Do Yandex.Metrika Goals Affect SEO?

No, having configured goals in Yandex.Metrica does not directly affect search ranking, however, data about user behavior and conversions collected through these goals is used by Yandex as an important indirect factor when evaluating content quality and user experience, which can ultimately affect a site’s position in search results.

Table of Contents

• What are goals in Yandex.Metrica
• Direct influence on ranking
• Indirect influence through user signals
• How to use goals for SEO improvement
• Setting up and verifying goals
• Conclusions

What are goals in Yandex.Metrica

Goals in Yandex.Metrica are a tool for tracking important user actions on your site that you consider valuable for your business. According to Yandex’s official documentation, goals can be of different types:

• Page views - tracking visits to specific pages
• Depth of view - viewing a certain number of pages per session
• Site search - using the internal search function
• Form submission - filling out and submitting contact or other forms
• Click on email - clicks on email addresses
• Order completion - completing a purchase in an online store

It’s important to note that created goals start collecting statistics within a few minutes, and their operation can be checked in the conversion report.

Direct influence on ranking

When examining the question of direct influence of goals on search ranking, it can be concluded that there is no direct connection. Setting up goals is not a ranking factor in Yandex’s algorithms. The ranking system does not take into account the mere fact of having or not having goals in Yandex.Metrica.

As experts note, Yandex.Metrica is a web analytics tool, not a ranking tool. Its main function is to collect data about user behavior, not to affect search positions. Goals serve to track business metrics, not to manipulate search algorithms.

Indirect influence through user signals

Although there’s no direct influence, data collected through goals in Yandex.Metrica has an indirect but significant impact on search ranking through user signals. This is confirmed by several studies:

Importance of user behavior

According to data from Yandex algorithm analysis, user signals account for 19% of ranking weight, while content and external links account for 6% each source. This makes behavioral factors one of the most important ranking elements.

Yandex actively uses data from various sources, including Metrica, to understand site quality. As noted in Yandex’s algorithm guide:

“When calculating the new index, Yandex uses data from a wider range of sources, including Metrica, Maps, Zen, etc., to better understand what a site represents.”

Key behavioral metrics

Through goals in Yandex.Metrica, important metrics that affect ranking are tracked:

• Time on page - the longer users stay on a page, the higher its quality
• Depth of view - shows audience engagement
• Bounce rate - a high bounce rate can negatively affect ranking
• Conversions - successful user actions on the site
• Repeat visits - audience loyalty

As experts at SEO North emphasize, Yandex has a clearer position on this issue than Google: user behavior is indeed an important ranking factor.

How to use goals for SEO improvement

Although goals don’t directly affect ranking, their proper setup and analysis can significantly improve your site’s SEO metrics. Here’s how it works:

1. Analyze user behavior

Setting up goals allows you to understand which actions on the site are most valuable to users. For example:

• Set up an “Order completion” goal to track purchases
• Set up a “Request a callback” goal for lead generation
• Set up a “View more than 3 pages” goal to assess engagement

Important: User behavior data helps identify problematic pages and improve content.

2. Optimize content

Analysis of conversions across different pages shows which content is most effective:

• Pages with high conversion rates should be developed and duplicated
• Pages with low conversion rates require optimization
• Internal linking can improve depth of view metrics

3. Improve user experience

Based on data from goals, you can identify:

• Which pages users most often leave
• Which forms cause difficulties when filling out
• Which interface elements are most popular

4. Integration with other tools

Data from Yandex.Metrica can be used together with other Yandex tools:

• Yandex.Webmaster for analyzing site visibility
• Yandex.Direct for adjusting advertising strategies
• Yandex.Maps for local SEO

Setting up and verifying goals

Basic steps for setting up goals

1. Log in to Yandex.Metrica
2. Go to the “Goals” section in the left menu
3. Click “Add goal”
4. Select the goal type (page view, form submission, etc.)
5. Configure the conditions for achieving the goal
6. Save the settings

Verifying goal functionality

After setup, it’s important to verify that goals are working correctly:

1. Perform the target action on your site
2. Check the conversion report - data should appear within a few minutes
3. Use the developer console to verify correct tracking

For “Click on email” type goals, the console should display:

Ext link. Counter XXXXXX. Url: mailto:<address>

For “Site search” type goals, you should see:

PageView. Counter 12345. Init. with search parameter (for example, q, text, query or search)

Goal types for SEO analysis

The following goal types are particularly useful for SEO optimization:

Conclusions

1. No direct influence: Setting up goals in Yandex.Metrica does not affect search ranking
2. Indirect influence exists: Data about user behavior collected through goals is an important ranking factor
3. User signals are critically important: They account for 19% of ranking weight in Yandex’s algorithms
4. Analytics for SEO improvement: Goals help understand which content and user experience are most effective
5. Integration with other tools: Data from Metrica is used by Yandex together with other services to evaluate site quality

Recommendations for SEO specialists:

• Set up goals to track key business actions
• Regularly analyze user behavior data
• Optimize content based on conversion metrics
• Improve user experience based on report data
• Use integration with Yandex.Webmaster for comprehensive analysis

Thus, while goals in Yandex.Metrica are not a direct ranking factor, they provide valuable information about user behavior that Yandex’s algorithms actively use to evaluate the quality and relevance of sites in search results.

Sources

1. Yandex Official Documentation - What are goals
2. Setting up goals in Yandex.Metrica
3. Conversion report in Yandex.Metrica
4. Analysis of Yandex algorithms - SALT.agency
5. Influence of user behavior on ranking
6. SEO for Yandex - guide
7. Verifying goal functionality
8. Automatic goals in Yandex.Metrica
9. Integration of Yandex.Metrica with Yandex.Direct
10. Comparison of Yandex.Metrica and Google Analytics