AI Summary:
If you’re not tracking the right marketing metrics, you’re flying blind. This ultimate guide breaks down the must-know metrics across your website, Google listing, social media, email marketing, and YouTube. Plus, learn how to report them with ease using spreadsheets, and how to spot problems before they cost you leads and sales.
Why Metrics Matter
If marketing feels like a guessing game, it’s probably because you’re not tracking the right data.
Metrics give you the power to:
- Understand what’s working
- Identify what’s wasting time and money
- Make smart, informed decisions
- Guide your VA with clarity
- Track ROI and tweak for growth
The Ideal Reporting Rhythm
For general marketing activity:
Review and report metrics every 4th Friday of the month.
Use this to reflect, recalibrate, and plan for the next month.
For current campaigns (e.g., challenges, launches, webinars):
Track metrics weekly during the campaign period.
Use live data to tweak messaging, timing, or targeting for better results.
Tool Tip:
Use a shared Google Sheet to track weekly and monthly metrics. This keeps your data accessible, organised, and visible for both business owners and VAs.
What to Track, Why It Matters, and What It Could Mean
Google Business Profile (Google Listing)
What to Track:
- Profile views
- Website clicks
- Calls
- Direction requests
- Reviews
Why It Matters:
This reflects how well you’re showing up in local searches.
Where to Find It:
Google Business Profile > Performance
What It Could Mean:
Low website clicks? You may need a stronger call to action in your business description.
No new reviews? Start asking satisfied clients to leave a review. It builds trust and boosts visibility.
Google Analytics (Website)
What to Track:
- Website traffic
- Traffic sources
- Bounce rate
- Pages per session
- Time on site
- Conversions
Why It Matters:
It shows where your traffic comes from and whether they’re converting or leaving.
Where to Find It:
Google Analytics 4 dashboard
What It Could Mean:
High bounce rate? Your site might be slow or confusing.
Low conversions? Your offer, CTA, or form might need improvement.
Spike in traffic from social? Replicate or boost the post that caused it.
Website Health Metrics
What to Track:
- Page load speed
- Mobile responsiveness
- Clicks on CTAs
- Heatmaps or scroll depth (if using tools like Hotjar)
Why It Matters:
Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. It must be fast, mobile-friendly, and conversion-focused.
Where to Find It:
Google PageSpeed Insights, GA4, and optional heatmap tools
What It Could Mean:
Slow load times? You’re losing visitors before they even see your offer.
Poor mobile view? You could be alienating over half your audience.
What to Track:
- Post reach and impressions
- Engagement: likes, comments, shares, saves
- Page views
- Profile link clicks
- Growth in followers
Why It Matters:
Facebook remains a key platform for brand building and community engagement.
Where to Find It:
Meta Business Suite > Insights
What It Could Mean:
Lots of shares but low clicks? Content is interesting, but the CTA may need improvement.
High engagement on personal posts? Blend more authentic, story-based content into your strategy.
What to Track:
- Reach and impressions
- Profile visits and link clicks
- Saves, shares, and comments
- Follower growth
- Story completion rates
Why It Matters:
Instagram shows how visually appealing and relevant your brand is.
Where to Find It:
Instagram > Professional Dashboard > Insights
What It Could Mean:
More saves than likes? This content has lasting value. Turn it into a lead magnet or blog.
Low story views? Post at different times or switch up your content style.
What to Track:
- Profile views
- Content engagement
- Search appearances
- Link clicks
- Connection requests
- Follower growth (Company Page)
Why It Matters:
Great for B2B visibility, lead generation, and personal branding.
Where to Find It:
LinkedIn > Profile > Analytics
LinkedIn Company Page > Analytics
What It Could Mean:
Drop in profile views? You may not be posting consistently or using the right hashtags.
High post engagement? Turn that topic into a blog or lead magnet. It resonates.
