Digital Maturity in Archival Institutions: A Web Performance and Traffic Analytics Dataset (2025)

The dataset delivers a two-stage assessment of the digital infrastructure and user engagement patterns of 80 archival institutions worldwide. Its basic aim is to benchmark the technical performance and market reach of cultural heritage websites. Data were systematically collected over a four-month period (June–September 2025), minimising the risk of seasonal bias. The dataset integrates technical auditing with behavioural analytics, providing a comprehensive index of institutional digital maturity. The technical component was derived via the Checkbot auditing tool, which evaluated each domain against up to 70 discrete variables within three core domains. SEO, speed, and security. The resulting metrics yield granular insights into web optimization, spanning structural integrity, content accessibility, and cybersecurity protocols. Each institution receives aggregate scores for SEO, speed, and security, as well as a composite Total Website SEO Score, enabling robust comparative ranking and gap analysis of technical best practices. one step further from the the technical audit, the dataset incorporates behavioral and traffic analytics from SimilarWeb, detailing user interaction through critical key performance indicators (KPIs) such as total visits, global rank, average visit duration, and bounce rate. Traffic acquisition is disaggregated by channel. That is direct, organic search, paid search, referral, social, and email. By integrating behavioural metrics with technical performance data, the dataset enables examination of the relationship between site optimisation and user retention, while also examining the effectiveness of SEO in driving organic traffic to archival resources through the websites of such organisations.