SEO activity reporting: the 2024 guide

An important part of a strong SEO strategy has to do with reporting SEO performance . An SEO report provides insight into how a website is performing on KPIs. The report provides clear insight about what is working well and where there is room for improvement or change.

Current measurement of an SEO strategy ensures that it can be adjusted quickly if needed. Iteration within SEO is always important. In this article, I tell you more about it.

1. What are KPIs that you report SEO activities on?

There are a number of important KPIs to include in the SEO report:

1. position of the most important keywords;
2. position of all keywords (average position of the domain);
3. Organic traffic (sitewide or from key keywords);
4. average CTR (sitewide or from key keywords);
5. Number of impressions in Google (sitewide mostly);
6. conversions from key keywords (SEO);
7. conversions from SEO (sitewide);
8. Quality of traffic from SEO (sitewide).

In doing so, I would always go for non-branded traffic and report branded SEO traffic separately. After all, that is not what you are hired to improve for; this has more to do with an organization’s name recognition.

1.1 What useful tools can you use to track KPIs for SEO?

KPIs for SEO are best tracked in a handy tool made specifically for this type of reporting. Several tools can be found in which the above KPIs can be easily tracked. Here is a list of some of the most popular tools:

1. Ahrefs: Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO tool. Here it is possible to keep track of all KPIs clearly. In addition, Ahrefs is able to provide a detailed report of keyword positions, search traffic insights and competitor insights.(2)

2. SEMrush: SEMrush is also considered an all-in-one SEO tool. This tool is also capable of keeping track of all the above-mentioned points in a report. In addition, it offers the ability to compare the position of keywords with competitors.(3)

3. Google Search Console: This is a handy free tool to use. This tool analyzes and reports all performance that occurs on Google’s search engine. It offers the ability to provide insights into organic traffic, click-through rates, keyword positions and more. It also offers a handy tool that provides indexing information for the website, making it easier to see if there are any specific problems.(4)

4. Google Analytics: Google Analytics is also a free tool from Google. This tool provides assistance in measuring and analyzing a website’s traffic. Organic traffic, conversion rate and detailed reports on bounce rate by keyword, page or traffic source are all measured in this tool.(5)

5. Google Tag Manager: and also Google Tag Manager is a free tool from Google. It can be used specifically to manage tracking codes and tags on the website.(6).

6. Moz Pro: Moz Pro is a reliable tool for keeping track of SEO reports. In addition to the keyword-position tracker, it also offers other features. Page reports, crawl reports and competitive analysis are some of these.

7. Rank Tracker from SEO PowerSuite: Rank Tracker is a handy tool from SEO Powersuite. In this program it is possible to track the keyword positions of different search engines. For example, specific reports are created for Bing, Google or Yahoo that can be analyzed on their own, as well as compared to each other.

8. SimilarWeb: in SimilarWeb, it allows for easy visibility of organic traffic. It also incorporates various traffic sources. For example, sources such as social media, paid searches and referrals are also taken into account. In this tool it is also possible to make competitive analyses or generate current industry trends.
9. Screaming Frog: Screaming Frog is also a useful tool for checking the indexing of a Web site.

Personally, I use (when talking about SEO reporting) Ahrefs, the Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4.

2. To whom is the progress of an SEO project usually reported?

Some of this has to do with the structure of an organization or project. Think about everyone (and also the role that person has within the company) in terms of what is a comfortable way to report. The CEO often wants to hear a little less about the details of a project than the company’s marketer.

1. CEO/higher management: Talk about conversions and revenue from SEO.
2. Marketing manager: Talk about MQLs, conversions and keywords. Adding a little touch of detail to these conversations is always OK.
3. Marketer: Talk more about the details of the project and what needs to be done.

See also though the table below:

2.1 How do you make sure the report is tailored to the target audience?

The way a report is presented depends in part on the audience you are presenting it to. I would like to explain some tips that indicate how the communication of reporting is most effectively presented to the target audience.

1. Keep it concise: especially when presenting to managers or supervisors, it is important to keep it as concise as possible. They often have limited time in their schedules, so they appreciate when points or findings are presented as clearly and concisely as possible.

2. Be clear: An SEO report is filled with specific numbers, tables and charts. Use this measurable information to convey points clearly. Especially for internal teams and external partners, it is important to make this detailed information as clearly visible as possible. That way, everyone can do their jobs to the best of their ability.

3. Provide enough context: keep in mind that not everyone always understands the context of SEO projects. So make sure a presentation tells enough context. For example, what is the objective of the project, what is the strategy used, what are the results of this strategy, and then what are the conclusions or areas for improvement for the next round?

4. Use visual elements: certainly don’t be afraid to use visual elements in a presentation. It is common knowledge that one can concentrate better on a presentation full of tables, numbers and graphs when presented visually. So be sure to use this to make complex information as easy to understand as possible.

