Common Reporting Mistakes:

❌ Too many metrics (overwhelming)
❌ No context (numbers without meaning)
❌ No action items (so what?)
❌ Too technical (audience doesn't understand)
❌ Vanity metrics only (impressions without conversions)

Good Reporting:

✅ Right metrics for audience
✅ Context and comparison
✅ Clear insights
✅ Actionable recommendations
✅ Business impact focus

PRIMARY METRICS:

1. ORGANIC SESSIONS
   Total visits from organic search
   Most fundamental metric
   Compare MoM and YoY

2. ORGANIC USERS
   Unique visitors from organic
   Better for understanding reach
   Less affected by return visits

3. NEW USERS
   First-time organic visitors
   Shows growth/discovery
   Important for awareness

4. TRAFFIC TREND
   Direction over time
   More important than absolute numbers
   Context of changes

Segmentation:
- By landing page
- By device (mobile vs desktop)
- By country/region
- By page type (blog vs product)

Example Report Section:
"Organic traffic: 45,000 sessions (+15% MoM, +32% YoY)
New users: 38,000 (+18% MoM)
Mobile: 62% of traffic (+5% vs last month)
Top growth: Blog content +25%"

KEYWORD RANKINGS:

Track:
- Target keywords positions
- Position changes
- New keywords ranking
- Lost keywords

Categorize:
- Position 1-3 (prime real estate)
- Position 4-10 (page 1)
- Position 11-20 (page 2)
- Position 21+ (opportunity)

Movement Tracking:
- Keywords improved
- Keywords declined
- New rankings
- Lost rankings

Example:
"Target Keywords:
- Page 1: 45 keywords (+5)
- Position 1-3: 12 keywords (+3)
- Improved: 28 keywords
- Declined: 8 keywords
- New on page 1: 7 keywords"

Don't Just Show Rankings:
Show traffic impact of ranking changes
"Moving from #8 to #3 for 'keyword'
increased traffic by 250 sessions/month"

BUSINESS OUTCOMES:

1. ORGANIC CONVERSIONS
   Goals completed from organic
   Sales, leads, signups
   Most important for business

2. CONVERSION RATE
   Conversions / Sessions
   Shows traffic quality
   Compare to other channels

3. REVENUE (if e-commerce)
   Money from organic traffic
   Ultimate success metric
   ROI calculation base

4. LEADS/CONTACTS
   Form submissions
   Phone calls
   Chat initiations

5. MICRO-CONVERSIONS
   Email signups
   PDF downloads
   Video views
   Engagement metrics

Attribution:
First-click vs last-click
Organic often starts journey
Consider assisted conversions

Example:
"Organic Performance:
- Conversions: 320 (+12% MoM)
- Conversion rate: 2.8%
- Revenue: Rp 450M (+18% MoM)
- Assisted conversions: 180
- Total attributed revenue: Rp 620M"

HEALTH INDICATORS:

1. INDEXED PAGES
   Pages in Google's index
   Track growth/changes
   Unexpected drops = issues

2. CRAWL ERRORS
   404s, 5xx errors, etc.
   Should trend down
   New errors = immediate attention

3. CORE WEB VITALS
   LCP, INP, CLS
   Passing vs needs improvement vs poor
   Trend over time

4. MOBILE USABILITY
   Mobile-friendly issues
   Should be zero for healthy site

5. SECURITY ISSUES
   Should always be zero
   Any issues = urgent

Example Technical Section:
"Technical Health:
- Indexed pages: 1,245 (+15)
- Crawl errors: 12 (down from 28)
- Core Web Vitals: 89% passing
- Mobile issues: 0
- Security issues: 0"

Start Every Report With:

KEY HIGHLIGHTS (3-5 bullets):
- Most important wins
- Key metrics change
- Notable achievements

TRAFFIC SUMMARY:
Organic traffic: [Number] ([% change])
Compared to: Last month / Last year

CONVERSION SUMMARY:
Conversions: [Number] ([% change])
Revenue: [Amount] (if applicable)

RANKING HIGHLIGHTS:
Keywords on page 1: [Number] ([change])
Notable wins: [Specific keywords]

