Stop focusing on the wrong metrics.
By focusing on the wrong media relations metrics, communicators miss an opportunity to prove their impact.
Liz McGee, global head of leadership external communications and reputation at PwC, said how teams use measurement can sometimes fall short. She will be speaking on the topic in June during Ragan’s PR Daily Conference.
“There are always going to be new metrics, new measurement tools, new sources of data to look at,” McGee said. “But the fundamentals of how and why we measure media relations activity hasn’t changed.”
Too often, teams report a number and stop there, she said. This could be some kind of share of voice percentage or a spike in traffic. Leadership may hear about it during a meeting, but that’s as far as it goes.
“What is the story that I’m telling around those numbers?” McGee said. “I think that’s actually what’s more relevant and more important for communicators today.”
How communicators should organize metrics
McGee’s advice is to use fewer, better metrics to show impact.
She says:
- Use measurement to improve decisions, not just for reporting purposes
- Connect every data point to a business outcome
- Tell a clear story about value
- Stick to fundamentals even as tools evolve
“When comms teams are being asked to justify budgets and prove impact, this is especially important,” she said. “This is a time when teams are having to prove their value.”
The teams that can connect their work to business results and explain them in plain language will be the most successful, she said.
Two buckets of measurement
McGee breaks metrics into two groups. The first helps guide strategy. These are the metrics that shape decisions, like competitor benchmarks. Think share of voice, or percentage of media mentions, rank or inclusion in AI summaries and sentiment.
“Any kind of competitor benchmarking is so valuable,” McGee said. “It gives you a very natural overlay with the business and commercial priorities.”
Show these first. Provide context.
The second helps tell the story of value, like impressions and engagement, she said.
“These can be really helpful for illustrating the impact of the work that you do,” she said. “But it’s not data that I would ground strategy in most of the time.”
To determine which metrics fall into each bucket, communicators should regularly audit their dashboards, McGee said. Label what drives decisions versus what supports storytelling. Don’t lump them together or nothing will be useful, she said.
What does leadership value?
Then look at what leadership already measures.
“What is your CEO reporting out to the board?” she said. “And can you ladder up what you’re doing to that?”
That could mean tying comms work to revenue, donations, market share or user growth, depending on the organization, she said.
“Look at quarterly earnings calls. Look at annual reports,” McGee said. “Conduct internal interviews. Figure out how your peers are reporting.”
If your metrics don’t match leadership language or tie back to their priorities, the work will always feel disconnected from business impact, she said.
Don’t overcorrect for AI
Communicators are also under more pressure to understand things like LLM visibility, GEO and share of voice in AI search.
“What does that mean? Whatever the source of data or whatever the metric is, you still have to think about how does this map to my business objectives?” she said.
It’s true that AI-driven search and visibility are reshaping how content is found. But McGee cautions against overreaction.
“There’s a lot that we don’t know. These algorithms and these models are changing every single day,” she said. “Don’t get too hung up on those technical nuances and focus more on the bigger picture implications for your strategy. The fundamentals of good communication still matter and do make a positive impact.”
The ‘so what’ test
McGee comes back to a filter she calls the “so what” test when she’s presenting numbers at the end of the day.
A metric alone is not insight, she said. It only becomes useful when tied to a real business goal. In other words, teams need to justify not just what they’re measuring but why it matters.
For example, McGee discussed expanding into a new region. A team might track LLM share of voice in that new market, which, on its own, means very little.
“But if you’re connecting it to, ‘Hey, we are owning the conversation in this region, and here’s an example,’ that’s what makes it powerful,” she said.
Every metric should answer a business question. If it doesn’t, cut it or reframe it, she said.
“Being able to report effectively and tell a story is more important than ever to showing value,” McGee said.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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