We’ve seen some of our customers falling for vanity metrics, such as the number of downloads and unfiltered website visits. It’s a great trap, especially since they appear positive. But in reality, they don't reflect real business outcomes or inform future actions. 

Remember that it takes between 6 and 22 months for your marketing efforts to show significant results. Considering this long timeline, it is critical to monitor the right metrics to stay on the path to success. 

So, what are these actionable KPIs? While they depend on the business and industry, here are 10 B2B marketing KPIs for each stage of your buyer’s journey to get you started. 

Stage 1: Brand Awareness

These metrics monitor if your brand stays visible when customers aren’t ready to buy.

1. Branded Search Volume

Why it matters: Indicates if your brand is top-of-mind.

Benchmark: A 10%–20% year-over-year growth signals stronger brand awareness over time.

2. Share of Search

Why it matters: Predicts future market share

Benchmark: On average, 83% correlation with market share often acts as a leading indicator of future growth. 

3. Impressions from Target Accounts

Why it matters: Shows if your brand is visible to key accounts, not individuals.

While direct benchmarks are scarce, ABM best practice guides emphasize measuring reach and impressions among target accounts as key metrics for account-based marketing success. 

Stage 2: Account Engagement 

These KPIs help monitor if you're generating interest before pipeline creation.

4. Target Account Website Visits

Why it matters: Signals interest levels of your potential customers.

While there is no universal benchmark, ABM practices suggest quarterly growth in website traffic from your key accounts. 

5. Time on Site from ICP

Why it matters: Indicates the value and relevance of your offering. 

Benchmark: B2B visitors spend an average of 1.40 minutes per page. 

6. Content Engagement Rate (by Role)

Why it matters: Identifies who among your target stakeholders is showing buying intent early.

Benchmark: Expect at least double the engagement rate on non-gated content compared to gated, since 61% of B2B buyers are more likely to engage with non-gated content. 

7. Growth in Marketing‑Qualified Leads

Why it matters: Points out which leads are most likely to convert.

Benchmark: Top SaaS companies convert 10%–15% of MQLs to SQLs.

Stage 3: Pipeline Influence & Sales Acceleration

The KPIs below reflect the downstream impact of brand and demand programs.

8. Pipeline Sourced from Inbound & Brand-Initiated Programs

Why it matters: Shows how much of the pipeline marketing directly generates, not just "influences."

Benchmark: 20% or more of the pipeline is generated from inbound leads. 

9. Sales Cycle Duration (Time to Close)

Why it matters: Shorter sales cycles often correlate with strong brand awareness and high-quality leads.

Benchmark: 10%–20% reduction YoY is achievable with strong brand and demand programs.

10. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Why it matters: Shows you if your marketing and sales efforts are paying off.

Benchmark: B2B CAC payback is between 6 and 24 months, depending on your company stage and customer type. For instance, you can expect a shorter timeframe if your customer is an SMB.