This post was sponsored by STAT Search Analytics. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the sponsor.
Want to know how to increase your SEO budget in 2024?
Looking to build a more robust SEO strategy with multiple levels of buy-in with your team?
The answer lies in a good SEO report.
A clear SEO report is key to demonstrating value, impressing your boss, and keeping your stakeholders happy.
We know reporting isn't the most exciting part of an SEO job, but whether you like it or not, and no matter how talented you are as a search professional, effective SEO reporting is It can make a difference.
- Retain clients.
- Secure more budget.
- Hook that promotion.
As you have no doubt learned in your previous positions, SEO cannot exist on its own.
Your SEO strategy will yield better results if it is supported by other teams, such as those responsible for content creation and site changes.
Realizing its full potential requires buy-in and prioritization at various levels of the organization. So, even if creating a report can feel especially painful, try to think of it as a necessary tool to achieve a top-performing SEO strategy. Possible.
The essence of effective reporting is effective communication.
How to create a good, practical and effective SEO report
In the world of SEO, being able to extract large amounts of nuanced search and keyword data in an easy way is essential to success.
It's worth the effort to take the time at the outset to clarify priorities and set expectations at the beginning of any reporting relationship (be it with colleagues, customers, internal stakeholders, executives, etc.).
Here's how to get your reports right and ensure stakeholder satisfaction.
- Demonstrate success.
- Drive strategic optimization.
- Pinpoint the impact on your bottom line.
- Trust in the building.
- Communicate value.
1. Tailor your report to your target audience
Difficult terminology, unnecessary information, or excessively vague details can quickly turn potential buy-in into dissatisfaction or downright confusion.
To avoid this, the content of your report must be thoroughly tailored to the audience that will receive it.
What each report should include
Reporting to senior management Like CMOs, they need to report more comprehensive findings at a higher level and always connect metrics to revenue and ROI.
When reporting to an individual posterYou can get even more detailed information down to the level of individual keyword reports.
Make sure the KPIs you're measuring accurately reflect results and progress toward the goals that are most important to you and those receiving your reports.
Take the time to discuss what each metric means and make sure your stakeholders understand the context and why you need the KPIs they report on.
2. Avoid reporting on vanity metrics
Let's talk about KPIs. do not have What the report does.
You've probably heard about the dangers of vanity indicators. That is, it relies on surface-level measurements. Surface-level measurements may seem impressive at first glance, but they don't capture the big picture or can be taken out of context and exaggerate wins and recognition. Importance.
These buzzwords and clickbait metrics may look good on the surface or in a single report, but if the circumstances don't quite add up, they can get you into trouble down the line, cause confusion, and undermine trust. may be damaged.
what to do instead
The key to effective reporting is to accurately and clearly communicate the results of your work. This transparency helps build trust with stakeholders and foster continued buy-in going forward.
For example, resist the temptation to overemphasize keyword ranking wins. There's no need to celebrate if you get the first organic result for a query with no search volume.
By making sure your boss or customer understands the metrics you're reporting in the proper context, you can establish a strong strategic partnership.
3. Speak smartly
setting Sspecific Mmeasurable aachievable RElegant Time bound goals (SMART) with stakeholders help establish reporting relationships for success.
Not only will you ensure that you're setting clear expectations, you'll also be able to measure and clarify your progress towards achieving those goals and demonstrate the value of your work.
How SMART SEO reports convey value
Be smart about how you communicate. It greatly affects the value of your work.
The following example from the excellent Kameron Jenkins illustrates the difference between simply stating a fact and conveying a value.
Although each statement is based on the same data, the way the data is conveyed can have a very different impact.
Credit: Kameron Jenkins Moz — High-impact SEO reports for agencies
4. Remind the audience of the long game
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.
This is important wisdom to share with stakeholders.
Additionally, marathons do not have a predefined finish line. In fact, a marathon has no finish line at all.
Successful SEO is about making continuous improvements and leveraging your results for continued profit.
Set realistic SEO goals and make it clear that your goal is to show steady progress and gradually build momentum toward a stronger organic presence that will pay long-term, sustainable dividends well into the future. That is important.
5. Weave a compelling story
At STAT, we call ourselves data nerds, but the data itself can be difficult to understand and can seem confusing to those not involved in SEO.
It's your job to organize that data to understand what's happening in the SERPs and uncover strategic insights.
After all, data without insight is meaningless.
How to use SEO data to tell a powerful story
To take your reporting from metrics to insights, you need to turn your data into a compelling story that highlights opportunities and provides next steps.
For example, local packs, paid ads, and #1 rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) with some big SERP features that appear before organic listings (and #1 below the fold). The rank 1 position that appears at the top of the SERP has no extra bells and whistles that take up valuable real estate. His CTR between the two differs significantly for good reason.
Or, if your client is having trouble ranking for your target keywords, you can identify whether they are creating SERP-friendly content through analytics.
If you're going after a keyword that primarily displays video content, no matter how well-written your copy is, you'll need to match that format to have a chance.
6. Make sure your SEO report is concise: Cut to the chase.
When deciding how to structure your report, you drive key points, provide intuitive data visualization, eliminate irrelevant information, and do the heavy lifting to surface insights.
The core data will be moved to the appendix section. It's there for reference and to support your argument, but the main point itself is secondary, and you should elaborate on the “so what?”. For the viewers.
7. Find the right SEO reporting frequency
The optimal reporting frequency will depend on your unique reporting relationship, but at least once a month is recommended to establish consistent touchpoints. We also recommend setting up a persistent call to go through that touchpoint.
This not only ensures that stakeholders are actually viewing the report, but also allows you to answer any questions and clearly articulate recommendations to drive buy-in and follow-through.
What is a good SEO report schedule?
In most cases, you will need to produce quarterly (in the third month of each quarter) and annual summary reports to see your progress compared to the previous period.
Showing MoM (month-over-month) and YoY (year-over-year) comparative metrics can be especially impactful when communicating value and ROI to upper management and budget holders.
Take your time and write your report correctly.
After all, effective SEO reporting leads to effective communication.
We hope this has given you the confidence to approach your SEO reports in a way that demonstrates the value of your work and eliminates confusion with your most important stakeholders.
Position yourself as an expert and take the opportunity to educate your audience through your reporting. SEO data can only positively impact your bottom line when leveraged and leveraged to inform your strategy. So we establish ongoing strategic partnerships that are circular and continually build trust, loyalty, and buy-in, and help remove barriers to internal recognition.
If you start the cycle right, you'll continue to reap the benefits over time.
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image credits
Featured image: Image by STAT Search Analytics. Used with permission.