With over half of Google searches now ending without a click, measuring and reporting effectively on organic performance is more crucial than ever.
SEO reporting often falls into the common trap of focusing too much on vanity metrics (think high-ranking low-volume keywords and traffic increases that aren’t backed up by conversion increases). Effective SEO reporting should focus on key performance metrics which are linked to recent SEO efforts and long-term business priorities.
Every SEO report should answer the following questions:
- What happened?
- Why did it happen?
- What are we going to do about this?
It should translate:
raw data -> insights -> actionable recommendations.
Keep reading for a more in-depth explanation of SEO reporting and why it’s linked directly to campaign performance and business growth.
Jump to section:
- Key Takeaways
- What is Effective SEO Reporting?
- SEO Attribution Basics
- How to Report on SEO Performance Properly
- Keyword Tracking in Context
- Avoiding Misleading SEO Metrics
- SEO Reporting Checklist
- Expert SEO Reporting From Wildcat Digital
Key Takeaways
- Every SEO report should answer three questions:
- What happened?
- Why did it happen?
- What should we do next?
- There are three main attribution models:
- First click
- Last click
- Data-Driven Attribution (Default in GA4)
- Keyword ranking data should be used to provide an early indication of how optimised content is performing, but should be combined with performance data for more valuable insights
- Be wary of falling into SEO reporting traps – focusing on metrics that look impressive but don’t drive business growth
What is Effective SEO Reporting?
Effective SEO reporting is the process of collecting, analysing, and presenting data to prove ROI, show campaign progress and deliver actionable insights. Rather than acting as a dumping ground for raw data, an SEO report should act as a collection of data-driven insights linked to performance, work undertaken and business priorities.
Complex metrics should be contextualised and compiled to provide a narrative overview of recent website performance – a good SEO report needs to include the why as well as the what. For example:
“Overall tracking has dipped slightly year-on-year, but the majority of this traffic loss is from informational rather than commercial content. Looking at the priority landing pages which we have optimised recently, traffic is actually up 42% year-on-year, and engagement rate has improved dramatically as well. Conversions are also up 24% year-on-year, building a very positive picture of overall website performance.”
However, an effective SEO report needs to go one step further than just the what and the why; it also needs to answer the question: what next? There is no point just providing insights; those insights need to be actionable and fed back into future roadmaps and campaign planning. For example:
“As we have now finished optimising all property landing pages, it’s now time to turn our attention to the shortfall between the increase in traffic to these and the number of conversions. We will complete an in-depth CRO review, focusing initially on identifying quick win opportunities to help improve the conversion rate and drive more revenue.”
SEO reporting needs to provide clarity to stakeholders and clearly showcase what is happening, why it is happening and what happens next.
Data vs Insights
Data is the raw information, and it should form the foundation of every SEO report. However, on its own, it tells us very little about campaign performance. It needs to be followed by insights and then actions. These next steps transform raw data into real meaning and provide a link between what is happening right now and next steps.
Insights provide the answer to So what?
Actions tell us, so what’s next?
| Metric | Data | Insight | Action |
| Organic Traffic | +15% | Growth driven by service page optimisations | Expand optimisation strategy |
| Conversions | -8% | Landing page conversion rate declined after redesign | Review UX and CRO |
| Rankings | +12 keywords in top 3 | New content is performing well in the SERPs | Create additional content targeting related terms |
SEO Attribution Basics
SEO attribution is the process of identifying and assigning which organic touchpoints have resulted in a conversion, such as a sale or contact form fill. This helps to connect your SEO efforts to measurable business outcomes.
How SEO Shapes the Customer Journey
Most users don’t convert the first time they visit a website. Instead, they might:
- Search for the answer to a specific question and land on your website by clicking on your blog post in the search results (either as an organic result or an AI Overview citation).
- Do some more research around the topic using an LLM such as ChatGPT and come across your brand name as a mention.
- Look for the specific service or product that you provide and land on your service page.
- Browse your website looking at reviews, case studies and other trust signals, but not yet making a purchase.
- Search again for what you offer, but this time visit a competitor’s website instead, comparing prices, features and benefits.
- Visit your website again by typing in your brand name into the search bar and reading more about your product or service.
- Click a retargeting ad whilst browsing elsewhere online or on social media, and finally complete a purchase.
This purchase has been driven by SEO (blog strategy, keyword research and targeting), GEO (content optimised for LLMs) and CRO (strong trust signals and clear CTAs) efforts, despite the final click and actual purchase coming through an ad. Different attribution models will assign this conversion differently. Below we look at some of the most common attribution models and how these are utilised in GA4.
