I’ll admit it. I was late to the Instagram party. I didn’t even start my @MarketingWithDave account until March 2025. Since then, I’ve posted every Tuesday and Thursday, sticking to a consistent rhythm. I focused only on regular posts until the end of May, when my wife (a legit micro-influencer who actually knows what she’s doing) said, “You need to be doing Reels.”
She was right.
Even with just a sliver of data, it’s clear: Reels are outperforming regular posts, and quickly.
In March and April, I didn’t post a single Reel. But in May, after switching gears, my Reels engagement rate increased by over 1700%.
I manually tracked engagement metrics across starting in March. Yes, manually, because Instagram doesn’t make this easy. From what I can tell, very few people are reporting on Instagram analytics like this, because there’s no clean dashboard unless you’re exporting data via Meta’s API.
Here’s what I found:
Post engagement peaked in April, then dropped off hard in May.
Reels engagement shot up once I started posting them, despite only having a few Reel interactions to measure.
Reels + Stories = More Momentum
Starting at the end of May, every time I posted a Reel, I followed it up with an Instagram Story. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but looking back, this combo amplified results. Stories help remind followers your content exists and give Instagram another signal that you’re active and worth showing. It’s hard to separate their individual impact, but together, Reels and Stories feel like a smart move worth continuing.
A Few Takeaways
Reels clearly outshine Posts. Even just dipping my toe in brought more reach and interaction. The Instagram algorithm clearly favors them.
Manual tracking is a pain. Instagram’s insights are fragmented and there’s no easy export option. Unless you’re a spreadsheet nerd (guilty), most people won’t do this. But it’s worth doing if you’re trying to measure what’s actually working.
Post engagement isn’t dead, but it needs support. My posts still brought in likes and comments, but not at the same scale or consistency as Reels.
What’s Next?
I’m going to keep the Tuesday and Thursday cadence but mix in more Reels. I’ll keep tracking manually for now and continue updating these charts each month as better trending data becomes available.
Regardless of how you feel about certain content on your website, Google and other search engines will reward or penalize you based on how all of your content performs. As SEO expert Marie Haynes put it, “Google doesn’t hate your blog. It just doesn’t see a reason to crawl it again.”
That’s why it’s essential to either continue optimizing underperforming content or remove it when necessary. Even though there’s no universal benchmark, your best insight comes from trending your own data over time.
What Is the Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio?
The Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio is your answer to the following questions you should be asking every month:
What percentage of my indexed pages are getting any traffic (visits or views)?
This is your Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio.
Google’s documentation on Crawl Budget and Indexing Best Practices emphasizes the importance of managing your website’s indexed content. Regularly auditing and optimizing your indexed pages ensures that search engines focus on your most valuable content, enhancing overall SEO performance.
Why Track Your Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio?
Tracking this metric helps you identify indexed content that may be:
Invisible to users (poor navigation or linking)
Underperforming (thin or outdated content)
Unintentionally indexed (search results, tag archives, etc.)
By surfacing pages that get no traffic, you can fix what matters and prune what doesn’t.
How to Calculate Your Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio
In Google Search Console, export all indexed pages.
In Google Analytics (GA4), pull a list of all pages that had traffic during your time range.
Remove any pages published after the date range you’re analyzing.
Normalize URLs if pages were renamed or redirected.
Divide the number of pages with traffic by total indexed pages.
Example: 64 / 126 = 51%
Here’s My Data for the Past Three Months
Date
Total Indexed Pages
Indexed Pages with Traffic
Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio
March 2025
97
39
40%
April 2025
112
48
43%
May 2025
126
64
51%
What’s Next?
While I don’t know how this compares to other websites, I do know it’s improving. I’ve been actively working on internal linking, navigation, and performance. I plan to continue monitoring to make sure more of my website is pulling its weight.
Tip: Set a monthly goal for your Indexed Pages Traffic Ratio and track your progress. It’s one of the clearest signs that your content is doing what it should – getting found and delivering value.
A meta description is like your content’s elevator pitch. It’s short, persuasive, and designed to make someone click. It appears in search results just below your page title. The image below shows the meta description from my home page in action.
Where Is It Used?
Search Results (Desktop): Your meta description typically appears below the page title and is visible up to about 155–160 characters.