WHAT'S NEXT:
Top priorities for next period

Example Executive Summary:
"October 2026 SEO Performance

Highlights:
• Organic traffic up 23% YoY
• 7 new keywords reached page 1
• Conversions increased 15%
• New blog posts driving 35% of growth

Organic Sessions: 52,000 (+18% MoM, +23% YoY)
Conversions: 340 (+15% MoM)
Revenue: Rp 485M (+20% MoM)

Next Month Focus:
• Optimize 5 pages in position 4-10
• Fix Core Web Vitals on product pages
• Launch link building campaign"

SECTION 1: ORGANIC TRAFFIC

Include:
- Overall traffic numbers
- Trend chart
- Device breakdown
- Geographic breakdown
- Top landing pages
- Traffic by page type

Insights to Add:
- Why changes occurred
- What's driving growth/decline
- Opportunities identified


SECTION 2: KEYWORD RANKINGS

Include:
- Summary of ranking distribution
- Top ranking improvements
- Notable declines
- New keywords ranking
- Featured snippet wins/losses

Insights:
- Which pages improved/declined
- Competitor movements
- Action items


SECTION 3: CONVERSIONS & REVENUE

Include:
- Conversion numbers
- Revenue (if applicable)
- Conversion rate
- Top converting pages
- Conversion trend

Business Impact:
- ROI of SEO efforts
- Comparison to other channels
- Value of organic traffic


SECTION 4: TECHNICAL HEALTH

Include:
- Index status
- Crawl stats
- Core Web Vitals
- Errors and issues
- Fixes completed

Technical Debt:
- Outstanding issues
- Priority fixes needed
- Timeline for fixes


SECTION 5: ACTIVITIES & NEXT STEPS

Include:
- What was done this period
- Content published
- Links built
- Optimizations made
- Plans for next period

Every Report Should Include:

WHAT WE DID (Completed):
☑ Published 4 new blog posts
☑ Optimized 10 product pages
☑ Fixed 28 broken links
☑ Improved page speed on homepage

WHAT WE'RE DOING (In Progress):
⏳ Content refresh on 15 old posts
⏳ Link building outreach (20 prospects)
⏳ Schema implementation site-wide

WHAT'S NEXT (Planned):
☐ Target 5 quick-win keywords
☐ Create comparison content
☐ Technical audit of category pages

RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. [Specific recommendation]
   Impact: [Expected result]
   Effort: [Time/resources needed]

2. [Specific recommendation]
   Impact: [Expected result]
   Effort: [Time/resources needed]

PRIMARY DATA SOURCES:

GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE:
- Actual search performance
- Impressions, clicks, CTR
- Position data
- Index coverage

GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4:
- Traffic data
- Conversions
- User behavior
- Revenue

SEO TOOLS (SEMrush/Ahrefs):
- Keyword rankings
- Backlink data
- Competitor data
- Site audits

RANK TRACKING TOOLS:
- Daily position tracking
- Historical data
- SERP features

PAGE SPEED TOOLS:
- Core Web Vitals
- Performance metrics
- Historical trends

OPTIONS:

1. GOOGLE LOOKER STUDIO (Free)
   Pros:
   - Free
   - Google data integration
   - Customizable
   - Shareable

   Cons:
   - Learning curve
   - Third-party data needs connectors

2. SEMRUSH REPORTS
   Pros:
   - Built-in templates
   - White-label
   - Automated

   Cons:
   - SEMrush subscription needed
   - Data limited to SEMrush

3. AHREFS REPORTS
   Similar to SEMrush
   Strong for backlink reporting

4. AGENCY ANALYTICS
   Pros:
   - Multi-source integration
   - White-label
   - Client dashboards

   Cons:
   - Paid tool
   - Additional cost

5. SPREADSHEETS (Manual)
   Pros:
   - Full control
   - Flexible
   - No additional cost

   Cons:
   - Time-consuming
   - Manual updates
   - No automation

LOOKER STUDIO DASHBOARD EXAMPLE:

PAGE 1: EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
- Total organic traffic (scorecard)
- Traffic trend (time series)
- Conversions (scorecard)
- Top 5 pages (table)
- Key metrics comparison

PAGE 2: TRAFFIC DEEP DIVE
- Traffic by device
- Traffic by country
- Traffic by landing page
- Traffic by source/medium
- New vs returning

