Local publishers should rethink what they measure — and who gets to see it — if they want audience growth that translates into revenue, Hyperlocal News Network’s Mike Shapiro told attendees during a Local Media Association webinar on analytics and KPIs.

4 takeaways from the webinar:

  • Pageviews matter, but time on page, scroll depth and returning users are stronger KPIs.
  • Impressions don’t prove engagement — advertisers want clicks, reads, and conversions.
  • Give reporters dashboard access and set just 1–3 clear KPIs for the newsroom.
  • Capitalize on winning stories with follow-ups, spinoffs and cross-channel promotion.

Shapiro, who founded the TAPinto network 17 years ago and now supports publishers through Hyperlocal News Network, argued that time on page, scroll depth, newsletter open and click-through rates and returning users tell a far truer story than raw impressions.

“Page views are something to measure and something you should pay attention to. But it also isn’t and shouldn’t be the holy grail of your publication,” Shapiro said. “Impressions do not equal engagement. So, they don’t prove that someone actually read the content.”

The session walked through common traps — overvaluing pageviews, analytics gatekeeping and benchmarking against national outlets — and offered simple fixes that any small newsroom can implement.

Give reporters the numbers, not a mystery

Too often, Shapiro said, reporters never see how their work performs. He urged leaders to grant editors and reporters access to dashboards (GA4 or CMS-level) and hold a short, recurring “metrics 101” to align coverage with what readers actually finish and share.

Healthy incentives matter, he added: “Don’t reward raw volume. Reward quality engagement — stories people spend time with.”

Benchmark against yourself (and towns like yours)

Comparing a hyperlocal site to a national brand “leads to unachievable goals and frustration.” Instead, Shapiro recommends making month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons, as well as peer checks against similar-population markets. Track what really drives visits—search, social, newsletter, even Nextdoor.

One immediate win: richer Facebook copy. Shapiro said switching from a bare headline link to short, descriptive posts with tags produced a sharp jump in referral traffic.

When a story hits, ship the sequel — fast

The fastest path from spike to loyalty is second-day coverage and smart spinoffs, Shapiro said. If a school-rankings piece pops, follow with “what this means” explainers, timelines and niche lists. Repromote across channels, and don’t ignore the newsletter: “Heatmap what readers click, and then rearrange your modules.”

When to start selling (and what to sell)

Shapiro offered field thresholds that help newsrooms avoid overpromising:

  • Site ads: Start pitching when monthly unique users ≈ 10% of your market’s population; renewals improve at 20–30%.
  • Newsletter ads: Don’t sell until 1,000+ subscribers with healthy open and click-through rates.
  • Advertiser reporting: Send a visual one-pager during the campaign—not just a spreadsheet at renewal time—highlighting clicks, time on page, and scroll depth.

Business and restaurant openings/closings remain reliable traffic drivers, he added, while long policy explainers underperform unless controversy or clear stakes are present. Break complex issues into Q&As, timelines, and “what this means” boxes to boost completion.

During Q&A, one attendee asked if there’s a KPI that measures the quality of journalism rather than popularity. Shapiro said he’d research a formal metric, but he pointed to time on page, scroll depth and returning-user behavior as practical proxies for attention and trust.

The webinar recording is available here: How metrics can guide reporting and revenue

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Editor’s note: Artificial Intelligence was used to transcribe and create an initial summary of this article, which was then edited by LMA staff.