Search Results (Mobile): On mobile devices, search engines often display only the first 110–120 characters due to limited screen space.
Social Media: When shared, your meta description may appear in the link preview on platforms like Facebook.
SEO Plugins: Displayed in search previews inside tools like Yoast or RankMath.
A strong meta description can increase your click-through rate across search and social. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.
Will Google Always Show My Meta Description?
Not always. Google sometimes rewrites your meta description to better match the user’s search. But writing an accurate and useful one increases the chance that Google will keep it as-is.
Lead with value: Start with what’s in it for the reader.
Keep it short: Aim for 155-160 characters. Anything longer may be cut off with “…”
Focus on 1–2 keywords: Use them naturally. Avoid keyword stuffing.
Write for people: Make it easy to read and match the content of the page.
Use active words: Words like “Learn,” “Explore,” “Start,” and “Get” catch attention.
Make each one unique: Don’t use the same meta description across different pages.
Avoid special characters: Symbols like %, $, #, and & might not display properly in search.
Be accurate: Don’t mislead readers. The goal is to earn a click by being clear and honest.
Preview before you publish: Use my meta description analyzer to see what your meta looks like on all devices.
Let AI help: Use tools like ChatGPT to write 3–5 variations, then choose the best fit.
Final Thoughts
Meta descriptions are small but powerful. They don’t just support SEO, they influence whether people click or scroll past. Use them wisely, keep them honest, and make sure they match your content.
Understanding and tracking the right website analytics Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is crucial for measuring online performance and guiding improvements. Below we compile 11 important KPIs that apply broadly across industries, with clear definitions, reasons they matter, and recent (2024 or later) benchmark figures for context.
Definition: Total Visits, or Sessions, counts the number of times your website is accessed in a given period. A session begins when a user arrives and ends after a period of inactivity or when they exit. Multiple page views and interactions can occur within one session.
Why it’s important: This metric indicates the overall traffic volume your site receives. It’s a top-level gauge of brand reach and marketing effectiveness – more sessions mean more opportunities for engagement or conversion. Tracking sessions over time shows growth trends and the impact of campaigns or seasonal fluctuations. It’s actionable because unusual spikes or drops in visits can prompt investigation into external factors (marketing campaigns, referrals, outages, etc.).
Benchmark: A 2024 analysis of Google Analytics data found a median of about 3,390 sessions per month across industries. What counts as “good” will depend on your context – a niche B2B site might thrive on 5,000 highly targeted monthly visits, while a broad B2C site might aim for hundreds of thousands.
2. Unique Visitors (Users)
Definition: Unique Visitors (Users) measures the number of distinct individuals who visit your site in a period. Unlike sessions, this counts each person only once. It’s usually determined by unique browser cookies or user IDs.
Why it’s important: Unique visitors reflect the reach of your website in terms of individual people. This KPI helps you understand your audience size. Growth in unique users means you’re attracting new people, expanding brand awareness.
Benchmark: A 2024 report found the median website received around 20,000 unique visitors per month.
3. Traffic Source Mix (Channels)
Definition: Traffic Source Mix shows the breakdown of your site’s visits by origin: organic search, direct URL access, referral links, social media, paid ads, etc.
Why it’s important: Knowing what channels drive your traffic helps refine strategy. You can identify top-performing sources and improve underperforming ones. A lopsided source mix can also reveal risk if you’re overly dependent on one source.
Benchmark: Industry data suggests about 33% of website traffic comes from organic search.
4. Bounce Rate (and Engagement Rate)
Definition: Bounce Rate is the percentage of visits where users view only one page and leave without interacting further. In GA4, a session is considered a bounce if it doesn’t last more than 10 seconds, doesn’t involve a second page view, or doesn’t trigger a conversion event. Engagement Rate is the inverse: the percentage of sessions considered engaged.
Why it’s important: Bounce Rate measures initial engagement and content relevance. A high bounce rate may suggest poor alignment between visitor intent and page content. Engagement Rate under GA4 gives a fuller picture of user activity beyond pageviews.
Benchmark: Median bounce rate across industries is about 44%, with an average Engagement Rate around 56%.
