The 5 signals Google gives you every week — and how to use them to win enquiries

South African SMEs spend hours “fixing SEO health” when the real problem is demand.

Your site might pass plugin checks. Your tools might show “all clear.” Yet the phone doesn’t ring.

That’s because SEO health ≠ demand visibility. Google already gives you the 5 signals that predict enquiries — if you know where to look.

This post shows you which numbers matter, how to find them, and how to fix them.

Why health ≠ demand

Health = your site loads, pages don’t error, and plugins show green. Demand = buyers actually see your service page when they search “plumber Paarl” or “web design Sandton.”

If you only track health, you’ll keep polishing a site that still isn’t visible where it counts: Google search, the map pack, and now AI answer boxes.

The good news? Google already gives you 5 simple numbers that predict demand — no jargon required.

The 5 signals that predict demand

1. Non-brand %

• Where to check: Google Search Console → Performance → Queries.

• What to do: Export queries. Count clicks that don’t include your business name. Example: “plumber Paarl” (non-brand) vs “Aquawave Web Design” (brand).

• Target: 60%+ should be non-brand — new people discovering you.

2. Map actions (Calls + Directions)

• Where to check: Google Business Profile → Performance.

• What to do: Add up “Calls” + “Directions.”

• Target: Steady month-on-month growth. These actions are closest to revenue because they show intent: someone wants to phone or visit you.

3. CTR (Click-through rate)

• Where to check: Google Search Console → Performance → Pages.

• What to do: Divide Clicks by Impressions. Out of everyone who saw your site in the results, how many clicked?

• Target: 2%+ on your key pages. If you’re below, your titles and descriptions aren’t pulling clicks.

4. Leads (Forms + Calls)

• Where to check: Your inbox + phone logs (or CRM if you have one).

• What to do: Count form submissions + phone calls.

• Target: Rising steadily. Even 1 → 6 per month is progress for a small SA service business.

5. Found but not saved pages

• Where to check: Google Search Console → Indexing → Pages.

• What to do: Look under “Discovered – currently not indexed.” These are pages Google knows about but hasn’t kept. Buyers can’t find them.

• Target: The number decreases over time.

Fix one number at a time

The trick isn’t fixing everything at once — it’s improving the weakest number each week.

One weak number fixed → enquiries go up.

Track it in 10 minutes

You don’t need hours of reporting.

With the Aquawave Visibility Scorecard you:

• Paste in weekly numbers from GSC + GBP.

• CTR, Interaction, Leads/1k auto-calculate.

• Cells highlight red when below the benchmark.

• An Auto Tip column gives you a plain-English fix: “CTR low → rewrite titles.”

Benchmarks for SA SMEs

From case work in SA service businesses, here’s what “good” looks like:

• Non-brand %: 60%+

• CTR: 2%+

• Interaction rate: 10%+

• Leads: steady month-by-month rise

• Map actions: 10–20% monthly growth once reviews flow

Not guarantees, but realistic ballparks. If you’re below them, you know where to focus.

Conclusion / CTA

Stop chasing plugin scores. Start tracking the 5 demand signals Google already gives you.

👉 The Aquawave Visibility Scorecard makes it simple:

• Google Sheet + Excel download

• Auto-calcs CTR, Interaction, Leads/1k

• Highlights weak spots in red

• Gives you a weekly plain-English tip

Download it free here → /seo-kpi-sheet