Goals & OKRs
~4 min readGoal-First Tracking — OKRs and dashboardSMASHBOARD
What Are OKRs?
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results — a goal-setting framework used by teams of every size to keep attention on what matters most.
An OKR has two parts:
- Objective — a clear direction: "Grow our audience"
- Key Result — a measurable milestone: "Reach 12,000 sessions this month"
Why OKRs Work
Google Analytics shows you numbers. A report that says "9,412 sessions" doesn't tell you whether that's good or bad. A card that shows progress toward a target, where you're likely to finish, and how much time is left tells you exactly where you stand and what to do next.
Goals work because they:
- Create urgency. You can see the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
- Make progress visible. The progress bar gives instant feedback without digging through reports.
- Keep you honest. You can't tell yourself the month is going well when the bar is at 30% on day 28.
- Focus attention. Instead of watching 40 different numbers, you track the handful that actually move the needle.
How dashboardSMASHBOARD Implements Goals
Every card can have a goal attached. When a card has a goal, dashboardSMASHBOARD shows:
- A plain-English goal statement — for example "Grow 10% vs previous period".
- A live progress bar that fills as you approach the target.
- An Information Bar with Status, Forecast, Gap and Time Left — see Reading Your Card.
- For cards that use an Alert display, a color-coded pulse on the card border that follows the goal's Status.
Goal Types
You choose the goal type in the Goal section of the card editor:
| Goal type | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No goal | Shows the metric and its comparison with the previous period — nothing else. | Traffic by Channel |
| Grow / Reduce by % | The target is N% above (or below) the comparison period's value. This is what all the ready-made cards use. | "Grow sessions by 10% vs. the previous period" |
| Reach a target | A fixed number to hit, with an operator: at least (≥), at most (≤), more than (>), less than (<) or exactly (=). | "Reach at least 1,000 new users this month" |
Rate metrics such as bounce rate or engagement rate can use either type — a relative goal ("reduce bounce rate by 10%") or a fixed target ("engagement rate at least 60%").
Goals are available on cards that measure a single metric. Breakdown cards (such as Traffic by Channel) rank values side by side and don't take a goal.
Direction: Higher vs. Lower is Better
dashboardSMASHBOARD assumes higher is better for most metrics (sessions, users, key events, revenue). A few metrics are better when they go down — Bounce Rate is the main one in Google Analytics. For these, the card's Direction is set to "Lower is better" automatically. That flips how progress is measured and how the comparison pill is colored: green always means "heading in the right direction."
You can override Direction in the Metric section of the card editor, though the automatic setting is right for every Google Analytics metric.
Choosing good goals
- Match the goal to your review rhythm. Use a calendar period such as This month with a "grow by %" goal for monthly reviews; use a rolling window such as Last 30 days for ongoing health checks.
- Be realistic. A goal you'll never hit teaches you to ignore the card. Start close to your recent growth rate and raise it as you improve.
- Use relative goals when you don't know the right number. "Grow 5% vs. last period" works for any site. Switch to a fixed target when you have a committed number, such as a quota.
See also: Reading Your Card for how Status, Forecast and Gap are worked out from your goal.
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