5. Pages per Session
Definition: Pages per Session indicates how many pages a visitor typically views during one visit to your site. It’s calculated by dividing total pageviews by the number of sessions.
Why it’s important: Higher values usually mean users are engaged and finding value. Lower values might suggest thin content, poor navigation, or mismatched expectations.
Benchmark: The average is around 3.4 pages for desktop users. Retail sites often exceed 5 pages/session, while service or consulting sites may be closer to 2.
6. Average Session Duration
Definition: Average Session Duration tracks the average time a user spends on your site during one session.
Why it’s important: Longer session durations generally reflect more engaged users. Short times may signal confusing content or unmet expectations.
Benchmark: The 2024 median was around 2 minutes and 38 seconds.
7. Average Time on Page
Definition: Average Time on Page measures the average time visitors spend viewing a particular page. It excludes exits or bounces on the last page of a session.
Why it’s important: It’s a page-specific engagement indicator. High times may reflect deep reading or video watching, while low times might suggest skimmed or irrelevant content.
Benchmark: About 1 minute and 31 seconds is the median across industries.
8. Conversion Rate
Definition: Conversion Rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a defined goal — such as a purchase, form submission, or signup.
Why it’s important: It’s one of the most actionable KPIs, directly tied to ROI. Improving conversion rates typically delivers high leverage business gains.
Benchmark: Average conversion rates hover around 3.3%, with e-commerce sites typically between 2.5% and 3%.
9. New vs. Returning Visitors
Definition: This metric shows the proportion of first-time users versus those returning to the site based on cookie tracking or user IDs.
Why it’s important: A healthy mix supports growth and retention. Too many new users might signal poor loyalty, while too many returning users could indicate a lack of reach.
Benchmark: A returning visitor rate between 30% and 50% is generally healthy.
10. Mobile Traffic Share
Definition: Mobile Traffic Share tracks what percentage of your traffic comes from mobile vs. desktop or tablet devices.
Why it’s important: Mobile-first usage affects everything from design to speed to conversion optimization. Knowing your share guides where to prioritize.
Benchmark: Between 65%–70% of web traffic now comes from mobile.
11. Page Load Time (Site Speed)
Definition: This KPI measures how quickly your site’s content loads and becomes interactive. It can be broken into desktop and mobile versions.
Why it’s important: Slow load times hurt UX, increase bounce, and reduce conversions. It’s also a ranking factor in search.
Benchmark: Around 2.5 seconds for desktop and 8.6 seconds for mobile is the current average. Aim for less than 3 seconds on mobile.
Why These KPIs Actually Matter
In the world of digital marketing, what gets measured is what gets managed. But not all metrics are created equal. These KPIs are more than just numbers on a dashboard, but they’re strategic signals that tell you where your traffic is coming from, how users engage with your site, and whether your digital experience is actually moving the needle. Too often teams chase vanity metrics and miss the bigger picture. Focus instead on the metrics that tie directly to behavior, intent, and conversion. Track them consistently, benchmark against your past performance (not just industry averages), and use the insights to take deliberate action. This is how you go from reporting data to actually improving results.
If you’ve used Google Ads, Facebook, or other advertising platforms, you may find Amazon Ads surprisingly simple. The interface lacks a lot of bells and whistles, and that’s part of the appeal. Even so, some guidance is needed to ensure your first campaign launch is successful.
The first campaign you’ll want to launch is also the easiest: the Sponsored Product Automatic campaign. As the name implies, you’ll be promoting a product (not a brand), and the targeting will be handled automatically by Amazon’s machine learning system.
Step-by-Step Setup
Login to advertising.amazon.com and click Create campaign. Select the Sponsored Products option and click Continue.
Ad Format
Select the Standard Ad radio button.
Ad Group
Think through your naming convention. A clear and consistent naming strategy will help with reporting and scaling.
For example, I used YLPM KINDLE for my book, Your LinkedIn Profile Mastered. You could also use something like ylpm-k.
Products
Add a single product. If your book is a book and available in Kindle and paperback formats, choose just one for this campaign.
Targeting
Select Automatic targeting.
Automatic Targeting Bids
Change the default bid to $0.34 for a single book or $0.39 for a book series. This is a tested recommendation from author and Amazon Ads expert Bryan Cohen.