PAGE 3: RANKINGS
- Keyword positions (connect via third-party)
- Ranking distribution
- Movement trends
- Featured snippets

PAGE 4: TECHNICAL
- Crawl stats
- Index coverage
- Core Web Vitals
- Errors

PAGE 5: CONVERSIONS
- Conversion funnel
- Top converting pages
- Revenue trend
- Goal completions

Data Sources to Connect:
- Search Console (native)
- GA4 (native)
- Supermetrics (for third-party)
- API connections (advanced)

WEEKLY REPORTS (Internal/Quick):

Focus:
- Key metrics snapshot
- Notable changes
- Issues requiring attention

Include:
- Traffic this week vs last week
- Any ranking changes
- Technical issues found
- Priorities for next week

Format:
- Brief (1 page or less)
- Email or Slack update
- Quick visual if needed


MONTHLY REPORTS (Standard):

Focus:
- Full performance review
- Progress toward goals
- Detailed analysis

Include:
- All sections mentioned above
- MoM comparisons
- Activities completed
- Recommendations

Format:
- Full report (5-10 pages)
- PDF or presentation
- Dashboard access


QUARTERLY REPORTS (Strategic):

Focus:
- Big picture progress
- ROI analysis
- Strategy review

Include:
- QoQ and YoY comparisons
- Goal achievement status
- Competitive analysis
- Strategy recommendations
- Budget review

Format:
- Comprehensive (10-20 pages)
- Presentation format
- Meeting to discuss


ANNUAL REPORTS:

Focus:
- Year in review
- Major achievements
- Next year planning

Include:
- Full year performance
- All key metrics YoY
- Major wins and learnings
- ROI summary
- Next year strategy

AUTOMATE:
- Data collection
- Dashboard updates
- Scheduled report delivery
- Standard metrics

MANUAL (Human Touch):
- Insights and analysis
- Context and explanation
- Recommendations
- Action items
- Answering "why"

Best Approach:
Automated data collection
Manual analysis and insights
Scheduled delivery
Live discussion when needed

WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT:
- Business impact
- ROI
- Bottom line
- High-level trends

WHAT TO INCLUDE:
- Revenue from organic
- Conversion trends
- Market share (rankings)
- 3-5 key metrics
- Executive summary

WHAT TO AVOID:
- Technical jargon
- Too many metrics
- Details without context
- Problems without solutions

FORMAT:
- 1-2 pages max
- Visual heavy
- Clear KPIs
- Business language

Example Executive Slide:
"SEO Delivered This Quarter:
• Revenue: Rp 1.4B (+25% YoY)
• 340 new customers from organic
• Organic now 35% of total revenue
• Estimated annual value: Rp 5.6B"

WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT:
- Channel performance
- Content success
- Campaign results
- Integration with other channels

WHAT TO INCLUDE:
- Traffic and conversions
- Content performance
- Keyword wins
- Comparison to other channels
- Collaborative opportunities

WHAT TO AVOID:
- Deep technical details
- Isolated SEO view
- Metrics they can't act on

FORMAT:
- Medium detail
- Visual comparisons
- Actionable insights
- Collaboration focus

Example Marketing Section:
"Content Performance:
• Blog traffic: +45% this month
• Top post: 'Guide to X' - 5,000 sessions
• Posts supporting email campaign: +30% traffic
• Recommended: Repurpose top post for social"

WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT:
- Technical issues
- Specific fixes needed
- Implementation details
- Prioritization

WHAT TO INCLUDE:
- Crawl errors detail
- Core Web Vitals specifics
- Code/implementation needs
- Technical debt status
- Sprint planning items

WHAT TO AVOID:
- Too much business context
- Marketing fluff
- Metrics they can't affect

FORMAT:
- Detailed and specific
- Actionable tickets
- Technical specifications
- Priority order

Example Technical Section:
"Technical Issues (Priority Order):
1. [Critical] 5xx errors on /checkout - 45 instances
   Fix: Check server logs, likely timeout
2. [High] CLS issue on product pages - 0.3 score
   Fix: Add image dimensions, reserve ad space
3. [Medium] Crawl budget waste - 2,000 parameter URLs
   Fix: Implement canonical tags, update robots.txt"

