SEO reporting that shows whether SEO is working
Most SEO reports are designed to look busy. A useful one answers a single question: is search bringing in more of the enquiries or sales you want?
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Quick answer
A useful SEO report leads with enquiries or sales from organic search, then shows the Google Search Console figures behind them (clicks, impressions and the queries driving them, split into branded and non-branded searches), the work done that month and what comes next. Rankings and traffic support the story; they aren't the result.
Key takeaways
- The headline number is organic enquiries or sales, tracked as key events in Google Analytics.
- Split branded from non-branded searches, or growth from your own name hides everything else.
- Search Console and Google Analytics measure different things, so their numbers never match.
- Search Console keeps only 16 months of data; export it if you want longer history.
The number that matters
Every report should start with organic enquiries or sales for the period, compared with the previous period and the same period last year. In Google Analytics these are key events: the events you've marked as particularly important to the business, such as a form submission or a purchase.
Check which events are marked as key events and what each one counts. A report built on page views of the contact page is measuring curiosity, not enquiries.
What a useful SEO report contains
| Section | What it shows | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | What changed, why, and what's next, in a few sentences | The person doing the work |
| Enquiries and sales | Organic key events against last period and last year | Google Analytics, checked against your records |
| Search performance | Clicks, impressions and position, branded and non-branded | Search Console |
| Top pages and queries | Which pages and searches drove the change | Search Console |
| Work done | What was changed, with dates | The work log |
| Next month | What will be done and what it's meant to achieve | The plan |
Reading Search Console numbers
| Metric | Google's definition | Common misreading |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks | The number of times a user clicked your site from Google Search results | Treating clicks as visitors who will all enquire |
| Impressions | How many times your site appeared in Search results | Celebrating impressions from searches nobody would buy from |
| Average CTR | The click count divided by the impression count | Comparing CTR across very different searches |
| Average position | The average position of the topmost result from your site | Reading it as your rank for one keyword |
Definitions from Google's Search Console Help. Average position falling isn't always bad: it often drops when a site starts appearing for many new searches lower down.
Why Search Console and Google Analytics never match
- Search Console counts Google Search only. Analytics' Organic Search channel also includes other search engines.
- Search Console counts clicks; Analytics counts sessions, which depend on cookies, consent and the page loading.
- Search Console assigns data to the canonical URL, so page figures can differ from Analytics' landing pages.
- Search Console keeps 16 months of data, and its newest data can be preliminary.
Sources: Google's help pages on the Analytics queries report and the default channel group.
Split branded from non-branded searches
- Open Search Console's performance reportSet the date range to compare.
- Add a query filterChoose "Queries not containing" and enter your business name and common misspellings.
- Compare periodsGrowth in non-branded clicks is growth SEO earned; branded searches mostly follow your reputation and advertising.
Leading indicators and when they expire
In the first months, impressions for target searches, newly indexed pages and pages moving towards page one are fair signs the work is heading the right way. After six months or so they should be turning into clicks and enquiries. A report still leading with leading indicators after a year is avoiding the question.
Metrics designed to look busy
| Metric | Why it misleads | Ask for instead |
|---|---|---|
| Domain authority or domain rating | A tool's own estimate; Google doesn't use it | Links earned to the pages that matter |
| Total keywords ranked | Mostly searches nobody buys from | Non-branded clicks to commercial pages |
| Rankings for hand-picked terms | Easy to choose terms that look good | Queries from Search Console, unfiltered |
| Number of tasks completed | Activity isn't impact | What each change was meant to achieve, and whether it did |
| Total organic traffic | Can rise on blog posts that never sell | Organic key events |
Questions to ask about your report
- Which enquiries came from organic search, and do they match what we received?
- How much of the growth is from people searching our name?
- What did you change, and which change do you think caused the movement?
- Do we own the Search Console, Analytics and Business Profile accounts, with admin access?
- What will you do next month, and what should it achieve?
How often to report
Monthly is enough for most businesses, with a longer review each quarter comparing against the same period last year. Weekly reports mostly show noise: search data fluctuates day to day and SEO changes take weeks to settle.
Common questions
How often should we get an SEO report?
Monthly, with a quarterly review against the same period last year. Weekly figures mostly show noise.
What should an SEO report contain?
Organic enquiries or sales first, then Search Console clicks and queries split into branded and non-branded, the work done with dates, and the plan for next month.
Why do Search Console and Google Analytics show different numbers?
Search Console counts clicks from Google Search only; Analytics counts sessions from all search engines and depends on cookies and consent. They're measuring different things.
What are key events in Google Analytics?
Events you mark as particularly important to your business, such as a form submission, call click or purchase. They're the right measure of SEO results.
How far back does Search Console data go?
Sixteen months. Export it regularly if you want longer comparisons.
Is domain authority a Google ranking metric?
No. It's an estimate made by an SEO tool, not something Google uses.
How do I check whether SEO is producing enquiries?
Compare organic key events in Google Analytics with the enquiries you actually received, and ask new customers how they found you.
Where to next
If you would rather have someone do this than read about it, the commercial page for this work is SEO management.
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