SEO reporting and tracking pose significant challenges for people in the industry. The information you deem important might not hold the same importance for C-suite executives.
Alternatively, you might lack sufficient data to effectively illustrate growth, alterations, and noteworthy occurrences in a clear and succinct manner. Reports should narrate a compelling story. In the absence of appropriate data, your narrative could become convoluted and fail to resonate well.
Prior to embarking on the reporting and tracking of data, it is imperative to collect it, a process that necessitates the use of the correct tools.
What is an SEO Report?
SEO reporting is the process of analyzing and presenting data related to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. It involves compiling, organizing, and interpreting data to provide insights into the performance of a website or online content in search engine results. The primary goal of SEO reporting is to communicate the impact of SEO strategies on various metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Key elements of SEO reporting include:
- Traffic Metrics: This includes data on the volume and sources of website traffic, such as organic search, direct visits, and referral traffic.
- Keyword Performance: Analysis of how specific keywords are performing in search engine rankings. This may include tracking keyword positions, search volume, and click-through rates.
- Page Performance: Evaluation of individual pages’ performance, including metrics like page views, bounce rates, and time spent on page.
- Technical SEO: Reports may include information about technical aspects of SEO, such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawl errors.
- Backlink Analysis: Examination of the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to the website, assessing their impact on SEO.
- Conversion Tracking: Monitoring conversions, such as form submissions, sign-ups, or sales, and attributing them to specific SEO efforts.
- Competitor Analysis: Comparison of the website’s SEO performance with that of competitors to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
SEO reporting is important for SEO professionals, digital marketers, and businesses to measure the effectiveness of their SEO strategies, understand user behaviour, and make informed decisions to improve online visibility and performance.
SEO reporting and tracking tools
Many SEO professionals use different of tools to effectively gather, monitor and present data. Some key tools include:
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Adobe Analytics
- Bing Webmaster Tools
- Internal site search
In addition, third-party tools such as Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush can be used to track keyword growth, positions, and more. Numerous paid third-party tools are available to enhance your reporting and tracking capabilities.
It’s important to be mindful of each tool’s limitations. For instance, Google Search Console only retains data for 16 months, so this should be considered when generating reports that extend beyond this timeframe.
Assuming you already have these tools in place, review them regularly, and implement any necessary coding on your website to initiate tracking. Without the insights provided by these tools, navigating your SEO journey becomes a blind endeavour.
The impact of AI and the analysis of data using AI.
The introduction of AI has prompted the industry to adapt to the constantly changing SEO landscape. It is not only possible but also advisable to leverage artificial intelligence for data analysis, enabling you to extract key data points that would typically be handled manually or omitted due to time constraints.
Tools like ChatGPT can assist you in various ways:
Connect Google Analytics with ChatGPT
Google Analytics can establish a connection with ChatGPT through plugins in the paid version, facilitating the rapid extraction of important data, including:
- Compile a list of visitors from each country in the past month.
- Illustrate user growth from each country over the preceding six months.
- Generate a table displaying page growth over the last six months.
If grappling with GA4, connecting with third-party services provides the opportunity to analyze data in innovative ways. Integration with sources like Google Ads, Instagram Ads, and Facebook Page allows for the consolidation of data from various platforms.
Beyond SEO metrics, it’s essential to track significant events with your tools and analytics in place. While SEO primarily focuses on driving organic traffic and revenue, monitoring your progress is equally crucial. Consider tracking:
- Major search engine algorithm updates.
- Keyword rankings.
- Page-level traffic.
- Changes and updates to the site.
- Conversions, among other metrics.
Tracking site changes and updates not only showcases the value of your efforts but also provides valuable insights as the site continues to evolve and expand.
Creating regex for the query filter
Use ChatGPT to generate a custom regex for your Google Search Console (GSC) Query filter. For instance, you can input a command like:
“Create a regular expression to list the keywords containing ‘how to,’ ‘do,’ ‘what,’ and ‘when’ in Google Search Console.”
Include any additional keywords that align with informational intent. Integrate this regex into your GSC to filter through your informative content, gaining a better understanding of its performance. Integrate the resulting graphs into your reports to provide a clearer picture for your audience.
Differences between Brand and Non-brand Keywords
Now that event tracking is underway, it’s time to explore the details of keyword organization. Presenting clients with an extensive list of thousands of keywords may not effectively demonstrate value, as many of these keywords may not contribute significantly to overall value.
To enhance clarity, consider segmenting keywords into:
Brand keywords
This category includes the company and product names, which are often essential for tracking branding efforts. For example, a strong brand like Adidas may prompt searches for “Adidas running shoes” and “running shoes” to locate their products.