Negative Keyword/Product Targeting
Skip this section for now. This becomes more useful in manual campaigns or after reviewing performance data.
Campaign Bidding Strategy
Select Dynamic bids – down only.
Bid Adjustments
Skip this section for your first campaign.
Campaign Settings
Name your campaign in a way that makes tracking easy. For example: YLPM SPA K 34
Here’s a breakdown of that naming convention:
YLPM – product name: Your LinkedIn Profile Mastered
SPA – Sponsored Product Auto
K – Kindle (use P for Paperback)
34 – your bid amount
Use Portfolios to group similar campaigns for better reporting. This can be set up after the campaign is live.
You can leave the end date blank. Amazon Ads lets you pause or stop campaigns at any time.
Enter $5.00 for the Daily budget. You’ll likely spend much less than this, and it may take several days or even weeks before any spending begins as the campaign ramps up.
Additional Settings
Skip this section for now.
Review all your settings, then click Launch campaign.
Best Practices & Final Tips
Be patient. Do not make any edits to this campaign for at least 30 days.
It’s common to need 1,000–2,000 impressions before you start seeing meaningful click data.
Track everything in a spreadsheet — minus metrics, here is an example of the columns I am tracking.
Monitor your campaign regularly, but avoid reacting until you have 100 clicks.
Visual Walkthrough: Campaign Setup Screens
Below are screenshots of the full ad creation window, showing the settings as they appear throughout the process. Use these to double-check your selections and get a feel for the full layout before launching your campaign.
Conclusion
And that’s it — your first Amazon Ads campaign is live! While automatic targeting is simple to set up, it’s also incredibly valuable for collecting keyword data and gaining insights into what actually converts. Resist the urge to tweak too early. Slow and steady wins this race.
Most domain value calculators feel like guessing machines. You type in a domain, hit a button, and get a number with little explanation behind it.
That is why I like the Agent.AI’s Domain Value tool. Instead of just outputting a price, it shows the reasoning behind the estimate, including keyword value, brandability, length, demand signals, and marketplace context.
I recently reran my domain, marketingwithdave.com, through the updated estimator. This matters because I have a prior benchmark to compare against. When I originally ran the tool in May 2025, it valued the domain at $850. The newest report estimates the value at about $3,600, which gives me a helpful point of comparison as I track changes over time.
Current Estimated Value
The latest estimate places marketingwithdave.com at about $3,600 based on a mix of keyword data, domain structure, brand factors, and market signals. I am including the full report image below so you can see exactly how the tool breaks it down.
What the Updated Report Looks At
The current version of the estimator evaluates several practical factors instead of relying only on past sales comparisons.
Keyword signals It identifies commercially relevant keywords inside the domain and scores them based on search demand, cost per click, and competition. In this case, “marketing” carries strong commercial intent, which supports value.
Brandability and memorability The tool evaluates how readable and memorable the domain is. Combining a strong category term with a personal brand name can increase recognition, even if it narrows the buyer pool.
Domain characteristics Length, word count, syllables, and extension are all considered. A .com extension still receives a premium signal, while longer multi word domains get a small deduction.
Market demand and extension strength The report scores overall demand and treats .com as a premium extension with higher resale liquidity than most alternatives.
Age and history Older domains can receive positive signals. The report flags domain age and whether there is existing traffic or SEO value attached.
Search and traffic metrics The estimator also checks for organic keywords, traffic value, and paid search signals. If there is little or no measurable traffic yet, that limits the valuation upside.
What Changed From My Earlier Estimate
My earlier run of this tool leaned more heavily on comparable domain listings and produced a much lower estimate. The updated version leans more into structured scoring across keywords, brand traits, and demand indicators, and it shows those components directly in the report.
That transparency is the biggest win. Even if you disagree with the final number, you can see why it arrived there.
Reality Check on Domain Valuations
No automated tool can guarantee what a buyer will actually pay. A domain is worth what a willing buyer and seller agree on at a specific moment. Treat any estimate as directional, not definitive.
Still, as a benchmarking tool, this updated estimator is useful. It gives you a repeatable way to reassess your domains over time using consistent criteria.
If you own a few domains, it is worth rerunning them every 6 to 12 months and tracking how the signals change as your brand and content grow.
