Written and reviewed by Jenny Moris
Jenny Moris is Co Founder of Editorial Backlinks and leads editorial outreach, campaign messaging, media relationships and content quality. Last reviewed July 29, 2026.
Separate activity, outputs and outcomes
Activity metrics show what the team did. Output metrics show what was published. Outcome metrics show what changed for the business. Mixing these categories makes reporting look more certain than the evidence allows.
Activity metrics
Record research completed, qualified contacts, tailored pitches, follow-ups, expert approvals and asset production. These metrics help diagnose process quality even when coverage is limited.
Coverage quality
Open every live result and review topic relevance, publication legitimacy, attribution, prominence, destination page, observed link attribute and whether the coverage is original or syndicated.
Audience and referral signals
Measure referral visits, engaged sessions, assisted conversions, brand searches and direct inquiries when tracking is available. A nofollow link can still create meaningful discovery and trust.
Search and authority signals
Track ranking groups, impressions, non-brand visibility, crawl and indexing status, and changes in the destination page over time. Avoid crediting one placement for movement caused by content, technical or algorithm changes.
Learning and next actions
A useful report explains which angles, experts, publications and formats worked, what failed, and how the next campaign will change.
- Best-performing expert and topic.
- Highest-quality publication relationships.
- Common rejection or non-response reasons.
- Destination pages that need improvement.
Frequently asked questions
It can be a screening reference, but it should not replace page relevance, audience and live context.
Report them, but distinguish the original story from syndication.
Operational quality is immediate; search outcomes often require weeks or months and a clear baseline.