Session time feels like vanity metrics sometimes. People leave tabs open or bounce around without really engaging.
What metrics actually tell you if users are connecting with your content? Tried scroll depth and time on specific sections but still feels incomplete.
Return visits tell the real story. When someone bookmarks your article or comes back later, that’s genuine value right there. Track completion rates for your main sections too - don’t just check if they scrolled past, see if they actually read what matters. Copy-paste activity is gold. People only copy snippets when your content actually hits.
People actually saving or bookmarking your stuff matters most.
Actions after someone reads your content matter way more than basic metrics.
Someone reads your blog post then actually signs up or downloads something? That’s real engagement. Way more telling than how far they scrolled or how long they stuck around.
Comments and shares beat any time metric honestly.
Heat maps were a game changer for optimizing our app onboarding.
We saw exactly where people tapped, how long they stayed on each screen, and which buttons they completely ignored. Turns out users were reading everything but not converting because our CTAs were in awful spots.
For content, I focus on drop-off points. If 80% bail at paragraph 3, that’s way more useful than knowing total session time.
I also check what they do next session. When they come back and jump straight to related content? That’s how you know it actually worked.
Tracking feature usage after tutorials is a solid way to see if content resonates. That’s real engagement.
Tracking micro conversions after users engage with content is key.
If someone watches the app demo and then downloads it, that metric is more relevant than time on page.
For paid campaigns, I look at cost per engaged user instead of just clicks. This helps identify which content effectively drives purchases.