In this definitive guide, you’ll learn what to include in your SEO reports for clients, and how to create a winning SEO report template to boost client retention.<\/b><\/p>\n
Mirror, mirror, on the wall: What is the best SEO report template of them all?<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, the answer isn\u2019t so simple.<\/span><\/p>\n A one-size-fits-all \u201ctemplate\u201d doesn\u2019t really exist. Because different clients have different reporting needs.<\/span><\/p>\n When creating SEO reports for clients, you need to think about a few things at once:<\/span><\/p>\n Use this guide to help you create your own SEO reporting template for your clients.<\/span><\/p>\n (Bonus: Sign up for a 14-day free trial of ProRankTracker to start sending your clients in-depth white-labeled SEO reports.)<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n SEO reports are not just an added bonus for clients. <\/span>They\u2019re an essential part of client communication, and they can make or break your agency.<\/span><\/p>\n Always keep in mind that your clients probably don\u2019t know nearly as much about SEO as you do.<\/span><\/p>\n Sending SEO reports to clients helps bridge the knowledge gap between you and the client, keeping the client happy (and keeping you in business).<\/span><\/p>\n Specifically, there are 4 big reasons why you shouldn\u2019t dismiss SEO reporting as an afterthought for your agency.<\/span><\/p>\n You are well aware that you\u2019re doing good work for your client. But put yourself in their shoes.<\/span><\/p>\n They took a chance on hiring your agency, so they\u2019re probably constantly thinking:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs this agency doing anything for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n SEO reports answer that question with a conclusive YES.<\/span><\/p>\n Consistently following up with clients to show them the results you\u2019re getting them is an easy way to boost your client retention. It makes your company look good and greatly increases the chances that your clients will pass along a good word about your agency.<\/span><\/p>\n Once the client understands that you\u2019re improving their SEO performance, they\u2019ll want to know what you\u2019ve accomplished for them.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve set clear expectations, they shouldn\u2019t expect organic traffic to double overnight. (Setting expectations is vital for selling SEO.)<\/span><\/p>\n But they do expect something to happen every week, or at least every month \u2014 whether that\u2019s more productivity or results.<\/span><\/p>\n A properly automated SEO report can show them, at a glance, that everything is going according to plan while requiring little effort on your part.<\/span><\/p>\n Even without expansive SEO knowledge, they\u2019ll see that you\u2019re getting results of some sort <\/span>(everyone knows that green means good, after all!).<\/span><\/p>\n You can\u2019t afford to wait until you start generating substantial traffic and revenue to start sending out reports. In most cases, the client will drop you like a hot potato long before that happens because, as we\u2019ve previously mentioned, expectations need to be set, and clients need to be kept in the loop.<\/span><\/p>\n Imagine you order something online, and it shows up in a plain brown box.<\/span><\/p>\n Inside, the box contains just the item and some hastily thrown in bubble wrap.<\/span><\/p>\n Right off the bat, you\u2019re sketched out by the product, and by extension, the company that makes the product.<\/span><\/p>\n The best and most reputable companies put a lot of effort into presentation \u2014 even knowing that the presentation doesn\u2019t affect the product\u2019s quality.<\/span><\/p>\n For example, they use branded boxes and provide plenty of instructional and other supporting materials inside of the box.<\/span><\/p>\n Why go to all of this effort? Because presentation is key. It shapes the perception of the product.<\/span><\/p>\n In our search marketing world, SEO reports are a key piece of your presentation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In other words, your clients judge you heavily based on the reports you do (or don\u2019t) send.<\/span><\/p>\n With professional white-labeled SEO reports, you have the opportunity to thoroughly impress clients \u2014 even before you start getting significantly tangible results.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably heard it before:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Acquiring new clients <\/span>costs five times more<\/span><\/a> than retaining current ones, and 82% of customers in the US stop doing business with a brand if they aren\u2019t satisfied with the customer service. These 2 statistics make a strong case for you to focus on retention and customer satisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t send out reports, clients aren\u2019t going to be happy.<\/span><\/p>\n And an unhappy client isn\u2019t someone who sticks with your agency for years down the line.<\/span><\/p>\n But the inverse is also true.<\/span><\/p>\n With the right reporting structure and frequency, clients will be very happy with your work and appreciate the communication.<\/span><\/p>\n And a happy client is one who stays with you practically forever!<\/span><\/p>\n So overall, you should give full attention to your SEO reporting practices.<\/b><\/p>\n They affect your agency in a big way, even if they might seem like an afterthought to the more direct work you do.<\/span><\/p>\n When you go to buy a product, do you care about every feature of the product?