By Hridoy Ahmed | Last updated: October 2026 | 7 min read
Short answer: A good monthly SEO report is short and answers four questions: what happened, why it happened, what we did and what we do next. Include organic clicks and impressions, top pages and queries, indexing and technical status, work completed, conversions and a plan for next month. Skip vanity numbers that do not help a decision.
In this guide
- Three rules for a report people read
- What to include
- A simple template
- What to leave out
- Where to get the data
- FAQ
Three rules for a report people read
- Start with a summary. Put the three most important points in the first lines. A busy owner may read nothing else.
- Explain the numbers. A chart without a reason is noise. Say why a metric moved, or say you do not know yet.
- End with actions. Every report should tell the reader what happens next.
What to include
1. Summary
Write three to five sentences. Cover the main result, the main problem and the main next step.
2. Search performance
Use Google Search Console. Report total clicks, impressions, average click-through rate and average position. Compare the month with the previous month and, where it fits, with the same month last year to account for seasonality. Search Console shows average position, not exact rankings.
3. Top pages and queries
List the pages and queries that gained and lost the most clicks. Add a short note on each big change.
4. Traffic and behavior
Use Google Analytics. Report organic sessions and engaged sessions, plus the landing pages that bring visitors. See my GA4 setup guide if you have not set it up yet.
5. Business results
Report leads, calls, form submissions or sales that came from organic search. Rankings and traffic matter only when they lead to business results. Track them as key events in GA4.
6. Indexing and technical health
Report pages indexed, pages excluded and the main errors from Search Console. Add issues you fixed, such as redirects, broken links, speed problems and schema errors.
7. Work completed
List what you published, updated or fixed. Be specific: page names, links built and changes made. Every project I run ends with a report like this, as part of my SEO and technical SEO service.
8. Links and mentions
List new links and brand mentions, and say whether each is relevant to your topic. Quality matters more than count.
9. Local and AI visibility (when relevant)
For local businesses, add Google Business Profile views, calls and direction requests. For AI search, add AI referral traffic you can see in analytics and a few manual checks of key questions. Measurement here is still rough, so label it honestly. See how to measure AI search visibility.
10. Next month’s plan
List three to five priorities in order, with a reason for each.
A simple template
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Summary | Three to five sentences: result, problem, next step |
| Search performance | Clicks, impressions, CTR and position vs last month |
| Top movers | Pages and queries that gained or lost the most |
| Traffic and results | Organic sessions, key events, leads |
| Technical health | Indexing status, errors found, errors fixed |
| Work done | Pages, fixes and links, one line each |
| Risks | Anything that could hurt next month |
| Next month | Three to five prioritized tasks |
What to leave out
- Metrics without a decision attached, such as a list of 200 keyword positions.
- Third-party scores like “authority” numbers shown as a success measure. They come from tools, not from Google.
- Promises. Reports state facts and plans, not guaranteed outcomes.
- Jargon. Write so the reader can act without a glossary.
Where to get the data
- Google Search Console for clicks, impressions, queries and indexing. Read my Search Console guide.
- Google Analytics 4 for sessions and key events.
- Bing Webmaster Tools for a second view. See my Bing setup guide.
- Google Business Profile for local performance.
- A rank tracker, if you use one, for chosen keywords.
FAQ
How often should I send an SEO report?
Monthly works for most sites. SEO changes take time, so weekly reports mostly show noise.
How long should an SEO report be?
Keep it to one or two pages of main content. Put long data tables in an appendix.
Which metrics matter most?
Organic clicks, key events and indexing health matter most. Rankings and impressions give context.
Should a report show a drop in traffic?
Yes. Show it, explain what you know and say what you will check. An honest report builds trust.
Can I use a free tool for reports?
Yes. Google Search Console and GA4 are free and give you the core data. Looker Studio can combine them in one dashboard.
Want clear reports that show what changed and what is next? Every project I run ends with one. See my SEO and technical SEO service.
About the author: Hridoy Ahmed is an SEO specialist and WordPress security expert based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has 8+ years of experience and works with clients worldwide.