SEO Reporting for Agencies (With Examples)

Ever felt like your SEO reports are just... not doing the job? You send them. Clients glance at them. Then nothing happens. No questions. No real excitement. Just silence.

That’s a problem.

Because SEO isn’t just about rankings. It’s about showing real results. Clear wins. Progress that clients can actually see. And here’s the truth: over 70% of clients say they don’t fully understand the SEO reports they get. That’s a huge disconnect.

If your agency is putting in hours of hard work—but your reports don’t tell that story—something’s broken. And broken reporting can lead to churn. Fast.

But don’t worry. You can fix it.

This guide breaks down how to build SEO reports for agencies that actually make sense. We’ll show what to include, how to explain results without the fluff, and real examples you can use today.

Let’s make reporting simple, honest, and powerful.

What Is SEO Reporting?

SEO reporting for agencies means showing clients how their websites are performing in search engines. It’s not just a list of rankings or numbers. It’s a clear, honest way to explain what’s working, what’s not, and where things are headed.

In simple words, an SEO report is like a health check for a website. It tracks traffic, keyword rankings, backlinks, conversions, and more. But in an agency context, it goes deeper. You’re not just reporting for yourself—you’re reporting for clients who may not speak SEO. So, the reports need to be clear, smart, and easy to understand.

Now, why does this matter?

Because clients don’t just want results. They want to see the results. Client SEO reporting helps show the value of your work. It builds trust. And yes—it keeps clients around.

A solid SEO report, backed with clean SEO dashboards and smart visuals, can often speak louder than a phone call.

Plus, when your monthly SEO reports tell a clear story, clients feel confident. They know you’ve got it under control. And that’s what makes them stay.

Good reporting doesn’t just inform. It impresses.

Key Elements of an Effective SEO Report

An SEO report isn't just a data dump. It should tell a story. A clear, honest story about what’s going on with a client’s website—and what comes next. Whether you're building custom SEO report templates or using advanced SEO dashboards, these are the must-have parts every solid report should include.

Executive Summary

Start with a short summary. Nothing fancy. Just the main wins, losses, and next steps. It’s for busy clients who don’t want to read everything. A well-written executive summary gives them a quick view of how things are going without needing to scroll too far. It's the hook that shows your agency knows what it's doing.

Organic Traffic Data

This is the heartbeat of most SEO reporting for agencies. How much traffic came from Google? Is it going up, staying flat, or falling off? Go beyond the numbers—explain what caused the change. A new blog post doing well? A ranking drop from a Google update? Clients don’t just want graphs—they want context.

Keyword Rankings

Clients always ask about this. So show them which keywords are moving up and which ones are not. But again, don’t just show numbers. Tie rankings to actual goals. If a keyword climbed but didn’t bring traffic, is it really a win? Break it down simply. That’s what sets great client SEO reporting apart from average.

Backlinks and Domain Authority

Link building is a long game, and it’s hard for clients to see progress. But with good reporting, you can show how many backlinks were gained, what quality they are, and how they may impact authority over time. Also, if a drop happens—point it out early. That builds trust.

Technical SEO Insights

Technical SEO often gets skipped or watered down. Don’t let that happen. Use your monthly SEO reports to flag technical issues—like slow page speeds, broken links, or mobile usability problems. But explain them in plain English. Not all clients know what “crawlability” means, and honestly, they shouldn’t have to.

Top-Performing Content

Showcase what’s working. What blog or product pages pulled in the most traffic or leads? Highlight it. Use visuals if possible. When clients see content bringing in results, they’re more open to creating more of it.

Actionable Recommendations

This is the “what now?” part. Every report should end with next steps. Be specific. Want to target a new keyword? Improve page speed? Clean up old pages? Spell it out. This helps guide the next month—and makes your SEO performance metrics feel more real.

How to Create a Good SEO Report?

Creating a good SEO report isn’t about dumping a bunch of numbers on a page. It’s about communication. Clear, simple, honest communication. When done right, a good SEO report can show your value, build trust, and keep clients coming back month after month.

So how do you do that? Let’s break it down step by step.

1. ‍Know Your Audience

Before anything else, ask yourself: who’s going to read this? Is it a marketing manager who knows SEO? Or a business owner who’s never heard of a backlink?

The tone, the depth, and even what you include in your SEO reporting for agencies should change depending on who’s reading it. Tailor your report to match their knowledge. If they’re beginners, avoid buzzwords. If they’re experts, show the data behind your decisions.

‍2. Start with an Executive Summary

Begin with a short and simple summary. Keep it to one page, or less. Mention the key wins—maybe organic traffic went up. Or a few important keywords hit page one.

If something went wrong, include that too. Honesty builds trust.

Good SEO report templates always start strong. If the client reads nothing else, they should still understand how the month went by reading just this part.

‍3. Use SEO Dashboards for Visuals

A picture says a lot. Use graphs and charts to show progress. No one wants to read paragraphs full of numbers.

Dashboards help break up text and make SEO performance metrics easier to understand. For example, a line chart showing traffic over time makes the trend obvious. No guessing needed.

Tools like Google Looker Studio or AgencyAnalytics can help build custom SEO dashboards that pull real-time data from different sources like Google Analytics, Search Console, and Ettvi.