Common Attribution Models
- First-Touch: Gives all the conversion credit to the very first page the user interacted with – in the example above, the conversion would be attributed to organic. In GA4’s User Acquisition Report, first-touch attribution is used.
- Last-Touch: Gives all the conversion credit to the final channel the user interacted with right before converting – in the example above, the conversion would be attributed to paid. In GA4’s Traffic Acquisition Report, Last Non-Direct Click is used as an attribution model, attributing conversions to the last visit that wasn’t a direct visit.
- Data-Driven Attribution (Default in GA4): This uses machine learning to distribute conversion credit across all marketing touchpoints. Fractional conversion credit is assigned based on past data and machine learning, so for the above example, the credit would be shared between organic, direct and paid.
Learn more about attribution in our blog, ‘How GA4 Attributes Traffic to Different Channels’.
How to Report on SEO Performance Properly
Effectively reporting on SEO performance involves connecting organic search performance with revenue, sales and business priorities.
Here are Wildcat Digital’s three top tips for reporting on SEO performance:
- Select the most important metrics (4-8) to showcase and ensure they link to either recent work undertaken and/or business goals.
- Utilise both month-on-month and year-on-year data, so you can effectively spot the impact of recent efforts and comment on long-term campaign growth.
- Include GA4, GSC and keyword ranking data to provide a comprehensive overview of performance and make links between different data sources to tell a more compelling story.
A Simple SEO Reporting Framework
A strong SEO report typically follows this structure:
Executive Summary:
- Key wins
- Key challenges
- Recommended actions
Performance Overview:
- Traffic
- Conversions
- Revenue/leads
- Visibility and keyword rankings
Key Insights:
- What drove performance changes
- Opportunities identified
- Risks emerging
Actions and Recommendations:
- Priority tasks
- Expected impact
- Next steps
Read more in our guide, ‘SEO Reporting: What to Track and How to Explain It’.
Keyword Tracking in Context
When it comes to SEO, keyword rankings are a crucial metric, but they should not be the primary or sole KPI.
Effective keyword tracking helps you:
- Understand if recent optimisations match search intent and the keyword targeting is working.
- Quickly diagnose drops in visibility and pinpoint which pages have fallen in the rankings, helping to guide your content optimisation strategy.
- Identify quick win opportunities, such as pages ranking just outside of page 1, that will provide you with the biggest return on your SEO efforts.
However, keyword tracking should be combined with performance data for the most effective SEO reporting. For example:
“Our optimised service page is now ranking in position 5, up 16 places. Session starts have increased by 9% and engagement rate by 19%, indicating improved search visibility and traffic quality. While conversions remain unchanged month-on-month, further optimisation to secure a top-three ranking should help drive additional traffic and conversions.”
Mentioning keyword ranking improvements Learn more about keyword tracking in our blog, ‘How Do I Track My Keyword Positions on Google?’.
Avoiding Misleading SEO Metrics
Not all SEO metrics provide meaningful insights. Effective reporting prioritises metrics that support business objectives, rather than solely relying on vanity metrics, which may look impressive, but don’t deliver any insight into meaningful actions.
Common SEO Reporting Traps
- Traffic Without Conversions – An increase in traffic is always positive, but it only delivers business value if visitors take meaningful actions. Always assess traffic alongside conversion data. If the traffic increase is due to the performance of informational pages, this should be assessed alongside other metrics, such as domain authority, total keyword rankings, wider keyword performance and engagement rate.
- Keyword Averages Hiding Drops – Solely reporting on average keyword ranking positions can mask significant declines for high-value keywords. For example, if overall keyword visibility is up, but there have been several significant drops for priority commercial terms, this doesn’t necessarily indicate strong performance. Review performance at both page and keyword level to identify underlying trends.
- Vanity Rankings – Strong rankings for informational or low-volume keywords may look impressive, but contribute very little to business growth. Prioritise commercial rankings that drive qualified traffic, leads, and revenue rather than reporting rankings for their own sake.
- Year-on-Year Growth Without Context – Strong year-on-year improvements can be misleading if performance was unusually poor during the comparison period. Consider seasonality, market changes and recent activity when interpreting trends.
SEO Reporting Checklist
An effective SEO report should include:
Expert SEO Reporting From Wildcat Digital
At Wildcat, our team are experts in delivering data-backed SEO campaigns, supported by monthly SEO report summaries and interactive dashboards. Each report is tailored to your unique business priorities and focuses on the what, the why and a clear outline of the next steps. Informed SEO reporting and recommendations are the backbone of good decision-making, campaign progress and long-term growth.
Contact our team to learn more about how we can help your business make data-driven decisions.
Kezia Humphries
SEO Executive