5. The use of language: who is being presented to? Tune language to this target audience. For example, a client is more focused on the results, while an internal team is eager to know the fine details of the project. Using the right language, the target audience is included and convinced of the story and findings.

3. Are there differences in reporting for a large or small company?

It makes a difference whether SEO reporting is done for a large or a small business. I would like to tell you more about exactly what these differences are:

1. Size of the project: a large company often has a larger website and more products or service. Also, there are often many more people involved in the project and thus more teams or departments that reports need to be presented to. This means that the SEO project is a lot bigger than if it involves a small-scale website.

2. Stakeholder involvement: as already briefly mentioned, often a larger company has more stakeholders or interested parties in the SEO project. This requires reporting to the supervisor, managers, external teams or external partners. These reports should be customized for each target group. A smaller company often has fewer stakeholders in the project, which means reporting and preparing this report takes less time.

3. Complexity of organizational structure: another point to consider is the organizational structure. A larger company often has a more complex structure, requiring reports to pass several layers before official decisions can be made. In a smaller company, the organizational structure is a lot less complex and, for example, findings are presented directly to the “head” of the project. This often results in quicker decisions and action.

4. Resources and budget: a company of a larger scale often has a larger budget to spend on SEO. This means a team can put more time and money into working, analyzing and improving SEO results. In the case of a smaller project or one with a smaller budget, there is simply less time and money to create as comprehensive a report as possible, which sometimes makes it more difficult to optimize SEO.

In general, it can be assumed that reporting to small companies has a focus on telling the insights and making the findings clear, whereas reporting to a larger company involves more complexity, budgeting and preparation.

4. Make use of a dashboard

A dashboard is a page where all the important data is summarized and visualized. The dashboard ensures that there is always a handy overview to be found where all of the SEO project’s achievements can be found. In the dashboard, a variety of different tools may be used. Consider a graph, table, diagram, or otherwise. All of these separate elements provide a quick overview into the results of key KPIs.

The purpose of the dashboard is to put various data all together. For example, a table is visible about the sales data, but on the same dashboard there is also a chart about the financial data, the 5 most important keywords or a map with number of visitors by country.

The purpose of a dashboard is to simplify data analysis and make it quicker to access. This allows the team to identify trends, take action and make decisions. Also, the dashboard is efficient to use in monitoring performance.

4.1 Getting started creating a dashboard in Looker Studio

Looker Studio is a good example of a platform that integrates all the different tools into one clear dashboard page. Herewith my roadmap:

1. Identify key KPIs: identify which KPIs are important to have in the SEO dashboard? Consider conversion rates, keyword ranking or organic traffic, for example.

2. Connect to data sources: next, connect to the various data sources. Is CRM used in the company or during the SEO project was Google Analytics used for analysis? Then connect these data sources to the SEO dashboard.

3. Design the dashboard: once all KPIs are integrated, it’s time to organize them on the dashboard. Looker Studio automatically processes information into a table, chart or other desired form of visualization. Thus, a clear dashboard is designed

4. Integrate data sources: to ensure that the dashboard works optimally, it is important to ensure that data from all data sources is continuously updated.

5. Make the dashboard interactive: the dashboard can be made interactive, which helps to filter the dashboard to the user’s desired data. For example, it is possible to filter the data by time, geographic location or different dimensions.

6. Test and optimize: after everything is integrated, it’s time to test the dashboard. Do this by simply using it with the whole team. Then solicit feedback to see if there are areas for improvement that will make the dashboard even more optimal and user-friendly within the organization.

4.2 What SEO tools can be integrated into Looker Studio?

Below is an overview of the tools and the KPIs you can report on with them:

I want to explicitly mention that this is not an exhaustive list of all the KPIs that these tools can report. It does, however, give you a good idea of the types of data each of these tools can give you.

How long does it take to get SEO results?

How long does it take to get results with SEO? SEO results are not immediate and require patience and constant effort. For smaller to medium-sized websites, the first signs of progress, such as an improvement in search engine rankings or an increase in organic traffic, can sometimes be seen within as little as 3 to 6 months.

This depends on several factors, including the competitiveness of the market and the effectiveness of the SEO strategies implemented. It is important to have realistic expectations and recognize that SEO is a long-term investment.

For larger websites or those in highly competitive industries, significant results can take longer, often from 6 months to a year or even longer. SEO is a continuous process that requires adaptation and consistency.

Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, which means that strategies need to be evaluated and adjusted regularly. Long-term success depends on a commitment to quality content, technical optimization, and building a strong online presence.

Summary

Reporting in the field of SEO can be complex because it sometimes appears abstract. Be clear in what you did for work and what was the objective prior to the project and whether it was achieved or not. From there you have a nice baseline to establish good contact with management. Good luck!