Recommended KPI Structure:

MUST TRACK (5):
1. Organic traffic (sessions)
2. Organic conversions
3. Keywords on page 1
4. Revenue from organic
5. Technical health score

SHOULD TRACK (5 more):
6. Conversion rate
7. New vs returning users
8. Core Web Vitals status
9. Backlink growth
10. Featured snippets

TRACK IF RELEVANT:
- Local rankings (local business)
- App installs (apps)
- Phone calls (service business)
- Specific goals

Avoid KPI Overload:
Too many metrics = No focus
Every metric should lead to action
If you can't act on it, reconsider tracking

Framework for Explaining Drops:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE
   "Yes, traffic decreased by X%"
   Don't hide or minimize

2. CONTEXTUALIZE
   "This is due to [reason]"
   Provide data-backed explanation

3. COMPARE
   "Industry also experienced..."
   "Competitors saw similar..."
   If applicable

4. EXPLAIN ACTION
   "We are doing X to address"
   Show proactive response

5. PROJECT RECOVERY
   "We expect improvement by..."
   Realistic timeline

Example Response:
"Organic traffic decreased 15% this month.
This coincides with Google's core update on [date].

Analysis shows:
- Affected pages: Older blog posts
- Pattern: Content quality signals
- Competitors: Mixed results

Actions taken:
- Audited affected content
- Identified 20 posts for improvement
- Updated 5 highest-traffic posts already

Expected recovery: Next core update (est. 2-3 months)
In the meantime: Traffic from new content compensating"

Vanity Metrics Examples:
- Total impressions
- Total keywords ranking
- Domain authority/rating
- Backlink count (raw)

Why They're "Vanity":
- Don't directly impact business
- Easy to game
- Can go up while business goes down

When to Include:

YES (With Context):
"Impressions increased 50%, indicating improved
visibility. This typically precedes traffic gains
as click-through improves."

YES (For New Sites):
Early stage = visibility matters
Shows progress before traffic comes

NO (Without Context):
"Impressions: 1 million" (so what?)
"Keywords ranking: 500" (meaning?)

Better Approach:
Lead with business metrics
Support with visibility metrics
Always connect to business impact

Recommended Cadence:

WEEKLY:
- Internal team sync
- 15-30 minutes
- Quick updates and blockers
- Not full report review

BI-WEEKLY/MONTHLY:
- Stakeholder meeting
- 30-60 minutes
- Review monthly report
- Discuss priorities

QUARTERLY:
- Strategy review
- 60-90 minutes
- Comprehensive review
- Planning session

AD-HOC:
- Major changes (algorithm update)
- Big wins to celebrate
- Issues requiring decisions
- Budget discussions

Tips:
- Send report before meeting
- Meeting for discussion, not data reading
- Always have action items
- Follow up in writing

FREE OPTIONS:

Google Looker Studio + SuperMetrics Free
- Good for basic automation
- GSC and GA4 native
- Limited third-party data

Google Sheets + App Script
- Custom automation
- Requires setup
- Flexible


PAID OPTIONS:

SuperMetrics ($39+/month):
- Data connectors for everything
- Looker Studio integration
- Automated refresh

Agency Analytics ($49+/month):
- Built for agencies
- White-label
- Client dashboards

Databox ($59+/month):
- Modern dashboards
- Mobile app
- Many integrations

SEMrush/Ahrefs Reports:
- If already subscribed
- Limited to tool data
- White-label available


ENTERPRISE:

Power BI / Tableau:
- Enterprise grade
- Complex analysis
- Expensive

Custom Solutions:
- API integrations
- Custom dashboards
- Development required

BEFORE SENDING:

☐ Executive summary clear?
☐ Key metrics highlighted?
☐ Context provided for changes?
☐ Visuals easy to understand?
☐ Action items specific?
☐ Recommendations included?
☐ Appropriate detail for audience?
☐ Questions anticipated and answered?
☐ Next steps clear?

RED FLAGS:
- Report > 20 pages (for non-technical audience)
- No insights, just data
- No action items
- Jargon without explanation
- Metrics without context
- Problems without solutions