I. What is an SEO Report?
A Definition of an SEO Report
Writing SEO or running an SEO writing agency is only fruitful if one knows the tricks of writing and producing the right report for potential clients. Business runs on data, and it is the only thing that determines the success and, most of all, conversion rate. That is why focusing on SEO reports is not just necessary but mandatory now.
Now, what is an SEO report? An SEO report is the reporting that tracks your or your client’s SEO performance. It is an overview of how SEO marketing works and what could be done to improve the marketing process.
B Importance of SEO reports for digital marketing
SEO writing is a big part of digital marketing. SEO writing drives the users into potential leads, which later becomes one of the most important ways for your clients to generate revenue.
By now, it is clear why SEO writing is irreplaceable. But why are companies so bothered about SEO reports? Well, the answer to this question is pretty simple. Every content writing agency works for the drive to be visible to more clients, and SEO reports are the ways to make that happen. A well-organised SEO report helps the clients to understand your work, how profitable your marketing strategies are and how much effort you should put into your work.
If you want to show your clients that the strategies you have been using for writing SEO-based content are fine and according to their requirements, creating authentic data-based content is the one way to go.
C Purpose of an SEO Report
An SEO or Search Engine Optimisation writing is one of the fundamental ways to sell products or gain more traffic and conversion rate. An SEO report’s purpose is to show your clients if you can achieve that goal or not. With the right and crisp data, an SEO report provides the clients with the right information, gaining more trust and credibility.
II. Things an SEO Report Should Contain
A Report Summary
1) SEO report summary in providing a quick overview of the report’s
An SEO marketing strategy without any knowledge of an SEO report template is never a wise choice. So, creating SEO reports based on the current progress is important to drive more credibility and efficiency at work. But what an SEO should look like is a big question to ask. Well, to begin with, it should add an overview of what the report is about and what the clients should expect from it. This part is called the overview.
Include a small piece of information stating what the SEO report is all about and, most importantly, whether there will be any landing page, keyword ranking, or conversion rate report. It will help the clients to understand the report more thoroughly. Otherwise, even the learned SEO report readers may need help midway.
2) Summarise the essential performance metrics related to SEO efforts
An SEO report contains an extensive checklist; going through all of them is more than just time-consuming but idiotic. Since every client has some specific requirement, we urge you to create an SEO report based on that only.
For example, observing how much your used keywords are trending is one way to understand whether your strategy is working. Display which keywords got a boost and which could be used as secondary ones. Prioritising the keywords based on that is a smart way to understand the performance metrics.
Another essential performance metric is to track the conversion rate. You want to make sure the users become potential leads before their continuous visit becomes as fruitful as you want. So, track the conversion rate, if need be, and track their entire journey as users to get a clear perspective of how well you have performed.
3) Provide an overview of the overall performance trends and changes compared to previous periods
Lastly, any monthly SEO report template should contain clear and crisp overall performance trends. Also, if possible, show the previous progress by drawing a graph report. It will help the clients to compare the progress and build more trust in your organisation.
B Traffic Overview by Channel
1) Identification of top-performing organic keywords and their contribution to overall traffic
Understanding Google algorithms is one of the most important parts of creating successful SEO writing, and if someone has clear knowledge of Google algorithms, they will understand the necessity of searching for the right organic keywords. It means the primary keyword should be something that can help the writing to rank top, while the secondary keyword should be closely attached to the topic. So, find out the main and the long-tail keywords properly to get more traffic.
2) Evaluation of the effectiveness of referral sources in driving traffic to the website
Adding the right amount of resources to content is one way to be visible and rank higher on Google. Although make sure you use sources from verified websites because if the content has any sources from spammy websites, your content will be considered spammy too.
3) Identification and examination of the sources and behaviour of direct traffic visitors
Using Google Analytics, proper identification of sources is important. Only a high-ranked website can provide the right information one needs to use in their content. So, run thorough research, and most importantly, research about the topic from verified sources. Only this can generate your content more traffic.