‍4. Focus on Key Metrics (Not All of Them)

A common mistake? Throwing in every metric you can find. Just because it exists doesn’t mean it belongs in the report.

Stick to the most important stuff:

• Organic traffic
• Keyword rankings
• Backlinks
• Top landing pages
• Conversions (if tracked)
• Technical issues

Keep your monthly SEO reports tight. Clients don’t need a 25-page spreadsheet—they need a story. A story backed by data.

5. Add Context, Not Just Data

Data without context is confusing. If traffic dropped 15%, explain why. Maybe Google had a core update. Maybe a key blog lost ranking. Don’t make your client play detective.

If keyword rankings improved, mention which ones and how that ties back to business goals.

This is where client SEO reporting stands out. You’re not just showing results—you’re helping clients understand what they mean.

‍6. Highlight What’s Working

Always celebrate wins. If a blog post went viral or a new backlink came from a high-authority site, mention it.

Show your top-performing content and explain why it worked. Maybe it had better keyword targeting. Or it was shared more on social media. Highlighting success helps justify your strategy and encourages clients to keep investing.

‍7. Talk About Problems Too

Things won’t always go well—and that’s okay. What matters is that you point it out and have a plan.

Is a technical issue hurting crawlability? Say so. Did rankings drop for a few keywords? Mention that, along with what you’re doing to fix it.

Further Read: What is Crawl Budget? How to Save it and Solve Indexing Problem

Clients appreciate honesty. It proves you’re watching things closely and that you're proactive, not reactive.

‍8. Give Actionable Recommendations

Every good report should end with the next steps. Clear. Specific. Actionable.

Should they publish new blog content targeting “near me” searches? Do they need to fix a slow-loading homepage? Should they build more local backlinks?

Break down the action plan for the next month. This part adds real value to your SEO reporting for agencies. It tells the client what you’re doing—and why it matters.

‍9. Keep It Easy to Read

Here’s the truth: most clients won’t read the whole report. So make it skimmable.

Use headers. Bullet points. Short paragraphs. Clean visuals.

Avoid jargon like “semantic keyword clustering” unless your client lives and breathes SEO. Say things like “We grouped similar search terms to target better.” Keep it simple.

Use tools like the Hemingway app to check your readability. Aim for Grade 8 or below. The easier it is to read, the better it will land.

‍10. Deliver Reports Consistently

This sounds simple, but many agencies struggle here.

Set a schedule for your monthly SEO reports—whether it’s the first Monday of every month or the last Friday. Stick to it.

When clients know when to expect their reports, it shows you’re organized and reliable. That alone builds trust.

‍Of course! Here's a 500-word section written in your requested tone and structure:

SEO Reporting Templates (With Examples)

Let’s be honest—building SEO reports from scratch every time can be exhausting. That’s why templates are a lifesaver. They help save time, keep things consistent, and make sure you never forget important data. Plus, when you’re working with multiple clients, using organized SEO report templates just makes everything smoother.

Here are three types of templates every agency should have on hand.

Monthly SEO Report Template

A monthly SEO report is probably what you send the most. It keeps clients updated on progress, wins, and what’s coming next.

Here’s what a simple monthly SEO report template should include:

• Executive summary (top wins, key concerns)
• Organic traffic overview
• Keyword ranking changes (top gains, losses)
• Backlink profile summary
• Top-performing content
• Technical health check (brief)
• Action items for the next month

Example:

Download SEO Monthly Report Template: 

Let’s say you’re reporting for a local law firm. Your report might show that their blog on “personal injury claim steps” jumped to position 3 on Google, bringing in 120 new users. You’d also show a steady rise in backlinks from local directories and flag a slow-loading contact page as something to fix.

This kind of monthly SEO report tells a story. One the client can understand without asking, “What does that mean?”

‍Client Dashboard Example

Sometimes, clients want real-time updates. That’s where dashboards come in.

Instead of emailing a PDF, you can build a live SEO dashboard using tools like Google Looker Studio or AgencyAnalytics. These pull in real-time data from sources like Google Analytics, Search Console, and more.

What’s great about dashboards is that they’re interactive. A client can click through to see their keyword rankings, filter traffic by device, or even compare month-over-month growth.

Example:

For an eCommerce store, your client dashboard might show:

• Traffic by product pages
• Top referring backlinks
• Conversion rate from organic traffic
• Keyword positions for commercial terms

This kind of client SEO reporting gives clients a window into their site’s performance—whenever they want. No waiting for the end of the month.

Conclusion

Best SEO reporting isn’t just about numbers—it’s about communication. When your reports are clear, honest, and easy to understand, you build trust. And trust is what keeps clients around.

Using structured SEO report templates, real-time dashboards, and monthly SEO reports makes life easier for your agency—and your clients. When you include the right SEO performance metrics and explain what they mean, clients stay informed and confident in your work.

But most importantly, always focus on delivering value. Celebrate wins, own the setbacks, and provide actionable steps every time. That’s what separates good SEO reporting for agencies from the rest.

At the end of the day, your report is more than a document. It’s proof of progress, a guide for improvement, and a reflection of your agency’s expertise.

Make it count—every single month.