Email Marketing
What to Track:
- Open rates (note: iOS privacy affects accuracy)
- Click-through rates (CTR)
- Unsubscribe and bounce rates
- Conversion rates (downloads, bookings, purchases)
- Lead magnet downloads and form submissions
- Email automation (flow) performance: open, click, and conversion rates per step
Why It Matters:
Email is one of the highest ROI marketing channels, especially when paired with valuable lead magnets and well-structured email flows. It helps build relationships, nurture leads, and move people closer to buying.
Where to Find It:
Inside your email marketing or CRM platform (e.g. OBMHub)
What It Could Mean:
- Low open rate? Test a new subject line or send on a different day.
- High CTR but low conversions? Your landing page or offer might need improvement.
- High unsubscribe rate after email 3 in a nurture sequence? That specific email may be too salesy or irrelevant.
- Low downloads on a lead magnet? Consider changing the offer, title, or where you’re promoting it.
Lead Magnet Metrics Example:
If your “VA Task Checklist” lead magnet gets 200 landing page views but only 5 downloads, that’s a 2.5% conversion rate — too low. This could signal the headline isn’t strong enough, the opt-in form is confusing, or there’s no urgency. A good target is 30-50% opt-in rate from landing page to download.
Automation Flow Example:
Let’s say you have a 3-email nurture sequence after someone downloads your lead magnet:
- Email 1 (delivery): 60% open, 45% CTR
- Email 2 (value-add): 52% open, 18% CTR
- Email 3 (CTA to book): 41% open, 4% CTR and 2 bookings
From this, you can see strong interest at the top of the sequence, with a drop-off later. You might test shortening the sequence, rewriting email 3’s headline, or moving the call to action earlier in the flow.
Pro Tip:
Track all lead magnets and flows in a shared spreadsheet. Include columns for:
- Lead magnet name
- Views
- Downloads
- Conversion %
- Follow-up email flow results (open, CTR, conversion)
This helps you quickly identify which lead magnets are high performers and where to optimise.
YouTube
What to Track:
- Views and watch time
- Audience retention
- Click-through rate (from thumbnails and titles)
- Subscriber growth
- Engagement (likes, comments, shares)
Why It Matters:
YouTube is a powerful search engine for building authority and generating leads. Video watch time and engagement are strong signals that your content is valuable.
Where to Find It:
YouTube Studio > Analytics
What It Could Mean:
Low watch time? Your intro might be too long or unclear.
High CTR but low retention? Your title and thumbnail are effective, but content may not meet expectations.
Steady subscriber growth? Consider building a lead magnet or opt-in linked from your video descriptions.
Preferred Tools for Reporting
- Spreadsheet eg Google Sheets: Create a monthly dashboard, colour-code insights, and track goals.
- Canva: Design simple visual snapshots or performance boards.
- Loom: Record video summaries.
Pro Tip: Use conditional formatting in Google Sheets to highlight wins (green) and warnings (red) to make decision-making fast and visual.
Recap: The Metrics That Actually Move the Needle
| Channel | Key Metric | What It Means | Action |
| Clicks and Reviews | Local visibility | Optimise listing, ask for reviews | |
| Website | Conversions and Bounce Rate | User experience | Fix page speed, improve CTA |
| Reach and Engagement | Organic content quality | Lean into what’s working | |
| Saves and Link Clicks | Content value | Repurpose top performers | |
| Profile Views and Content Reach | Personal brand | Post educational content | |
| CTR and Unsubscribes | List health | Segment, test subject lines | |
| YouTube | Watch Time and CTR | Content value | Improve intro and thumbnails |
Data-Driven, Not Data-Drenched
Marketing success isn’t about tracking everything. It’s about tracking the right things. When you review the right metrics consistently, you make better decisions, empower your team, and get better results without the overwhelm.
Not sure what your numbers are telling you?
Take my Marketing Gap Quiz or book a strategy session and let’s get clear on where your marketing is working and where it needs attention.