C Conversions via Organic Traffic
1) Overview of the role of conversions in measuring the success of SEO efforts
Any SEO writing, if not able to generate more conversion rate, is considered unfruitful or useless. Now, what is the conversion rate? Conversion rate means when a business gets to do the reader the want by just reading content. It may include a purchase. For example, if a user reads content and then makes a purchase or subscribes to a newsletter, it means a conversion is generated. If 4 out of 100 people do the same, the conversion report is 4%. It helps the clients to understand the growing popularity of their business.
2) Identification of key conversion metrics, such as conversion rate, goal completions, and revenue generated
Any SEO is focused on building a goal to achieve a certain limit, and identifying that conversion metric is easier said than done. The accomplishment of the goal and generated revenue are related to the conversion rate. The conversion rate also increases as one focuses on the growing purchases or organic traffic.
3) Analysis of the conversion metrics specific to organic traffic
Organic traffic is a useful KPI necessary to measure the conversion metrics. Its main purpose is to get as many leads as possible. Organic traffic is nothing but the website visits generated not through ads but from search results. Increasing organic traffic is possible by using the right keywords that rank high and the right and unique sentences. However, does organic traffic increase the conversion rate? That is a completely different topic. An increase in conversion rate is possible by analysing properly using Google Analytics.
4) Comparison of conversion performance across different periods
Comparing the conversion performance strictly depends on the contents an organisation publishes and the strategies used to build those contents. Of course, the first content would not be as effective as the later ones, but comparing the conversion performance based on the subscription and purchases is one way to get a clear perspective.
5) Evaluation of the user journey from organic traffic to conversion
A user does not become a potential lead after the first visit. It takes time, and most of all, it takes unique and appropriate content. A user becomes a substantial part of the conversion when he sees that content is efficient enough to impress and, of course, a good read. It may be visible in purchases, subscriptions and filled-out forms.
6) Examination of landing page performance, user engagement, and conversion actions
Every website generates traffic by offering various steps. The landing page comes first. The most people click on this, the more traffic it generates. The next step is to offer engaging content to the users. It is a way to engage the users in reading the content you serve, and when they get familiar and, most importantly, convinced with the content, the conversion rate starts increasing, which is the ultimate goal of an organisation.
7) Conversion funnel and recommendations for optimisation
Conversion rate through organic traffic is only possible if the content is unique and provides the required backlinks to click. If you find a high bounce rate, the content needs optimisation, which may include a list of things. From backlinks to using the right keywords, all these may be a part of the conversion rate.
D Landing Page Report
1) Analysis of the performance metrics of each landing page
A landing page is what users see when they first land on a website. But is clicking on a website enough to gain traffic? The answer is no. A user may click on the website and leave the site immediately after that. So, an online business owner is always keen on understanding whether the visits turn into clicks and then into conversions.
There are various ways to analyse the performance metrics of every landing page. For example, there are click-through rates, scroll depth, etc.
2) Evaluation of landing pages engagement metrics, such as scroll depth and click-through rates, to gauge user interaction and behaviour
Landing pages are the pages that come right after a user visits a website. But when users scroll through the website, how many clicks it gets or how many times users click on a link to read content are called landing page engagement metrics.
The more users interact with the landing page by clicking links or scrolling through it, the more traffic it generates, increasing the overall performance rate.
3) Identification of landing pages with low-performance metrics or high bounce rates, indicating potential areas for improvement
A high bounce rate means how often users come to the landing page after clicking on a website and leave without spending a minute. If the bounce rate is low, it indicates that the website is running well, even though it needs some changes. However, if the bounce rate is high, it indicates that the website needs some changes in certain areas.
4) Analysis of user behaviour on underperforming landing pages to understand pain points and optimise the user experience
Bounce rate and click-through rate are two performance metrics that create the impression of how well or not well a landing page is performing. If users visit but leave immediately after that, the bounce rate is high, and the website needs changes to be visible to users. Also, analyse the click-through rate. If it generates more traffic and is often clicked, then the website is working fine. Otherwise, it is time to understand the points the website needs to change and optimise it accordingly.
