Which search metrics do you show your boss?

So many people to struggle to convince the boss of the importance of SEO, but how many focus on the metrics? Most businesspeople are numbers-oriented, looking for profit margins, sales, and other measurements to run the business. Sometimes we search marketers don't think about the business, instead trying to explain how search works or why it is important. You might find more success if you focus on the numbers that will make the boss sit up and take notice.

Image by DrBacchus via Flickr

And what numbers might they be? The same ones we just talked about. The owner, the CEO, you manager—it doesn't matter what the title is—each want to know how much search will move the business.

Don't waste your time explaining ranking algorithms, content theming, or link analysis. Instead, focus on the numbers that explain the value of SEO. Start Street the top of this list if you can, working your way down if necessary:

• Return on Investment. If you can show how the money you spend on search comes back even bigger, you probably don't need anything else. To do that, you need to be able to calculate your costs and (harder) the resulting revenue. E-commerce companies can do this, but most companies that sell offline can't.
• Online conversions Perhaps you can't measure revenue and ROI, but can you show how people got as far as they could. Whether it's an e-mail contact, a phone call, or some other point where customers switch to offline, by showing how your online conversions increase, you're at least suggesting an impact on sales.
• Site traffic Maybe you can't count conversions, but you can at least count traffic to your site. If you can't do that, you're working with the wrong people.

So, no more talk of search rankings and snippets and keyword popularity—at least with the boss. Stick to what works. Focus on at least traffic measurements to start, but don't settle. If you can only count traffic today, you need to work to identify all online conversions and instrument your Web analytics system to count them. Then, focus on tying every online conversion to an offline sale, so that you can prove ROI.

If you focus on what will persuade your boss, you won't waste your time explaining what they don't care about, Instead, build the metrics system that tells them what they want to know.