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Sometimes.<\/span><\/i> But usually, there are only a few key features that are important to you.<\/span><\/p>\n Savvy companies do not overwhelm customers with features. Instead, they focus on the features that are most important to the customers.<\/span><\/p>\n The idea is the same when it comes to SEO reports for clients.<\/span><\/p>\n Rather than bombarding clients with every single detail and metric of their campaigns (<\/span>many of which they won\u2019t even understand<\/span><\/i>), focus on what they care about most.<\/span><\/p>\n So let\u2019s dive into the top 6\u00a0<\/span>SEO KPIs<\/span><\/a> that you should include in your SEO reporting templates.<\/span><\/p>\n At the end of the day, the client hired you to improve their rankings for their most important keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n So, when something happens regarding one of them, you want to let them know!<\/span><\/p>\n You should generally limit keyword reporting to the most important keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n Sending your clients the new positions of dozens or hundreds of long-tail keywords will lead only to confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n And, reporting on so many smaller keywords may drown out the results of the most important keywords\u00a0 \u2014 AKA, the ones the client cares about. And most likely, these will be the ones driving the conversions.<\/span><\/p>\n So how do you keep track of hundreds or thousands of keywords for your clients at once?<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s where a <\/span>rank-tracking tool<\/span><\/a> like ProRankTracker comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n ProRankTracker is an <\/span>agency rank tracker<\/span><\/a> that helps you keep track of all of your keywords across the top search engines like Google, YouTube, Bing, Yahoo, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n But the best part?<\/span><\/p>\n ProRankTracker will help you consolidate all of your rankings into a white-labeled report that you can send to your clients.<\/span><\/p>\n (More on the specific reports later\u2026)<\/span><\/p>\n And local SEO gets a bit more complex than regular SEO.<\/span><\/p>\n For local SEO clients, you\u2019ll need to be able to report results for local rankings, Snack Pack listings, and map listings.<\/span><\/p>\n Due to how the Google algorithm works, local SEO clients often have no idea where they stand in regard to local rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n Why? Because most of the time, they do not have the tools required to produce accurate assessments of local rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n For these clients, this is where a dynamic rank-tracking tool really comes in handy.<\/span><\/p>\n With <\/span>agency-level SEO software<\/span><\/a> like<\/span> ProRankTracker<\/span><\/a>, you can know exactly where your client stands in regard to local rankings and their Google Business Profile, which serves 2 purposes:<\/span><\/p>\n Traffic is key. Both you and the client know that.<\/span><\/p>\n Sending traffic reports is equally as important as sending ranking reports.<\/span><\/p>\n Traffic reports tell the clients two things:<\/span><\/p>\n Without informing the client of organic traffic increases, they might not be impressed with what you did for their rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m paying you [this much money] every month, and all you did was move me up one position? I want traffic and leads!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n You <\/span>never<\/span><\/i> want to hear anything along those lines from a client.<\/span><\/p>\n Providing detailed organic traffic reports will help prevent this sort of dissatisfaction in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n And if your client does indicate they are dissatisfied, you can instantly put them at ease by clearly showing them the traffic you got them.<\/span><\/p>\n Most of the time, clients don\u2019t inherently care about traffic, even if you got a client more traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n What they really care about is conversions because conversions usually mean leads, and leads turn into money.<\/span><\/p>\n They hired you to increase their profits, and conversions are the final step of that process.<\/span><\/p>\n Along with ranking and traffic reports, be sure to show the client the direct impact of your organic marketing efforts on their bottom line.<\/span><\/p>\n If you clearly show that it was your SEO campaign \u2014 and not other marketing methods \u2014 that led to conversions, they\u2019ll never want to leave you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
The Importance of Sending SEO Reports to Clients<\/b><\/h2>\n
Reason #1: You Need to Keep Clients in the Loop<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #2: You Need to Track the Results that Matter<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #3:\u00a0 Your Agency Should Look Professional<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #4: The Most Important Reason – Increase Client Retention<\/b><\/h3>\n
What Clients Want to See In Their SEO Reports \u2014 The Most Important 6 KPIs<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. Rankings of Their Most Important Keywords<\/b><\/h3>\n
2. Local Rankings (for Local SEO Clients)<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
3. Traffic<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
4. Conversions<\/b><\/h3>\n