When dealing with sizable keyword datasets, further segmentation can be achieved by:
- Informative keywords
- Transactional keywords
- Generic keywords
You can then refine these segments by page, URL, or section to provide a more detailed breakdown in your reports.
While working through keyword lists is time-consuming, it constitutes a significant portion of the work for your reports. Clients are interested in understanding the keywords they rank for and where the site’s traffic is directed.
However, amid all these metrics, one data point stands out as the most important when tracking – revenue.
Track revenue drivers
Revenue serves as the focal point that captivates every stakeholder’s attention in a report.
To effectively convey revenue in a universally understandable and appreciable manner, consider implementing the following strategies:
Sales Drivers
Identifying the keywords responsible for driving sales can be challenging. Some tools may not offer the necessary refinement when navigating through traffic. Engage with the IT team to:
- Scrutinize logs.
- Identify sales.
- Tag keywords accountable for sales (potentially requiring customizations).
Demonstrating that a particular keyword, which jumped from rank 19 to 2, resulted in a 17% increase in sales for a product illustrates how SEO investment directly impacts revenue.
Segmenting data for events, such as traffic leading to calls, email signups, consultations, etc., further enriches the narrative of how SEO contributes to revenue growth.
Period-over-Period Comparisons
Use comparisons as a powerful tool to showcase growth over specific time frames. For instance, the Q4 revenue spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers a valuable data-rich period for your reports. Analyzing data over a two-year span enables the demonstration of:
- Weekly growth (WoW or same week from previous years).
- Monthly growth (MoM or same month from previous years).
- Quarterly growth (QoQ or same quarter from previous years).
- Yearly growth.
- Seasonal growth.
Highlighting how improved search engine rankings contributed to a 25% sales boost on Black Friday compared to the previous year is invaluable for report creation.
Forecasting Analysis and the Utilization of Machine Learning
Machine learning and AI are introducing advanced predictive analysis to the realm of SEO, a capability that was previously exclusive to enterprise companies. Now, you can leverage this type of analysis to:
- Identify keywords with the highest likelihood of being clicked.
- Determine pages expected to exhibit the highest click-through rates.
- Discern site user trends and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Machine Learning and predictive analysis enable a deeper understanding of which pages will likely gain popularity in the next three months and which types of keywords may experience decreased traffic during that period.
AI, Machine Learning, and predictive analysis can assist in projecting the site’s future based on ranking and traffic data. Stakeholders are keen to understand potential outcomes if current traffic trends persist—whether for improvement or regression.
Predictive analysis helps you showcase the site’s future trajectory based on the nuanced trends embedded in microdata within your analytics and keyword rankings.
Additionally, focusing on micro-conversion data is important. While primary Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) establish a direct link between your site’s SEO and revenue generation, stakeholders are ultimately interested in tangible results, represented by dollar signs. Demonstrating how your efforts contribute to increased conversions and sales is key for client or employer satisfaction.
In the evolving landscape of websites, numerous micro-conversions occur behind the scenes, laying the groundwork for future conversions. For instance:
- A user clicks on a Facebook ad, explores your site, and leaves.
- A week later, they recall your brand, Google your company name, and engage more deeply with your site, including watching a product demo and downloading a free ebook.
These micro-conversions have a high potential for future sales but can be challenging to track. In 2024, SEOs should establish campaigns to track micro-conversions, demonstrating to stakeholders that their rankings are guiding individuals into the sales funnel.
Creating targeted campaigns allows for a thorough analysis of the data, enabling you to understand your audience better. For instance, if many users view your product demo but aren’t making a purchase, the data can pinpoint weaknesses in your funnel, prompting changes that lead to more concrete conversions.
Provide the Appropriate Data to the Relevant Stakeholders
You’ve diligently collected and organized your data in a meaningful manner.
However, while certain data points hold significance for you and your marketing team, others might not resonate as strongly with the C-suite.
For example, consider a report highlighting:
- Technical SEO changes.
- A 10% increase in organic traffic.
- Improved site speeds.
- Extended time on page.
While the marketing team may find value in this data, a C-suite executive is likely to be more interested in understanding how the 10% surge in traffic directly correlates with a revenue increase. Without a meaningful connection to the company’s revenue, the C-suite may not engage with the report.
Creating reports that specifically address the key data points sought by distinct stakeholder groups ensures that your insights align with their specific interests and priorities.
Preserve your SEO data for future reference
The reports you generate today will serve as a reference in the coming years, contributing to the narrative of the company’s SEO growth. Preserve the data you gather, as it holds valuable insights that will prove essential in the future.
Additionally, consider integrating tools like ChatGPT into your workflow. These tools can assist you in exploring deeper into your data, uncovering valuable information that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Would you like to read more about “A Complete Guide to SEO Reporting and Ranking in 2024” related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
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