5) Recommendations for landing page optimisation
Before optimising the landing page, it is essential to understand where your page needs changes. For example, it should have an impressive appearance; it should contain some links for users to click, and, of course, those links should be interesting enough to gather people’s attention.
E Keyword Rankings
1) Definition and purpose of keyword ranking report
Keywords are one of the most essential things to consider while writing an SEO. Researching properly and deciding which keyword should be the primary and which should be the secondary one is essential for generating more traffic. That is why presenting a separate keyword ranking report in an SEO monthly report template is important. It offers a clear knowledge about which keywords are being used and how many times are being used, are those relevant or not. If they are not relevant, it’s time to change the tactic.
2) List and categorise the target keywords being tracked in the report
Providing a report with a list of keywords used in the published content helps the clients understand the progress more clearly. So, consider doing that if you want to gain efficiency in your field of work.
3) Present the current rankings of each keyword on search engine result pages (SERPs)
Search engine result pages (SERPs) give an accurate view of how a web page works. So, present the current ranking of each keyword used to analyse which are gaining more popularity.
4) Highlight any notable changes or fluctuations in keyword rankings compared to previous reporting periods
If any keyword is not working properly but has worked in the previous publications, then note those changes and analyse the possible changes Google Analytics may have brought. Based on those changes, use different keywords.
5) Explore factors influencing keyword rankings, such as search volume, competition, and algorithm updates, and their impact on SEO strategy
The usage of keywords or the popularity of the same may change faster than you can imagine. How much content are you offering, how often are the keywords being used on the internet, what are the possible changes that Google algorithm has made, and how are those changes impacting the SEO writing trends? All these influence the usage of the keyword. So, observe these first before researching the keywords for content or a series of content.
F Google Search Console
1) Importance of leveraging Google Search Console data to optimise website performance in organic search
Google Search Console is a way provided by Google to track how a particular website is performing and how much effort it needs to rank higher. It provides essential data to monitor website performance and improve search rankings. With its accurate data, Google Search Console is like a jackpot for publishers and online business owners.
2) Summary of the overall website performance in Google Search results
Google Search Console offers impressions, clicks, click-through rates and averages to track whether a website works fine or needs changes. It also involves search performance, request indexing of updated pages, internal and external links, and fixing the identified errors.
3) Key metrics and data, such as impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and average position
When working on an SEO reporting template, going through all the key metrics of gathering data is one of the first things to be done. Google Search Console offers impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and average position to analyse data.
- Impression: Impressions refer to the number of times a website appears while searching for something. If a user does not click a link to see the URL or a URL is placed at the bottom of the page and the user does not scroll down, it is an impression.
- Clicks: Clicks are metrics showing how often users click on a website to search for something. A high number of clicks is always considered steady growth.
- Click-through rate (CTR): CTR refers to a percentage showing how often users click on a website from the search result. A high CTR means the website is gaining traffic. However, low CTR means the website needs some necessary improvements.
4) Examination of the top search queries driving organic traffic to the website
Using Google Search Console, it is easy to get the data on how many times a website is being visited, how many changes it needs, etc. Analysing this can help understand the top searches, and observing why a particular search is gaining so much traffic can, in return, help the slow-running websites to gain more organic traffic than before.
5) Analysis of the pages that receive the most impressions and clicks in Google Search results
Impressions, clicks, and CTR are essential to analysing a website’s progress in Google Search Console. When analysing a website’s popularity, look at impressions and clicks. High impressions and clicks mean the website is running perfectly. On the contrary, low impressions and clicks mean it needs changes.
6) Identification of high-performing search queries and pages, as well as opportunities for optimisation or improvement
Google Search Console helps analyse the websites, whether they are performing well or need changes. The users will get to see how many times a website has been clicked, how often it has been clicked and if the progress is slow or fast through impressions, clicks, CTR, etc., which gives enough opportunity to understand where the website needs progress.
