Vanity Metrics Aren’t Real

“Vanity metrics.” It’s a phrase that gets dropped when the data on the page doesn’t reflect the results you’re feeling IRL. Impressions? Vanity. Pageviews? Vanity. Social media likes? Please. Where are my leads?

Here’s the thing though: there’s no such thing as vanity metrics.

The truth is, no metric is inherently useless. It only becomes noise when it’s out of context, misaligned with your goal, or interpreted in isolation. So let’s set the record straight.

This article isn’t about telling you which metrics to ignore. It’s about showing you how to read the right signals based on what your marketing is trying to do. 

What Are Vanity Metrics?

“Vanity metrics” are typically defined as stats that look impressive on the surface but don’t tell you anything meaningful.

The usual suspects:

• Pageviews
• Impressions
• Social media likes
• Follower counts

But these metrics are only vanity if you use them to tell a story they were never meant to tell.

If your goal is awareness, then impressions and views matter. If your goal is pipeline generation, they are only one part of the equation.

👉 No metric is inherently invaluable. What makes data feel like vanity metrics is when what you’re measuring doesn’t align with what you’re trying to accomplish.

Match the Metric to the Mission

Let’s be clear: you need different metrics for different stages of the funnel. At GBG, we guide clients to define success based on the job each asset is supposed to do.

Here’s how we break it down:

Top of Funnel (TOFU): Awareness Metrics

🎯 Goal: Get seen.

Watch these:

• Impressions
• Reach
• Social Shares
• Pageviews

✅ These are the right KPIs when you’re trying to increase visibility.
🚫 But don’t confuse “seen” with “persuaded.”

Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Engagement Metrics

🎯 Goal: Get them to care.

Watch these:

• Time on Page
• Scroll Depth
• Comments, Likes, Shares
• Bounce Rate

✅ These show interest and connection.
🚫 They’re not necessarily indicators of buying intent, but they tell you if you’re resonating.

Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Conversion Metrics

🎯 Goal: Get action.

Watch these:

• CTA Clicks
• Form Submissions
• Demo Requests
• Assisted or Last-Touch Attribution

✅ These tie your content to real decisions.
🚫 But if you ONLY look at conversions, you’ll miss the “why” behind the performance.

Post-Sale: Retention & Advocacy

🎯 Goal: Stay relevant.

Watch these:

• Email open rates
• Return visitors
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

✅ These measure long-term brand connection.
🚫 If these dip, it might mean your content’s losing value or timing.

Finding the Insights in the Data

Data is just information. Insights are finding the relationships between the metrics and interpreting what the correlations are telling you. 

Let’s walk through a few examples:

Example 1: 300,000 visits, 0 conversions.

Surface-level: Traffic win!
The truth: Nobody’s staying. Nobody’s converting.

Look at:

• Bounce Rate: High bounce? Your page isn’t delivering on the promise that got people there. Could be misaligned messaging, weak UX, or wrong audience.
• Scroll Depth: If visitors aren’t scrolling, they’re not engaging. This can highlight layout, formatting, or content gaps.
• CTA Visibility/Placement: If your call to action is buried (or missing), even great traffic won’t convert. You might just have a friction point, not a funnel problem.

💡 Takeaway: Traffic is a good sign—just not the whole story. Start optimizing the experience, not the exposure.

Example 2: 1,000 LinkedIn Likes, Low Clicks

Surface-level: This post is 🔥!
Reality check: We sparked interest, but didn’t drive action.

What to dig into:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Shows how many people actually took action. High engagement but low CTR usually means you caught their eye, but didn’t compel them to dig deeper.
• Time on Site (from post): If users did click but bounced quickly, the landing page might not match the promise of the post.
• Assisted Conversions: Did this post contribute to a sale later? Sometimes the value shows up further down the funnel, not immediately after the click.

💡 Takeaway: This isn’t a failed post—it’s a clue you’re close to success with some refinement. Adjust your CTA, tweak messaging, and try again.

Example 3: Low Traffic, High Conversion Rate.

Surface-level: Nobody cares about this article.
Reality check: This piece of content is gold—it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

What to dig into:

• Lead Quality: Are the leads from this page converting into meetings or deals? A small, qualified audience is often better than a big unqualified one.
• Traffic Sources: How are users finding this? If it’s from high-intent channels like email or referrals, you might just need to amplify it in the right places.
• Repurposing Potential: If this content converts, turn it into a short video, carousel, or gated asset to expand reach without reinventing the wheel.

💡 Takeaway: Don’t kill a quiet performer. Promote it more aggressively. The data is telling you this is gold—you just need more eyes on it.

Metrics Don’t Exist in Silos

If you’re only watching one stat, you’re only seeing one pixel. Pair metrics to spot gaps, uncover friction, and fine-tune performance.

Examples:

• Impressions vs. clicks = Hook effectiveness
• Clicks vs. conversions = Page experience
• Leads vs. pipeline = Qualification

There’s No Such Thing as Vanity Metrics

No single metric is inherently bad. It’s about using the metrics and the relationships between them to inform how you should optimize for success. 

It’s like when I was first learning how to make meat loaf: the first batch wasn’t the best. It had big chunks of undercooked onions, carrots, and peppers that ruined the texture. The next time, I sautéed the veggies first. The next time, I also blitzed them in the food processor. By the fourth or fifth batch, my results were much better.

Marketing is like cooking—hidden in the results is what you need to do to tweak the recipe. Want more time on page? Try adding headings and images. Want more CTA clicks? Try moving it up the page, changing the color, or rewording your button copy.  

Are you looking to bring more clarity to your marketing measurement and feel greater confidence in yoru results? Let’s talk!