. Google tracks such info on their site. You can view data for your site by visiting Google Webmaster Tools.

So, what are the right KPIs to use when measuring how well the techniques and tactics actually work?

Before you begin digging deep into your analytics and working to understand the most essential SEO KPIs, recognize that their best use will ultimately be for learning what works and where a site/domain can be improved. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a master of analytics to understand these essential SEO KPIs

The Essential SEO KPIs

All sites are different, so the KPIs used to measure the success of an SEO campaign will vary by website.

• The Totals - Pages & Traffic: Perhaps the most straightforward of the essential KPIs for SEO, the total number of pages in search engine indices and the total amount of natural/organic traffic (and which way it is moving), are also the most obvious – and simplest to understand.
• Pages/Categories with the Most Traffic: Understanding which pages and categories already deliver the most search engine visitors provides SEOs and website owners with insights into what can be optimized (if not producing desired results) and which type of content can be expanded.
• Average Number of Keywords (and type) per Page: Discover how well developed the "long tail" is by determining the average number of keywords per landing page. It is also key to dig deeper to understand the popularity of the topics and information needs of users interested – explore the conversion rate for top keywords and identify areas of improvement.
• Length of Keyword Queries: Knowing the length of the keyword queries is a key indicator of the performance of long-tail SEO campaigns. Knowing the average number of words per query helps decision-makers understand the characteristics of the traffic.
• Bounce Rate per Search Engine / Keyword: Search engines tend to have different demographic user profiles. Taking this into consideration when analyzing bounce rate per keyword may help to understand how the website content is perceived by these different segments of people. Bounce rates on the keyword level specifically tell a lot about the quality of the keyword analysis phase.
• Average Length of Visit / Visit Duration: Both the duration and the average length of visits are high-quality benchmarks for organic/natural traffic.
• New Visitors / User Loyalty: This is another essential key performance indicator for SEO as it provides information on the characteristics of the organic traffic. The rate or percentage of new visitors is particularly important for community-based websites and shows if SEO is in line with other business and marketing goals.