G Backlink Overview
1) Importance of analysing backlinks for SEO and website authority
Backlinks are also known as inbound links or incoming links, which refer to links from one website to a page on another website connected through an anchor text. Since Google and other search engines consider backlink votes relevant, increasing the quality of backlinks is important for increasing a website’s popularity.
2) Overview of the key components and metrics to include in a backlink overview report
A backlink is like voting from another website. The more a website finds your content’s information relevant, the more backlinks it gets, increasing the overall popularity. Suppose a backlink comes from a trusted website. In that case, if it includes target keywords and anchor text and if the site linking to the backlink is related to the website you offer, it can positively affect the overall popularity of the content.
3) Evaluation of the overall backlink profile of the website
While creating the SEO writing report, providing a good backlink list is also a great idea. It shows how relevant your content is and how much it is used to write other content.
4) Assessment of the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to the website
Analysing how often backlinks are being used and which type of backlinks are being used is also important. So, have a proper analysis of that before preparing your report.
5) Identification of top referring domains and their impact on the website’s authority and search engine rankings
Referring domains are websites that offer one or more backlinks to a website. If a backlink does not come from top referring domains, it is unfruitful because it impacts the popularity of a website’s search engine ranking. So, identifying the backlinks from top referring domains is one way to show immediate progress.
6) Examination of the anchor text used in backlinks to the website
It is not just which backlinks a content has; it is also which anchor texts are there that matter. The anchor text must be relevant to the backlinks an SEO expert is providing. While writing content, using the anchor text right is also essential for the success of a website.
III Introduction to Popular SEO Report Template
A. Identification of the key elements and sections that should be included in a comprehensive SEO report template
An SEO report template should be crisp and well-organised. It should offer an overview, some graphs showing the clicks, bounce rate, keyword ranking, clicks and impressions on the landing page, and of course, traffic and backlink data.
Some of the key elements that a good SEO report template should have are: title cards, highlights (offering a summary of SEO KPI, tasks completed during the SEO report-making period, tasks that require more attention and the tasks that have been completed properly), ranking progress, SEO KPIs overview, organic traffic progress, overview of money keywords ranking, backlink and link building progress, and an overview offering the performance of the technical SEO, and a quick list of the upcoming assignments.
To make things easy for you, Ahrefs offers a simple yet useful SEO template to give an idea about the ideal SEO template report. This template is both extensive as well as future-proof, that is, it has a section where businesses can add projections and goals for the following month.
B. Consideration of performance metrics, keyword analysis, traffic sources, and conversion data as essential components
While creating an SEO writing report, considering the current performance metrics based on the keyword usage, organic traffic generation, conversion report, backlinks usage, and clicks on the landing page should be at the top.
C. Example of an SEO report from popular tools, like Semrush, Ahrefs and SE Ranking and take key points from them with their report.
Semrush, Ahrefs and SE Ranking are considered the best SEO tools for generating SEO reports. Here are the key points offered by these three SEO report tools:
- Semrush: Semrush offers overview, metric charts, top page views, referrals, landing pages, campaigns, design categories, and many more. One of the key highlights of Semrush SEO report is that it also offers data comparing the new and the returning visitors.
- Ahrefs: An SEO report from Ahrefs contains data on backlinks, referring domains, organic keywords, organic traffic, traffic value. While its site audit offers project history, its keywords explorer, content explorer and rank tracker present a thorough report on the quality of the used keywords and the overall progress of the contents.
- SE Ranking: SE Ranking offers an SEO report in four parts: SEO report, ranking overview, a monthly report about ranking and traffic, and a thorough report on Traffic overview. All these parts are divided into different sections offering details about the recent progress about SEO.
IV Conclusion
An SEO report template contains a lot of things. It contains everything from a keyword ranking report to a landing page report. While hundreds of performance metrics determine the popularity of SEO content, only use those that can make the report fathomable and simple.
