In the data-saturated Search Engine Optimization domain, teams are often inundated with a bewildering array of metrics.
While many indicators genuinely illuminate performance, others fall into the deceptive category of “vanity metrics”—numbers that might look impressive on a report but fail to translate into tangible business growth or true competitive advantage.
Discerning genuine value from misleading hype remains a critical challenge for organizations striving for impactful digital performance.
For business leaders and digital growth professionals, the question becomes: What is one specific vanity metric in SEO that you consciously steer clear of, despite the persistent hype often generated around it?
This article compiles expert perspectives from those at the forefront of driving real digital results, cutting through the noise to reveal key metrics they actively deprioritize and why focusing on them can be a costly distraction.
Read on!
Kaushal Kishor
One vanity metric in SEO that I consciously steer clear of—despite the hype—is Domain Authority (DA).
While DA can be helpful for a quick snapshot of a site’s perceived strength, it’s not a Google ranking factor, and relying too heavily on it can be misleading. At Clearcatnet, we’ve seen low-DA pages outrank high-DA competitors simply because our content was better optimized for intent, had stronger internal links, and addressed real user needs.
The problem with obsessing over DA is that it shifts focus away from what truly matters: keyword relevance, content quality, on-page optimization, and user engagement. You can have a DA of 80, but if your content doesn’t match searcher intent or load quickly on mobile, it won’t perform.
Instead of DA, we focus on metrics like organic traffic growth, keyword position changes, click-through rates, and conversion rates from organic sessions. These tell a much more accurate story about how well our SEO strategy is working—because they’re tied directly to visibility and revenue, not just authority scores created by third-party tools.
Bowen He
In the trenches of SEO, seasoned professionals often dismiss popular vanity metrics in favor of more impactful measures.
For example, one e-commerce strategist recently argued that bounce rate is a distracting vanity metric, noting that a high bounce may simply indicate visitors quickly found what they needed. He urges focusing on conversions and high-quality traffic instead of chasing a lower bounce rate.
Likewise, some SEO experts shun third-party authority scores like Moz’s Domain Authority despite their popularity among other teams. They point out that such scores don’t influence Google rankings directly, and prefer to concentrate on real organic performance indicators such as ranking improvements for relevant keywords, content quality, and conversion growth.
Even traditional SEO benchmarks like keyword rankings can turn into vanity metrics when taken out of context. Experienced SEOs emphasize that being #1 on Google means little unless those clicks convert into qualified leads or revenue. In place of hyped vanity stats, today’s SEO leaders prioritize metrics tied to meaningful outcomes — from engaged organic traffic and qualified lead generation to sales and overall ROI — ensuring their SEO strategies drive genuine business success.
Director, Webzilla Digital Marketing
Mike Khorev
One vanity metric I avoid in SEO is total keyword rankings.
It’s tempting to celebrate climbing the ranks for dozens of keywords, but if those terms don’t bring traffic or leads, what’s the point? Many teams chase big lists of ranked keywords like trophies, but it’s like collecting seashells, you might have a pile, but it won’t fill a bucket. I focus more on keywords that actually drive relevant visitors and conversions.
Traffic quality beats quantity every time. Also, tracking rankings can be volatile and distracting. It’s better to watch meaningful shifts in organic traffic, engagement, and goal completions. Don’t get caught in the trap of numbers that look good on paper but don’t move the needle.
At the end of the day, SEO success isn’t a popularity contest, it’s about real business impact. So, I stick to metrics that tell me that story.
SEO Consultant, Mike Khorev
Daniel Reparat Bort
One vanity metric I steer clear of is clicks alone, especially when they aren’t tied to real conversions.
It’s easy to get excited about rising click numbers in Google Search Console, but if those clicks don’t turn into calls, form fills, or actual revenue, they’re not telling the full story. I’ve seen sites get thousands of clicks from broad keywords that led nowhere, while a low-volume local keyword drove consistent leads.
Focus on quality over quantity, track what happens after the click. That’s where the real SEO value is.
Founder, Smarktek
Xi He
One vanity metric I consciously eschew—despite all the hype—is Domain Authority (DA) (or its cousins: Domain Rating, Authority Score, etc.).
Why I Don’t Care:
– It’s not a Google ranking signal. DA is a third-party tool (e.g., Moz, Ahrefs, Semrush) used to approximate the strength of a site—but not impacting rankings directly.
– It can be gamed. You can artificially manipulate DA by trying to spam my guest blogging or link schemes, which create a misleading impression of progress.
– It creates misleading priorities. Teams will chase backlinks just to increase DA rather than focusing on high-converting relevant sources’ links.
What I Look at Instead:
– Relevant keyword traffic (especially branded + bottom-funnel)
– Lead quality or SEO-revenue
– Click-through rate from SERPs
– Engagement (time on page, bounce rate)
– Number of backlinks from relevant pages (not domains)
CEO, BoostVision
Andy Danec
One vanity metric I actively ignore is total impressions. It’s one of those numbers SEO teams love to highlight because it looks big and moves fast—but it doesn’t tell you much about what actually matters: qualified intent and conversion.
At Ridgeline Recovery, we don’t have the luxury of chasing empty clicks. We serve people at one of the most critical crossroads in their lives. I don’t care if a thousand people saw our page if none of them were in a place to take the next step. We’ve had campaigns that pulled 200,000 impressions in a month—and led to maybe one call. Meanwhile, a low-volume long-tail keyword with 300 impressions led to 14 qualified admissions inquiries in a week.
The trap with impressions is that it makes you optimize for visibility instead of relevance. It’s easy to get caught trying to rank for broader, more competitive terms to inflate the dashboard. But if that traffic isn’t local, isn’t looking for treatment now, or isn’t resonating with your message, it’s noise.
We shifted our focus toward bottom-of-funnel queries, bounce rates from service pages, and call tracking tied to actual bookings. That’s where we’ve seen real ROI—not in chasing charts, but in tracking outcomes.
Here’s the lesson: in healthcare and recovery, the metric isn’t attention—it’s action. Don’t fall in love with reach. Fall in love with resonance. Because the goal isn’t to be seen by everyone—it’s to be found by the right someone.
Owner, Ridgeline Recovery LLC
Marie Morgane Taupiac
Rankings. I stay away from them.
They mean close to nothing. Ranking first on Google can still mean you’re showing below the fold for some keywords. Others might get impressions but no clicks at all. So focusing on rankings is really missing the point.
If you care about visibility, look at pixel ranking, SERP features, impressions, CTR… Those give you a much clearer idea of what’s actually going on.
SEO Director, Digiberry
Vin Thomas
One SEO metric I tend to ignore is keyword rankings — especially when they’re tracked without context.
A lot of teams get excited about climbing the ranks for certain terms, but if those keywords aren’t bringing in the right traffic or converting, what’s the point? Ranking #1 looks great in a report, but if it’s not tied to actual business impact, it’s just noise.
At Fixel, we care more about what the traffic is doing than where it’s coming from. Are people taking action? Are they the right audience? Keyword rankings can be useful for spotting trends, but they’re not the goal. I’d much rather see a client rank a bit lower for a high-intent phrase that drives real results than chase vanity wins that don’t move the needle.
Founder & Creative Director, Fixel Design Agency
On behalf of the BoostMyDomain community of readers, we thank these leaders and experts for taking the time to share valuable insights that stem from years of experience and in-depth expertise in their respective niches.
BoostMyDomain invites you to share your insights and contribute to our authoritative publication. Reach a wider audience, build your credibility, and establish yourself as a thought leader in an industry that caters to every business with an online presence!