The Right Channels Are Hiding in Your Analytics

There’s no shortage of marketing channels these days. But for B2B brands, the challenge isn’t access. It’s focus.

The real question is: Where is your audience actually paying attention and converting?

Too often, channel decisions are made based on gut feel, internal politics, or the latest shiny object. But most marketing teams already have the data they need to make more-informed choices. It’s sitting in their Google Analytics, SEO tools, CRM, and (if they have it) social share of voice tools.

We’ve created a five-step framework to help you cut through the noise and make more-confident decisions about where to spend your time, budget, and creative energy.

CMD’s channel focus framework

This framework helps you use behavioral, intent, buyer, and brand data to identify the channels that actually reach and influence your ideal customers.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Start with behavior

Use Google Analytics to understand what’s already working.
Look at:

• Traffic by channel: Where do users come from today?
• Engagement by channel: Who sticks around, clicks deeper, or comes back?
• Conversion by channel: Which channels are driving real actions like demo requests, downloads, or form fills?

Pro tip: Don’t just chase traffic volume. Focus on the channels that deliver qualified visitors who engage with your content and convert.

Step 2: Understand intent

Use SEO tools (like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Google Search Console) to uncover where your audience shows intent—what they’re searching for and where you show up.

Check:

• Top-performing keywords: Branded vs. nonbranded, product vs. problem led
• SERP competitors: Who are you up against, and what are they doing right?
• Content gaps: Where are the opportunities to show up that you’re missing?
• Backlinks: Who’s linking to your content, and what does that say about where your audience hangs out?

Pro tip: Search behavior is a window into your buyer’s problems. Use it to prioritize content and channels that align with their decision journey.

Step 3: Follow the money

Use your CRM to understand which channels actually drive revenue, not just MQLs.

Look at:

• Source of high-quality leads: Where do your closed/won opportunities originate?
• Lead velocity by channel: Which sources move the fastest through the funnel?
• Persona-channel alignment: Are certain job titles, industries, or segments coming from specific sources?

Pro tip: Even if a channel drives less traffic, it might be your most valuable if it consistently brings in high-value accounts.

Step 4 (optional but highly recommended): Gauge brand presence

Use share of voice tools (like Brandwatch, Meltwater, or Sprout) to see where conversations are happening and whether you’re part of them.

Track:

• Your share of voice on key topics compared to competitors
• Which platforms your ideal customer is active on (LinkedIn, Reddit, X, Slack communities)
• Emerging trends or white-space topics where you can build leadership

Pro tip: Share of voice isn’t just a vanity metric. It tells you where your brand (and competitors) are breaking through.

Step 5: Build a channel scorecard

Create a simple matrix to compare and prioritize channels based on four key metrics: reach, engagement, conversion, and share of voice. Score each channel on a one to five scale, summing the scores across metrics per channel for a total channel score. You can also choose to weight each metric according to your priorities (e.g., revenue, speed, awareness).

When to test a new channel

Thinking about launching something new, like a podcast or new media buy?

Here’s a quick gut check:

• Do you have evidence that your audience engages with that channel?
• Can you repurpose or adapt content you already have?
• Is there a way to measure performance early?
• Do you have the time and budget to test properly?

If the answer is no to most of these, you’re better off doubling down where traction already exists. If the answer is you’re not sure, that’s a good indicator that it’s time for a channel, data, or content audit.

Final thought

Channel strategy isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being relevant in the places that matter most to your audience.

If you’re overwhelmed by options—or sitting on data you’re not sure how to use—we can help. At CMD, we work with B2B marketing teams to extract insight from tools they already use and translate it into focused, measurable channel strategies that drive results.

Let us help you find your focus and drive greater return from your channel investments. Contact us to start the conversation.