How to measure keyword performance: choose metrics based on your goals, then track actual results

Measuring keyword performance is about whether your target search terms help you generate traffic, leads, or sales—not just whether rankings improve. To increase search visibility, track impressions and rankings; to attract visitors, look at clicks and click-through rate; to drive bookings or purchases, monitor conversions. For paid search, also track cost per click and cost per conversion. Evaluate paid and organic search separately.

Look at rankings and click-through rate together

Rankings indicate where a page appears in search results. Click-through rate (CTR) is clicks divided by impressions, expressed as a percentage. It reflects how effectively a search result attracts clicks.

• Rankings: Track these regularly, as positions can fluctuate frequently. A single search is not enough to judge performance.
• Click-through rate: Review this alongside rankings to see whether impressions lead to clicks, rather than looking only at impression counts.
• Clicks: Check how many clicks search results actually generate, and compare them alongside rankings and impressions.

A 2024 Semrush article notes a strong correlation between higher rankings and higher average click-through rates, but an appropriate CTR varies by industry. Better rankings therefore do not guarantee more clicks, and no single percentage should serve as a benchmark for every keyword.

Measure results through conversions, and consider costs for paid keywords

If the goal is to generate meeting bookings or product purchases, a click is only an intermediate step. Conversion rate more directly reflects the outcome you want to measure. In that Semrush article, organic search conversion rate is calculated as “conversions ÷ visitors × 100%,” while paid search conversion rate is “conversions ÷ clicks × 100%.” Specify the denominator in reports to avoid directly comparing conversion rates calculated differently.

Conversion rate can also be affected by content quality and relevance, loading speed, and page design elements such as buttons. If clicks lead to few conversions, investigate these areas rather than immediately concluding that a keyword has no value.

Average cost per click (CPC) in paid search is the average amount spent on each ad click. A high CPC may suggest that a keyword has sales potential, but you still need to consider whether that keyword brings in the right visitors. A high CPC can also quickly use up a budget. Assess it alongside cost per conversion and campaign goals, rather than assuming that more expensive keywords are more worthwhile to bid on.

Track performance for specific keywords and pages

In a 2022 Google Search Console tutorial, Welly explained how to filter performance data by query, page, country/region, and device, then export it. This approach can guide your tracking, though the interface labels and options may have changed since then.

For example, to examine how an article performs for a target term, filter the data for that query and page. Compile impressions, clicks, CTR, and average position over a period of time, then compare changes. Keep dates and filter settings in reports to make the scope of the data clear. Do not use sitewide totals as a substitute for a specific keyword’s results.