Want to know if your website is doing the job? An SEO report gives you the full picture. It shows what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next.
If you’re new to this, don’t worry. It’s easier than it sounds. Here’s how to get started.
What’s the point of an SEO report?
It’s a simple way to check if your site is getting more visitors or more sales. It tracks progress and helps you spot what needs improving.
What do you need to look at?
To keep it useful, focus on the key numbers. These usually include:
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Website traffic
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Bounce rate
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Conversions
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Keyword rankings
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Backlinks
How do you pull it together?
Use a free or paid SEO tool to gather your data. Once you’ve got it, make it easy to read.
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Use tables or charts to break it down
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Keep your notes short and clear
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Add simple actions for what to fix or improve
An SEO report doesn’t need to be long or technical. It just needs to make sense. Keep it simple. Make it clear. Then act on what it tells you.
Why SEO reporting matters
Want to know if your SEO work is actually paying off? That’s where reporting comes in. It shows how your site is doing and what to fix to get better results.
Know how you’re doing
To get the full picture, you need to track performance. Start by checking your site traffic and where you rank on Google. This tells you what’s working and what needs work.
Keep an eye on how your keywords are ranking. If they’re climbing, you’re doing something right. If they’re not, it’s a sign to tweak your content or strategy.
More visibility means more visitors. That’s the goal.
Use your data wisely
Data can help you make better decisions. Use SEO tools to track the numbers that matter most. These usually include:
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Where your traffic is coming from
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What search terms people use to find your site
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How many visitors are turning into customers
This tells you what content works and what needs more attention. You can also check how you measure up against others in your field.
The clearer the picture, the easier it is to plan your next move.
Check what others are doing
Want to stay ahead? See what your competitors are up to. Look at their content, keyword use, and how they perform in search.
Use SEO tools to gather insights. You can find out:
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Which keywords they rank for
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How strong their backlinks are
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Where their traffic comes from
Spot gaps in their strategy and turn them into wins for your own site.
Make better choices
With the right reports, small business owners can focus on what actually works. You can see what brings traffic and what gets people to buy.
This cuts out the guesswork. You get to see real results and make decisions based on data, not hunches.
In the long run, this keeps your SEO efforts sharp and your business growing.
Show your results
Want to prove your SEO is worth it? Show the numbers. A good SEO report can highlight where traffic and sales have improved over time.
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Did your rankings go up after a few content changes?
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Are more people clicking through and buying?
Track it all and use the data to show the return on your effort.
This helps you plan ahead and shows the value of SEO to your team or clients.
Keep track and stay on course
SEO isn’t a one-time fix. You need to track your progress regularly. Set up reports that check your key stats like traffic, bounce rate, and keyword rankings.
Use tools like Google Analytics to make it easier.
Regular reporting helps you spot trends, fix problems, and keep your strategy on point. When you know what’s going on, it’s easier to keep your business heading in the right direction.
Key parts of an SEO report
To make your SEO report useful, you need the right data. And it needs to be easy to read. Focus on what matters and leave out anything that doesn’t help the bigger picture.
Get the right data
Start by using SEO tools to gather the basics. You want to know:
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How your site is ranking
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What keywords are bringing people in
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How much traffic you’re getting
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Where your backlinks are coming from
Look at the numbers that show how your site is doing in search. Organic traffic, bounce rate, and keyword performance are good places to start. With this info, you can see what’s working and where to make changes.
Pick the metrics that matter
Not every stat is worth tracking. Stick to the ones that show real results. Focus on:
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Organic traffic
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Bounce rate
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Conversion rate
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Keyword rankings
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Backlink count and quality
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Page load time
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Mobile usability
These give a clear view of how well your site performs and what users are doing once they land there.
Keep it simple
Once you’ve got your data, keep your report clear. Use tables and charts to break it up. Keep your focus on the main results.
You don’t need to show every detail. Just stick to what shows progress and where to improve.
A short summary at the end helps wrap it all up. Point out what’s going well and what needs fixing.
Make the data useful
Don’t just list numbers. Explain what they mean. If a page has high traffic but no conversions, it might need better content or a clearer call to action.
Look at where people are landing and what they’re doing. Find what’s getting clicks and what’s being ignored. That’s where you’ll spot chances to improve.
Check in on competitors too. If they’re doing well with something you’ve missed, use that as inspiration.
Give clear steps to follow
Every good report should lead to action. Use your findings to give clear advice. If site speed is low, suggest ways to speed it up. If content is thin, recommend areas to expand.
Keep it straightforward:
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What’s the problem?
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What needs to change?
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What’s the first step?
The easier it is to follow, the more likely it is to get done.
Add a quick summary and plan
Wrap up your report with a plain overview. Cover the top wins, issues, and next steps.
Build an action plan that includes:
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What to do next
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When to do it
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Who’s doing it
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How you’ll measure success
This keeps the team on track and makes it easy to follow up. It also turns your report from a list of stats into a proper SEO tool that helps your site move forward.
How to create an effective SEO report
A good SEO report helps you track what’s working and what’s not. It shows progress and helps you plan your next move. If you want to grow your online presence, this is a key step.
Let’s break it down.
Choose metrics that matter
Start with the basics. You want to know:
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How many people visit your site
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How long they stay
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What actions they take
Stick to metrics like organic traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate, and keyword rankings. These tell you how well your content performs and where it needs work.
Pick KPIs that match your goals. If your focus is sales, track conversions. If it’s visibility, look at rankings and impressions.
