A good SEO report tells you what search has actually done for your business. That's enquiries from organic search, how you show up for local searches, which pages bring people in, and what people did on your Google Business Profile. And it says what didn't work and what happens next.
If you've ever opened an SEO report and thought "so what?", that's the report's fault, not yours. A report that shows only rankings, traffic and a wall of charts can't tell you whether SEO is paying for itself. Here's what to look for, which numbers to ignore, and what to ask whoever runs yours.
In plain English: SEO (search engine optimisation) means improving your website and online listings so they show up when people search on Google. Organic results are the unpaid ones, so you don't pay per click.
What a useful report contains
Enquiries from organic search
Look for one number first: how many calls, forms and messages came from unpaid search. Every other number is a step towards that one. If the report can't show enquiries, ask why not.
How I trace a phone call back to search:
Local visibility
If your business is local, showing up for searches near you matters more than a ranking on some national list. A good report shows how you appear for the searches your customers use, in the suburbs you serve. Results vary by person and place, so treat any single position as a rough guide.
Pages that perform
A good report names the pages that bring in enquiries, and the pages that get visits but no action. That tells you what to fix. A page nobody visits is a different problem from a page everybody leaves.
A page that earned its keep:
Google Business Profile actions
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that shows on Google Search and Maps, with your hours, reviews and phone number. A good report shows the actions people took, such as calls, direction requests, website clicks and messages, where Google provides them. Views alone don't pay the bills.
Honest commentary
Numbers need a person to explain them. A good report says what went up, what dropped, why (as far as anyone can tell), what was done about it, and what comes next.
It admits when something didn't work. My reports show the bad numbers as well as the good.
Search results take time and can bounce around. So a good report also says how long to wait before judging a change.
How I explain a bad month:
How my reports work:
Vanity metrics to ignore
Some numbers look good and tell you very little. Don't let these impress you:
- Impressions on their own. They count how often your site appeared. They don't count the people who clicked or called.
- Total website visits. Visitors who can't use your service, such as people outside your area, don't help.
- Rankings for your own business name. Ranking first for your own name isn't an achievement. The people searching it already know you.
- Rankings for searches no one buys from. A top spot for a phrase that brings no customers is a nice screenshot and nothing more.
- Third-party authority scores. These are estimates made by outside companies. They're not numbers Google gives you.
- Lists of tasks done. Activity isn't results. A long list can hide a flat month.
Honest note: SEO is slow and only partly in anyone's control. Rankings shift, Google changes how it works, and a good month can be followed by a flat one. A report can show effort and direction, but it can't promise a result. If anyone says otherwise, ask how they know.
Questions to ask whoever runs your SEO
A lot of the data behind a report comes free from Google. Google Search Console is its free report on how your site shows up in search, and your Business Profile has its own figures.
You should be able to see all of it yourself, and you should own it. Try these questions:
- "Can I see the enquiries that came from search, month by month?"
- "Where does each number come from, and can I check it in my own Google Search Console and Business Profile?"
- "Which of these numbers could drop next month, and why?"
- "What did you do last month, and what did it change?"
- "How long before you'd expect a change, and what would tell me it isn't working?"
- "What can't you measure?"
If whoever does your SEO keeps the logins and reports to themselves, have a look at my list of red flags in agency pitches.
Where to go next
If you'd like to see how I approach it, read about SEO for small businesses.
If it looks like a fit, let's chat. I read every message myself and reply .