In brief: Verify website traffic through direct analytics access, long-term trends, source mix, landing-page concentration and consistency with revenue.
Get source access
Screenshots are weak evidence. Prefer direct, permissioned access to the analytics tools the business actually uses, and compare more than one data source where practical.
Review enough history
Look across seasons, algorithm updates, campaigns and business changes. A short window can hide decline or temporary spikes.
Measure concentration
- Top traffic source
- Top countries
- Top landing pages
- Brand versus non-brand demand
- Paid versus organic traffic
Connect traffic to economics
Traffic that does not convert or monetize may have little value. Compare traffic changes with revenue, leads, subscriptions or other business outcomes.
Investigate anomalies
Sharp jumps, unexplained referrals, bot-like behavior, sudden geographic changes or traffic that disappears when one page is removed all deserve deeper investigation.