The KPI Dictionary for marketing & SaaS
Pick your industry, get a curated set of marketing KPIs with formulas, benchmarks and GA4 implementation tips. Built for ecommerce, SaaS, B2B, content, mobile, agencies and more.
KPI Dictionary Generator
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What is a marketing KPI?
A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a measurable value tied to a specific business objective. It tells you whether you're moving toward a goal, not just whether activity is happening.
A good KPI has three parts: a clear formula, a benchmark or target, and a review cadence. Without all three, you have a metric — interesting, but not actionable.
"Page views" is a metric. "Page views per signup ≥ 4, reviewed monthly" is a KPI.
KPI vs metric vs OKR
| Concept | What it measures | Has target? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Raw activity count | No | 12,400 sessions / week |
| KPI | Progress toward an objective | Yes | CAC ≤ €120 / Q2 |
| OKR | Ambitious objective + key results | Yes (stretch) | "Become #1 in EU" + 3 KRs |
How to choose marketing KPIs (5 steps)
- Tie each KPI to one business objective. If you can't draw a line from KPI to revenue, retention, or margin — drop it.
- Cap at 5–8 per team. More than that and the team can't keep them all in working memory.
- Mix leading and lagging. Lagging tells you what happened (revenue, churn). Leading tells you what's about to happen (qualified-lead volume, activation rate).
- Set a benchmark. A KPI without a target is just a metric. Use industry benchmarks, last quarter's number, or stretch goals.
- Pick a review cadence. Weekly for tactical KPIs, monthly for trend KPIs, quarterly for strategy KPIs. Anything reviewed less than quarterly should probably be archived.
5 KPI categories every marketing team needs
| Category | Purpose | Example KPIs |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Pulling new visitors and leads | Sessions · CAC · CPC · MQL volume |
| Engagement | Quality of attention | Engagement rate · Pages/session · Avg engagement time |
| Conversion | Turning visitors into customers | Conversion rate · Funnel drop-off · MQL→SQL |
| Revenue | Money in the door | AOV · ARPU · MRR · ROAS |
| Retention | Keeping who you have | Churn · Repeat-purchase rate · NRR · LTV |
The dictionary above filters by category and industry — pick yours to see the curated set with formulas and benchmarks.
5 KPI mistakes that waste a quarter
× Tracking vanity metrics as KPIs
Followers, page views, impressions feel good but rarely tie to revenue. Promote them to "metrics we glance at", not KPIs the team commits to.
× Tracking 20+ KPIs at once
If everything is a KPI, nothing is. The team optimises whatever's easiest to move, not whatever matters most. 5–8 max.
× No benchmark
"Increase conversion rate" isn't a KPI — it's a wish. "Conversion rate ≥ 3.2% by Q3" is.
× All lagging, no leading
Revenue and churn tell you what already happened. By the time the number moves, the cause is months in the past. Pair every lagging KPI with at least one leading indicator.
× KPI = goal
"Hit €1M ARR" is a goal. The KPIs are the levers — new MRR, churn, expansion. Confusing the two leads to teams optimising for the wrong thing.
Common KPI questions
What is a KPI?
A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a measurable value tied to a specific business objective — it tells you whether you’re moving toward a goal, not just whether activity is happening. A good KPI has a clear formula, a benchmark or target, and a review cadence.
What is the difference between a KPI and a metric?
Every KPI is a metric, but not every metric is a KPI. Metrics measure activity (sessions, clicks, signups). KPIs measure progress toward an objective and have a target. Page views is a metric; "page views per signup ≥ 4" is a KPI.
How many KPIs should I track?
5 to 8 per team or business line is the sweet spot. More than that and the team can’t hold them all in working memory; fewer than that usually means you’re missing leading indicators. Pair lagging KPIs (revenue, retention) with leading ones (signups, activation).
What is the difference between leading and lagging KPIs?
Lagging KPIs measure the outcome (revenue, churn, MRR). Leading KPIs measure inputs that predict the outcome (qualified-lead volume, activation rate, time-to-first-value). Healthy KPI sets balance both — leading indicators give you time to act before the lagging number moves.
Are marketing KPIs the same for B2B and B2C?
Some are universal (CAC, LTV, conversion rate). Others differ: B2B leans on MQL→SQL conversion, sales-cycle length and pipeline coverage; B2C leans on AOV, repeat-purchase rate and engagement metrics. The dictionary above filters by industry to surface the relevant set.
Can I track these KPIs in Google Analytics 4?
Most digital marketing KPIs can be tracked directly in GA4 — sessions, conversions, engagement rate, channel revenue. For others (CAC, LTV, MRR) you’ll need to combine GA4 with billing data via BigQuery or a BI tool. Each KPI in the dictionary includes a "GA4 setup" tip where applicable.