Measuring brand ROI is a challenge many businesses struggle with. Without hard numbers, brand value can feel intangible and difficult to justify. How do you prove that your brand-building efforts are really driving growth?

It’s easy to understand why tracking brand ROI is tricky. Many of the common metrics—like social media engagement, website visits, or even brand awareness—can feel disconnected from revenue and bottom-line impact. But there is a way to link brand-building efforts to measurable business results. By focusing on specific, trackable metrics, you can gain insight into how your brand is influencing growth and establishing itself in the market.

In this post, we’ll break down the 8 essential metrics you can use to measure brand ROI. From tracking organic brand mentions to monitoring direct traffic, these metrics form the backbone of what we call the Brand Growth Loop—a cycle of brand activity that directly impacts business outcomes. Let’s explore these metrics in detail.

1. Brand Mentions

The first indicator that your brand is gaining traction is how often it is being mentioned organically. Brand mentions are when people talk about your brand without being paid, prompted, or incentivized to do so.

These mentions can happen across various platforms—social media, forums, blogs, or even in conversations. When people are talking about your brand in natural conversations, it shows that your business is becoming a part of the broader industry dialogue. These organic mentions signal that people are recognizing your value without needing a push from advertising or direct outreach.

To measure brand mentions, you can use tools like Google Alerts, Brand24, or Mention to track how often your brand name is brought up. An increasing number of mentions over time shows that your brand is starting to “stick” in people’s minds and conversations.

2. “Alternative To” Pages

Another key metric to track is how often competitors list themselves as alternatives to your brand. When your competitors feel the need to position themselves against you, it means that your brand is becoming a benchmark in the market.

A common way this shows up is on “Alternative to X” pages, where businesses compare themselves to other market players. If you notice that more companies are adding themselves to pages like “Alternatives to [Your Brand],” it’s a clear sign you’re seen as a leader.

To track this, you can conduct regular searches on platforms like Capterra or G2, or simply search “Alternative to [Your Brand]” on Google. Each new competitor added to these lists is further proof that your brand is setting the standard in your niche.

3. Comparison Mentions

Comparisons are a strong signal of brand relevance. Being compared to other companies shows that you’re in the competitive conversation, and tracking how often your brand is mentioned in comparison to others is a powerful indicator of your market position.

Here’s how to break it down:

• 2-way comparison: Your brand is compared to one competitor, showing you’re being directly evaluated.
• 3-way comparison: Your brand is mentioned alongside two other competitors, indicating you’re part of a consideration set where customers are evaluating multiple options.
• 4-way comparison or more: When your brand is part of discussions involving three or more competitors, it suggests that you’re considered a significant player in your market.

The more your brand is included in these comparisons, the stronger your position becomes. It demonstrates that customers see you as a viable choice within your industry and are weighing your offerings against others. You can track this through tools like Mention, social listening platforms, or by manually monitoring review sites and industry forums.

For example, if you operate in the SaaS space and frequently see your product being compared to other well-known tools in customer reviews or blogs, you know you’re playing in the major leagues. Over time, tracking these comparisons can help you assess your brand’s growing influence.

4. Brand Terms Growth

One of the clearest ways to see how your brand is growing is through search engine data. As your brand gains recognition, people will search for your business directly, using your brand name or related terms in search engines like Google. Monitoring the growth in search volume for your brand terms is a vital metric for assessing brand awareness.

Here’s what you should track:

• Overall search volume for your brand name: As your brand becomes more well-known, you should see an increase in how many people search for your company or product by name.
• Branded terms related to features or benefits: It’s also important to see what terms people are pairing with your brand. For instance, if you’re a CRM software company, seeing searches like “Best CRM [Your Brand]” or “[Your Brand] integrations” shows what customers associate with your business.

You can use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to monitor this data. A growing number of branded searches over time suggests that your brand is making a stronger impression in the market.

5. Pipeline Impact

Ultimately, brand building isn’t just about creating awareness; it’s about driving real business outcomes. That’s why pipeline impact is one of the most critical metrics to measure brand ROI. This refers to the number of deals, conversions, or leads that originated from brand-aware channels—those where prospects knew of your brand before engaging with your product or service.

