Online-Marketing is not a gamble – if you do it right, you can precisely measure which campaigns work and which ones don’t. But how do you know if your investments are truly profitable? Here, you’ll learn how to properly evaluate and optimize the success of your Online-Marketing measures.
Clearly define goals
Before launching a campaign, you should know what you want to achieve. Do you want more website traffic, leads, or direct sales? Every campaign needs measurable goals, known as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), such as:
- Conversion Rate – How many visitors complete the desired action?
- Cost per Acquisition (CPA) – How much does a new customer cost you?
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) – How much revenue do you generate for every euro spent on advertising?
Web analytics tools for tracking campaign performance
Tools like Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, or other tracking systems like Trackboxx help you measure the success of your campaign. Pay attention to:
- Traffic Sources – Where are your visitors coming from?
- Time on Site & Bounce Rate – How long do users stay on your page?
- Click-through rate (CTR) - How well are your adverts performing?
A/B testing for better results
Test different ad copies, images, or landing pages to find out what works better. A small change can have a big impact on your conversion rate!
Calculating profitability: here’s how it’s done
The most important factor: Is the campaign paying off?
ROAS = Revenue from ads / Cost of ads
If your ROAS is above 1, you’re making a profit. But beware: also take other costs into account, such as production expenses or distribution costs!
Got a campaign that’s performing well? Then scale it up! Increase the budget for your best-performing ads and optimize weaker campaigns using the insights you’ve gained.
The limits of what can be measured
Not everything that makes a campaign successful can be backed up by numbers. There are soft success factors that have an indirect impact. For example, engagement on social media can increase brand awareness, which in turn can lead to more brand-related search queries.
At a glance:
- Brand awareness & image – A campaign can strengthen awareness of your brand, but directly attributing this effect to a specific ad is difficult.
- Long-term customer loyalty – An ad might not lead to an immediate purchase, but if it builds trust in your brand, it can generate more revenue in the long run.
- Word of mouth & viral effects – When satisfied customers recommend your offer, it's often hard to directly trace that back to a specific marketing effort.
- Offline interactions – Who sees an online ad but then visits your store or calls you without leaving a digital footprint?
Still, you can use indicators here as well — such as brand search queries, social media engagement, or surveys — to gain at least indirect insights. For example, analyze search queries and overall traffic trends in Google Search Console.
Are SEO measures measurable?
SEO is a long-term strategy, but it can still be measured – though differently than paid ads. Traditional ROAS calculations don’t apply directly here, since there are no ad costs per click. Instead, you should focus on the following metrics:
- Organic traffic – How many visitors are coming through search engines?
- Keyword rankings – Where does your website rank for relevant search terms?
- Conversion rate from organic traffic - How many visitors carry out a desired action?
- SEO costs vs. organic revenue – Compare the revenue generated through SEO to the costs for content, tools, and optimization.
? SEO ROI Formula: (Revenue from SEO – Cost of SEO) / Cost of SEO
Even though SEO doesn’t deliver immediate results, the long-term investment often pays off more than short-term ads. However, you should distinguish whether the organic traffic comes from branded search queries or generic keywords.
- Branded search queries (e.g., your company name) are often not directly attributable to SEO efforts, as users already know your brand.
- Generic search queries (e.g., “best running shoes 2024”) are more strongly influenced by SEO optimization.
To better assess the success of SEO, you should closely analyze which keywords are driving the traffic that ultimately leads to conversions. The same applies here: not every conversion is directly measurable, but a targeted keyword analysis helps further optimize your SEO strategies.
Online marketing is data-driven – if you keep an eye on your numbers, you can optimize effectively and advertise profitably in the long run. Focus on clear goals, regularly analyze your KPIs, and test different strategies to make the most of your budget!
