The Top Marketing Analytics Metrics You Should Actually Be Tracking
Marketing analytics is overflowing with numbers. Dashboards can look like airplane cockpits—conversion rates, impressions, CTRs, bounce rates, assisted conversions, ROAS, LTV, and dozens more. The temptation is to measure everything, but not every metric matters equally. The truth is: tracking the wrong metrics wastes time and clouds decision-making. Tracking the right ones sharpens focus, aligns teams, and drives ROI.
In this blog, we’ll cut through the noise and highlight the top marketing analytics metrics you should actually be tracking—the ones that help you prove marketing’s impact, optimize campaigns, and make smarter growth decisions.
Why Tracking the Right Metrics Matters
You’ve heard it before: what gets measured, gets managed. But in marketing, measurement overload is real. Teams often default to what’s easy to measure, not what’s meaningful. Vanity metrics—like social media followers or total impressions—might look impressive, but they rarely tell you if your marketing is working.
Choosing the right analytics metrics ensures:
Clarity: Everyone understands what success looks like.
Focus: Teams prioritize the actions that move the needle.
Alignment: Sales, marketing, and leadership work toward shared goals.
Accountability: Investments are tied to measurable business outcomes.
Now, let’s dive into the metrics that matter most.
1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Definition: The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including ad spend, salaries, software, and overhead.
Why it matters: CAC helps you understand the efficiency of your marketing. If CAC is too high, growth isn’t sustainable.
Formula: CAC= Total Sales & Marketing Expenses/Number of New Customers Acquired
Pro tip: Always pair CAC with Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) to evaluate profitability. A good benchmark is an LTV:CAC ratio of 3:1.
2. Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
Definition: The projected revenue a customer will generate during their relationship with your business.
Why it matters: LTV tells you how much you can afford to spend to acquire and retain customers. It also highlights the importance of retention strategies.
Formula: CLV=Average Purchase Value×Purchase Frequency×Customer Lifespan
Pro tip: Compare LTV across customer segments to identify your most profitable audiences.
3. Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI)
Definition: A measure of the revenue generated relative to marketing spend.
Why it matters: Leadership doesn’t care how many clicks you got—they care how much revenue marketing drove.
Formula: ROMI =(Incremental Revenue−Marketing Cost/Marketing Cost)×100
Pro tip: Break this down by channel to understand which investments are paying off.
4. Conversion Rate (CR)
Definition: The percentage of users who complete a desired action (purchase, demo request, download, etc.).
Why it matters: High traffic with low conversions means you’re paying for visitors who don’t become customers.
Formula: Conversion Rate=Number of Conversions/Total Visitors x 100
Pro tip: Optimize by testing copy, design, and offers to improve funnel performance.
5. Cost Per Lead (CPL)
Definition: The average cost of acquiring a new lead.
Why it matters: CPL helps you benchmark campaigns and forecast pipeline performance.
Formula: CPL=Total Marketing Spend/Number of Leads Generated
Pro tip: Not all leads are created equal—pair CPL with lead quality or conversion-to-customer rate.
6. Lead-to-Customer Rate
Definition: The percentage of leads that turn into paying customers.
Why it matters: A flood of leads is meaningless if few convert to revenue.
Formula: Lead−to−Customer Rate=Number of New Customers/Number of Leads x 100
Pro tip: Use this metric to pressure-test lead gen campaigns—are you generating qualified leads or just volume.
7. Pipeline Velocity
Definition: A measure of how quickly leads move through the funnel.
Why it matters: Faster sales cycles mean faster revenue recognition. Sluggish velocity signals friction in your process.
Formula: Pipeline Velocity=Number of Opportunities x Average Deal Size x Win Rate/Sales Cycle Length
Pro tip: Collaborate with sales to identify where prospects stall.
8. Customer Retention Rate (CRR)
Definition: The percentage of customers who continue to do business with you over time.
Why it matters: Retention is more cost-effective than acquisition. A small increase in retention can drive outsized profit gains.
Formula: CRR=Number of Customers End of Period - Number of New Customers Acquired/Number of Customers Start of Period x 100
Pro tip: Pair with churn rate for a full retention picture.
9. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Definition: A measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty, based on how likely customers are to recommend you.
Why it matters: High NPS predicts growth via word-of-mouth and referrals. Low NPS signals churn risk.
Formula: NPS=%Promoters - %Detractors
Pro tip: Track NPS over time to gauge customer sentiment trends.
10. Attribution Metrics
Definition: Insights into which channels and touchpoints drive conversions.
Why it matters: Attribution ensures you’re investing in the channels that actually work.
Types:
First-touch: Credit to the first channel.
Last-touch: Credit to the final channel.
Multi-touch: Weighted credit across multiple interactions.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate—choose the attribution model that aligns with your buying journey.
11. Website Engagement Metrics (Time on Page, Bounce Rate, Pages/Session)
Definition: Measures of how visitors interact with your site.
Why it matters: Engagement signals whether your content resonates—or if visitors are leaving frustrated.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over bounce rate in isolation—context matters. A high bounce rate on a blog post with high time on page may mean users found exactly what they needed.
12. Share of Voice (SOV)
Definition: Your visibility compared to competitors in paid and organic channels.
Why it matters: SOV often predicts market share. More visibility equals more opportunities.
Pro tip: Track across both search and social to see where you’re winning—and losing.
13. Social Engagement Rate
Definition: The percentage of interactions (likes, comments, shares) relative to impressions or followers.
Why it matters: Engagement beats raw follower counts. It measures true audience connection.
Pro tip: Focus on engagement quality (comments, shares) over vanity likes.
14. Email Marketing Metrics (Open Rate, CTR, Unsubscribe Rate)
Definition: Indicators of email campaign health.
Why it matters: Email remains a high-ROI channel. Monitoring these ensures ongoing effectiveness.
Pro tip: Watch unsubscribe trends—they signal content or frequency issues.
15. Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)
Definition: Lead stages that indicate readiness for nurturing or sales outreach.
Why it matters: Alignment between marketing and sales depends on a shared definition of MQLs and SQLs.
Pro tip: Regularly revisit your scoring criteria to keep definitions accurate.
Putting It All Together: Building a Smarter Metrics Dashboard
Tracking all 15 metrics might sound overwhelming, but remember: the goal is focus, not overload. Here’s how to make it actionable:
Start with business goals: Revenue growth, profitability, retention.
Choose 5–7 core metrics that ladder up to those goals.
Segment by channel for clarity on what’s driving impact.
Review regularly—monthly or quarterly—to track progress.
Refine over time as your business evolves.
Final Thoughts
Marketing analytics is only as powerful as the decisions it informs. By focusing on the metrics that matter—those tied directly to growth, efficiency, and customer experience—you’ll cut through the noise and keep your team aligned on what truly drives results.
The next time you’re staring at a bloated dashboard, ask yourself: Does this metric help me understand revenue, cost efficiency, or customer value? If not, it’s just noise.
Want to build a marketing strategy that’s fueled by the right data? Let’s talk. KRFt helps brands turn analytics into action, driving growth where it counts.