In digital we are obsessed with measurement and data; there are hundreds of ways to collect stats on how websites perform and how users are interacting with each site. Collecting and visualizing data is extremely important for users, SEO agencies, digital marketing companies, and any business that wants to strive on the digital world.

It becomes easy to be blinded by data and hit a wall of numbers. However, data is only useful if you can extract insight from it that will help drive your business forward.

The best way to do this is to streamline the information you’re looking at to be only the most relevant and useful figures to your overall business goals. By filtering out the noise, you can effectively identify the metrics that matter and make strategic business choices backed by accurate data.

Oddly enough, a lot of people don’t even realize how much junk data gets in the way. I’ve seen analytics dashboards filled with numbers nobody ever uses—just there to look impressive, I guess. But when you step back and ask which reports actually influence any decision, that list suddenly shrinks. People always nod sagely about “vanity metrics,” but honestly, it’s worse when everyone ignores the data altogether.

It’s almost a relief when someone finally deletes five columns from the weekly report and admits they were never read. There’s a kind of freedom in just focusing on one or two things you know will actually make a difference. That could mean dialling in on conversion rate, or bounce rate, or whatever metric maps closest to business priorities. And sure, you might lose a bit of nuance, but at least you’re not drowning in the numbers anymore. You can actually act on what you see.

So, just how do you pick the right metrics for your business in this world of data overload?

Written by Richard Faderin, Product Marketing Manager, Rock Content Search

Richard is a Product Manager at Rock Content, working closely with users of the platform to understand their needs and desires and make improvements to Rock Content Search. He has a background in Logistics and User Experience Design and has held a number of Product and Marketing roles at technology companies based in London.

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