Dive Brief:

• Clicks and cost-per-pageview were logical in the early days of web marketing, but new methods of getting consumers’ attention and measuring their interest are more effective, according to the report "The New World of Content Measurement: Why existing metrics are flawed (and how to fix them)" from content platform Contently.

• 30% of pageviews now come from bots, and that’s increasing 30% annually, according to the report. Counting unique visitors, Facebook “likes,” and even shares are also becoming useless measures without more knowledge of consumer behavior, the report said.

• Measuring time spent, attention paid, and results is key to evaluating the success of branded content, which helps build relationships with customers, the report said.

Dive Insight:

To be sure, Contently provides branded content and metrics to its clients, and its pronouncement of the pageview's early death may be slightly overblown. But other studies back up their basic assertion that today’s measurements of mobile and e-commerce engagement must go deeper if marketers are to understand the depth of consumer engagement with retailers.