Use the right tools
Don’t try to do it all by hand. Use SEO tools that gather and track the data for you. Some good options include:
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Google Analytics
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SEMrush
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Ahrefs
These tools give you the numbers on traffic sources, keyword rankings, backlinks, and more. Use that data to spot patterns, highlight wins, and flag what needs fixing.
Put together a full report
A complete SEO report is more than just numbers. It needs to show what’s going on and what to do next.
Keep it clear and simple:
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Use charts and tables to make trends easy to spot
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Include a short summary
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Point out what’s going well and what isn’t
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Suggest actions based on your findings
This turns your report into something useful, not just a list of stats.
Automate where you can
Save time by setting up automatic reports. Most SEO tools let you create templates and schedule reports to run on a regular basis.
That means no more digging through data every week. You’ll get the key info when you need it, without the manual work.
Keep it simple and focused
Don’t overload your report with every single metric. Stick to the ones that matter. Create a clear layout that’s easy to follow. Include a section for next steps so it’s obvious what actions to take.
Make sure your report answers the big questions:
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What’s working?
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What’s not?
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What should we do next?
Use reports to grow
SEO reports aren’t just about tracking progress. They help guide your decisions. Use what you find to:
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Improve your content
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Fix weak spots on your site
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Plan future updates
This keeps your SEO work on track and helps you grow your business with real results. When you stay on top of your reports, you’re more likely to stay ahead.
What to include in an SEO report
If you want your SEO report to be useful, it needs to show the full picture. It should tell you what’s going well, what needs work, and what to do next. Here’s what to include.
Start with a clear overview
Begin with a short summary that covers the basics. This helps you or your team see how the site is doing without reading every detail.
Your overview should include:
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A quick look at traffic and keyword trends
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Top-performing pages
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Any big changes since your last report
This makes it easy to spot wins and losses at a glance.
Track key metrics and KPIs
The main job of your report is to show progress. That means focusing on the numbers that matter most.
Here are the key ones to include:
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Organic traffic – How many visitors come from search engines
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Bounce rate – How many leave after one page
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Average session time – How long people stay on your site
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Conversion rate – How many take action (buy something, sign up, etc)
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Keyword rankings – Where your site shows up in search
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Backlinks – How many other sites link to yours
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Click-through rate (CTR) – How often people click your link in search results
These tell you how your SEO is doing and where to shift focus if needed.
Spot what needs work
Every good SEO report should point out areas for improvement. That’s where the value comes in.
Look at things like:
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Low-ranking keywords
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Slow-loading pages
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High bounce rates on certain posts
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Missing content on trending topics
You don’t need to fix everything at once. Just pick the spots that will make the biggest impact first.
Use tools to find content gaps and keyword opportunities. If people are searching for something you haven’t covered yet, that’s your next blog post.
This structure keeps your SEO report clear, focused, and helpful. It turns your data into a plan, which is what every small business needs.
SEO report best practices
Want to get the most out of your SEO report? Keep it focused, clear, and easy to act on. These best practices make sure your report actually gets read—and used.
Set clear goals and know your audience
Before you start, ask yourself: what’s the goal of this report?
Are you trying to grow traffic, improve rankings, or boost sales? Pick one or two targets and focus your report around them.
Next, think about who will read it. If your audience is small business owners in Ireland, skip the jargon. Keep the language simple and show the results in a way that makes sense to them.
This makes it easier for everyone to understand what’s working and what needs fixing.
Give context with the data
Don’t just throw in a bunch of numbers. Explain what they mean.
Did traffic rise after a new blog post went live? Is a dip in rankings linked to a slow-loading page? Tell that story.
Use examples to show cause and effect. Add charts or graphs to show patterns over time. It helps people see the full picture and spot trends they might otherwise miss.
Keep the language simple
If it sounds too technical, rewrite it. Good SEO reports should feel easy to read.
Stick to short sentences. Avoid buzzwords. Say what you mean without padding it out.
Clear language means faster understanding. That’s what your readers need if they’re going to use your insights.
Use your report to plan next steps
Your report should help shape your next move. Use it to guide what happens next.
Set out clear actions. For example:
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Improve content on low-ranking pages
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Fix slow-loading sections
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Add internal links to underperforming posts
The more direct your advice, the easier it is to act on.
Tailor it to your reader
Every business is different, so every SEO report should be too. Use data that’s relevant to your client or team.
For a local business, include location-specific keywords or regional traffic data. For online shops, focus more on conversions and product page performance.
Make sure the report speaks to the right goals. When readers see that the data fits their business, they’re more likely to take action.
Follow these steps and your SEO report won’t just sit in someone’s inbox. It’ll help drive results and keep your strategy on track.
FAQs about SEO reports
1. What is an SEO report?
An SEO report is a summary of how your website performs in search engines. It tracks things like traffic, keyword rankings, and what needs improving.
2. How often should I create an SEO report?
Monthly is a good starting point. This gives you enough time to spot trends without being overwhelmed by data.
3. What tools can I use to build an SEO report?
You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. They gather data and help you build clear reports.
4. What should I include in an SEO report?
Stick to key stats like organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversions, and bounce rate. Add a summary and clear action points.
5. Why is SEO reporting important for small businesses?
It shows what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus next. This helps small business owners grow their online presence with real results.
Need help with your SEO reports?
If you’re not sure where to start or want a second pair of eyes on your data, I’m here to help. Whether it’s building your first report or making sense of the numbers, I’ll keep it simple and straight to the point.
Get in touch today and let’s make sure your SEO is working as hard as it should.