Here’s how to track pipeline impact:

• Measure how many deals or inquiries started from a brand search: Use attribution tools in your CRM to see where leads came from. Did they type your brand name into Google or directly visit your website?
• Compare conversion rates between brand-aware leads and non-brand leads: Are prospects who already know your brand converting at a higher rate than those coming in cold through ads or other channels?
• Analyze payback period and customer lifetime value (LTV): How do the LTV and payback period of brand-aware customers compare to those from other channels? You’ll often find that brand-aware customers have a higher LTV and shorter sales cycles because they already trust your company.

By tracking this data, you can link your brand-building efforts directly to revenue and prove that your brand is driving tangible business outcomes.

6. Review Velocity

Customer reviews are one of the most influential forms of social proof, and tracking the frequency and sentiment of these reviews is essential for assessing brand advocacy. Review velocity refers to how quickly new reviews are coming in, while the content of those reviews can show you how your brand is perceived.

To measure review velocity:

• Count new reviews on platforms like G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot: How many new reviews are being posted each week or month? A growing number of reviews indicates that more people are engaging with your brand and sharing their experiences.
• Track sentiment over time: Are the reviews generally positive, negative, or neutral? Do certain themes, like ease of use or customer support, keep coming up?
• Watch for which features or benefits are being praised: Positive reviews highlighting specific features can show where your product is excelling and driving customer satisfaction.

For example, if you notice a significant increase in five-star reviews praising your software’s user interface, this shows that your branding efforts around user-friendliness are resonating with customers. Regularly tracking this data helps you understand how customer perception of your brand is evolving.

7. Sales Conversations

Sales conversations are another important area where brand ROI becomes visible. By tracking how often prospects mention your brand or refer to brand touchpoints during conversations, you can gauge how well your marketing efforts are influencing sales outcomes.

Tools like Gong or Chorus allow you to record and analyze sales calls, giving you insight into how brand awareness is shaping conversations. Here’s what to listen for:

• How often prospects mention seeing your content: Are potential customers referencing blog posts, videos, or social media content from your brand during the call?
• Brand touchpoints mentioned: Do they mention seeing your product in industry roundups, customer reviews, or comparison sites?

For example, if a prospect says, “I saw your webinar on improving sales processes,” that’s a direct indicator that your brand content is contributing to your sales pipeline. Tracking these touchpoints helps prove that your brand-building efforts are impacting sales in a meaningful way.

8. Direct Traffic

Direct traffic is one of the most compelling indicators of strong brand recognition. When people type your URL directly into their browser, it shows that they already know who you are and are seeking you out intentionally, without needing to be led by ads or organic search.

Monitoring direct traffic trends across different regions and segments can give you a sense of how well your brand awareness is growing in various markets. Tools like Google Analytics allow you to track this easily, breaking it down by geography, device type, and other factors.

For example, if you notice a sharp increase in direct traffic from a new region, it could be a sign that your brand-building efforts, such as a recent PR campaign or conference presence, are paying off. As direct traffic grows, it’s clear evidence that people know and trust your brand.

The Brand Growth Loop: Combining Metrics for Impact

As we’ve outlined, these eight metrics form a comprehensive framework for measuring brand ROI. Together, they create what we call the Brand Growth Loop—a cycle of brand activity that continuously feeds into business growth.

Brand building requires clear activities that drive value, specific metrics for tracking each activity, and constant experimentation to refine your efforts. By focusing on these key areas, you can turn intangible branding efforts into measurable business outcomes.

Your Turn… Prove Your Brand ROI with These 8 Metrics

Measuring brand ROI doesn’t have to be impossible. By tracking metrics like brand mentions, comparison mentions, review velocity, and direct traffic, you can see how your brand is contributing to growth in real, measurable ways. Each of these metrics offers a piece of the puzzle, helping you prove the value of your brand-building efforts over time.

If you want to build a brand that drives real business impact, focus on tracking these eight metrics and continuously optimize your strategy.

Remember, brand building isn’t just about awareness—it’s a growth loop that, when done right, can fuel lasting success.

Ready to Measure Your Brand ROI?

At SaaSlaunchr, we help scaling SaaS companies develop data-driven brand strategies that deliver measurable results. Schedule a call with us today to learn how we can help your business build a brand that fuels growth.

Curious about the impact we can make? Check out our success story on how we helped a SaaS business significantly increase website traffic by implementing a strategic growth marketing plan. Read the case study here.

Want More Insights?

Stay on top of the latest trends and strategies! Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates and exclusive content directly in your inbox. Don’t miss out! 👇👇👇