Intranets serve as the primary self-service portal for an organization—they should be one of the go-to resources that every staff member relies on to get the latest updates, internal news, and organizational knowledge. To ensure the intranet delivers value, published information must be accurate and up to date, announcements should be relevant and timely, and the platform itself should be easy for staff to access. As a hub for institutional knowledge, an intranet’s effectiveness depends on staff engagement and trust.
What Should You Track?
Monitoring specific data points provides insights into the health and effectiveness of your intranet. Here are the top intranet analytics and metrics every organization should track, analyze, and act upon—regardless of platform:
User Activity & Engagement
- Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Active Users: Track the number of distinct users engaging with the intranet over different timeframes.
- Average Session Duration: Measure how long users typically spend in a session.
- Page Views (per page and aggregate): Analyze which pages are most visited and overall traffic patterns.
- Most Viewed Content: Identify the top 5 pages viewed each month to understand what’s most useful.
Compare actual user activity with expectations or policies (e.g., how often staff should visit the intranet) and identify any gaps between intended and actual use.
Content Analytics
- New Content Creation: Monitor how many news articles, updates, and announcements are posted each month.
- Content Authors: Track which teams, departments, or individuals are producing content—and assess any relationship with engagement.
- Most Viewed Videos: See which videos are being accessed most frequently each month.
- Page Updates: For areas like knowledge bases and policies, tracking updates to existing pages is as important as new content creation.
Evaluate whether content production targets are being met and whether content is fresh and trustworthy.
User Engagement Metrics
- Discussion Board Activity: Number of questions posted, average number of replies, and whether answers are accurate and helpful.
- Comments on Content: Track staff interaction with news articles, blog posts, and other content.
- User Feedback: Single-click reactions such as thumbs up or emojis can provide quick feedback on value.
- Page Ratings: Analyze the volume and quality of page ratings, including patterns behind high or low scores.
Search Data
- Top Search Terms: Discover what’s being most frequently searched and use this data to inform navigation and content development.
- Failed Search Terms: Identify gaps where users can’t find what they need, highlighting opportunities for new or restructured content.
Search data is especially valuable for improving knowledge management, taxonomy, and site navigation.
User Satisfaction Metrics
- How easy is it to find information on the intranet?
- How effective is the navigation for browsing content?
- Does the intranet aid daily work tasks?
- Do staff trust the accuracy of the information provided?
Regularly gathering staff input—through surveys or annual engagement assessments—can reveal emerging trends and guide improvements.
Technical Metrics
- Browser Breakdown: Which browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, etc.) are staff using?
- Device Usage: Track engagement on mobile devices versus workstations.
Not all intranet platforms provide the same analytics, so consider third-party solutions (like Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity) for additional insight where necessary.
Acting on the Data
The key to intranet analytics is not only spotting trends but taking timely action to resolve issues at their root. For example, low engagement may mean staff need better training, more relevant content, or that communication channels should be streamlined. Proactively addressing these issues prevents loss of trust in the intranet and maximizes its strategic value as a knowledge management asset.
Interested in more intranet best practices? Explore FireOak’s series on Building and Maintaining a Modern Intranet.
