Search engine optimisation is a blend between technical prowess and creativity. Many SEO specialists are passionate about their jobs, from polishing the Core Web Vitals to doing digital PR.
Сreating custom SEO reports is where passion and creativity tend to halt because agencies can spend hours on manual reporting for each client. Even with that much work, only 58% of clients are satisfied with the report.
Why are custom SEO reports so important? What can you do to create client reports that serve you and your client well? Follow the article to learn the answers.
Why Agencies Need SEO Reporting
SEO reporting isn’t just about showing a document with raw numbers; it’s an essential piece of communication between the full-service marketing agency and the client.
The importance is not only in what data you show, but in how you show it. Create a report that delivers just the right amount of information in a form digestible for the client, and you’ll exceed expectations.
Using a report to communicate to a client in a way convenient to them gives you a bonus of building trust and credibility. Clients who are on the same page with you will stay with your agency longer.
Why Customisable SEO Reporting Is Important
Client SEO reports are a necessary communication tool, and since it takes a lot of time to create them each month, any agency would benefit from introducing automated custom SEO reports.
Here are three reasons to adopt a customisable SEO reporting solution:
- Simplified Presentation Process: Using customisable reporting lets you present the right data to a long list of clients. You can only configure it once to get all the data you need in the client SEO report for each customer and automate it. Then, you won’t have to retrieve all the different data for different customers manually.
- Personalisation: The second reason is that you can customise the design and layout of the report for each client. When creating an SEO report template, you can lean more to the side of raw data or highlighting specific pieces of data with visualisation.
- Time Saving: A customisable reporting solution saves your agency a lot of time. Instead of gathering all the data needed for each client manually, you can automate most processes, from importing data from multiple tools to sending the report.
How to Create Custom SEO Reports
Creating effective custom SEO reports takes more than uploading data to a spreadsheet. Here are the steps to doing that.
Setting Clear SEO Goals for Clients
The first and the most important step towards creating an SEO report your client loves is being on the same page with them.
Talk to your client and set clear goals. Understand what they expect from an SEO campaign, manage their expectations if necessary, and create a list of KPIs to track.
You should also either ask directly or gauge what their level of understanding is in SEO. This will help you create a report that not only gives them the right information, but also information they can easily work with.
Choose the Right Tools
Once you have a clear understanding of their goals and preferences in client reporting, choose reporting tools. You’ll need a suite of website analytics tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, or SEO tools like SE Ranking and Ahrefs. These will provide data for the report.
If you’re planning to do extensive data transformations or visualisations, and you’re not using a reporting solution built into your SEO software, you’ll also need tools that work with data. One of the easiest setups is to use Google Sheets and Looker Studio for this.
Monitor Relevant Metrics
With your tools ready, choose the metrics you’ll be focusing on for each client. You’ll likely track multiple metrics to manage the project closely, but it’s best to report only on the relevant ones for a specific client.
Clients may have different reporting needs. For some, seeing every metric you track will do nothing because they only care about the bigger picture, like month-over-month website traffic increases and the number of conversions.
Others would like to see every detail of your work. Even for clients who want to see all of it, it’s best to create a set of core KPIs that you can showcase in the report summary.
Choose an Easy-to-Read Format
All the data you include in the report should be easily understandable for your clients.
Consider leaning heavily into data visualisation. Instead of presenting raw data in a table, use a graph or a chart to provide context for the data. Present changes in metrics instead of simply providing data without context.
You can also include a progress bar for action items.
Explain Results and Action Items
Include a short write-up for the most prominent results and action items. It lets them understand clearly what you do and how it affects their bottom line.
Automate Monthly Reports (But Make Them Personal)
Once you’ve figured out how a monthly report for each client should look, you can automate most processes to produce custom reports hands-free with a set of data manipulation tools.
Another option is to use specialised software like the reporting tool by SE Ranking. It’s tailored to agencies and provides a way to customise SEO reports and automate every part from data import to scheduled delivery to the client.
Main Items Agencies Include in an SEO Report Template
Even though clients require different data points in a report, there are some common sections you can include in a report.
1. Overall Summary
The overview of the monthly report is the most important part, especially if it’s intended to be read by multiple people. It should present the progress on your main goals and showcase the most prominent achievements during a reporting period.
To achieve the best results, do the report in reverse. Start by compiling the report and add the summary at the end.
2. Organic Traffic
Organic traffic is the most important SEO goal, and it should be the first and most important entry in the report. Here are the metrics you can include in this section:
- Total traffic numbers.
- Traffic change over the reporting period.
- Bounce rate.
- Average session duration.
- Pages per session.
It’s best to include a graph of how traffic has changed throughout the whole project timeline. This way, even if there’s a month-over-month drop, you can demonstrate the overall upward trend.
3. Conversions and Other Business Goals
If the goal of your campaign is centred around sales more than exposure, present KPIs that cover conversions. Here are a few options:
- Sales that can be attributed to SEO efforts.
- The number of marketing-qualified leads.
- The number of soft conversions, like downloading a resource.
You will need a more advanced data source for this. It’s ideal if you have access to the client’s CRM data for cross-referencing lead generation efforts.
4. Keyword Rankings
The next thing you typically have to include in a report is keyword rankings. There are many options for what exactly you can show the client here. Your options for data points in this section include:
- Average position.
- The number of keywords the client’s site ranks for.
- The number of keywords in the top 10, top 100, featured snippets, or AIO.
- Search visibility.
- Comparison of the ranking for the core keywords with competitors.
Some keyword metrics can be misleading. For instance, a drop in the average position can be the result of targeting a lot of new keywords, not of poor performance. Present a short write-up to explain this as needed.
5. Website Health
If you’re working on a client’s technical SEO, a website health analysis is a necessary addition. The best way to present it is to show progress in a metric like Core Web Vitals assessment.
You can also show how many action items you’ve completed in the reporting period, like fixing indexation problems. Present them as a checklist or a progress bar for clarity.
6. Backlink Analytics
For off-page SEO, backlink analytics is a must. You can show the following metrics in a report:
- The dynamics of new and lost links.
- The most prominent links you’ve built in the reporting period.
- Change in Domain Trust.
- How many links has your content gathered?
The last point is only relevant if you’re investing in content meant to attract links, like industry reports or thought-leadership content.
7. Google Business Profile Metrics
For clients that require local SEO, include GBP metrics. There are only a few you can track:
- Number of profile views.
- Number of profile interactions, like calls or website visits.
- Number of reviews on the profile and the average rating.
If there are any insights from the reviews, it’s best to discuss them individually with the client instead of adding them to a report.
Summary
Templatised custom SEO reports are a lifesaver for agencies. They allow you to create personalised reports for dozens of clients with different needs without taking up too much time.
Remember that the foundation of an effective report is laid in the goal-setting session with a client. Understand what their needs are, both for your work and for reporting, and you’re going to help them and build trust with them in the process.
Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback from a client on the first few reports. This can help you clear any misunderstandings and produce a better report that you can safely automate.
