How to Create an SEO Monthly Analysis Report

To address concerns such as "I don't know how to create an SEO report," "What is the structure of an effective monthly report?" and "I want to know how to present SEO results to management," we will provide practical explanations on the following topics.

• The importance of SEO performance reports
• Common items included in SEO performance reports
• Format and templates for SEO performance reports
• Examples of SEO performance reports for large websites
• Tools needed for tracking each metric
• Examples of reports to reference
• Other Q&A

The Importance of SEO Performance Reports

Sharing SEO performance reports with other departments is crucial for in-house SEO specialists. Here's why:

• Modern SEO requires collaboration across departments - sharing performance reports helps visualize each team's contributions and encourages SEO-conscious activities
• SEO is often undervalued despite its importance - without proper communication of its value, it can easily be deprioritized
• Due to the high level of specialization in SEO, a lack of clear reporting can create the impression that "it's unclear what is being implemented"

Based on my experience working with multiple teams, I've found that few SEO specialists conduct appropriate and effective SEO reporting.

Common Items Included in SEO Performance Reports

Beginner's Guide

The following four items are the most fundamental elements:

• Google Search Console Report
  • Impressions from search results
  • Clicks from search results
• Google Analytics Report
  • Traffic from organic search
• Search Ranking Tracking Tools (such as GRC)
  • Search rankings for target keywords (100-1000 keywords)

Intermediate Guide

If there is a dedicated SEO specialist, adding the following metrics can enable a more comprehensive analysis.

• Google Search Console Report
  • Number of Technical Errors
  • Web Core Vitals Score
  • Google Discover Report
• Google Analytics Report
  • Conversions from Organic Search

Advanced Guide

• SEO Tools
  • Such as SEMRush and Ahrefs
  • Number of Citations
• Content Map
  • Analyze traffic for each page
• Webpagetest.org
  • Page performance metrics

Optimizing Search Ranking Reports When There Are Multiple Target Keywords

SEO specialists typically monitor around 1,000 target keywords, but it can be challenging to share these in Excel.

For more efficient reporting, aggregate and display the number of keywords ranking in the top 1-3 positions.

When including all keywords, be sure to filter with conditions such as "more than 10 clicks" to focus on relevant terms and avoid diluting your report with less important keywords.

SEO Monthly Report Template and Sample

This is actual data from my experimental site.

To create efficient reports, avoid manual input by utilizing automation tools such as Google Analytics add-ons, Vlookup functions, and macros.

About Automated Report Generation Tools

Several SEO tools offer reporting features.

In my experience, SEMRush and Conductor stand out with particularly robust reporting capabilities.

Format for Reporting by In-House SEO Teams of Large-Scale Sites to Senior Managers

SEO performance reports for large-scale sites are more complex, as they are influenced by various factors including branding, advertising, social media, and site UX changes.

To appropriately assess each department's contribution to SEO, I reported on the following items.

• Brand awareness metrics
  • Citations of the brand name and search volume
  • Number of backlinks
  • Search rankings (general keywords, top of the funnel categories)
• Metrics related to site activity
  • Organic traffic
  • Referral traffic
  • New organic users
  • Search rankings (brand-related keywords, mid-funnel categories)
• Contribution to revenue increase
  • Pages per session from organic traffic
  • Average session duration for organic traffic
  • Search rankings (keywords directly related to conversions)
• Other metrics
  • Content map
  • Page speed report
  • Google Discover report

These are categorized into three main phases, and since different departments are involved in each phase, it is effective to establish common KPIs across departments.

The collaboration points with other departments in each phase are as follows.

Expanding Awareness

In this phase, collaboration with the branding and PR departments is crucial.

We cooperate with the PR department on outreach activities and collaborate with the branding team on the production of editorial content.

Metrics Related to Site Activity

The more activity increases across the entire website, the better these metrics will improve.

For example, an increase in the display advertising budget can lead to an increase in organic traffic.

Contribution to Increased Sales

In this phase, collaboration with the UX department, the CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) team, and the e-commerce team is necessary.

Tools Required for Tracking Each Item

Google Analytics

The following metrics can be measured:

• Organic traffic
• Referral traffic
• New organic users
• Pages per session from organic traffic
• Average session duration for organic traffic

You can analyze these additional items with specialized tools:

• Number of backlinks
• Search rankings

While many professionals in Japan use GRC to measure search rankings, I find SEMRush more efficient. Alternatively, exporting data from Google Search Console to create reports in Google Sheets works well.

GRC is suitable for individual work, but it has limitations for team collaboration in global companies.

How to Research Brand Mentions and Search Volume

Methods for measuring brand awareness vary by company, but generally, these approaches are effective:

• How to Measure Citations in Google Search Results
  • Use the formula: "Brand Name"-site:YourSiteURL (Example: Nike-site:https://www.nike.com/)
• How to Measure Online Mentions on Social Media
  • Quantitatively analyze using specialized tools like Conductor and Ahrefs
• How to Measure Search Volume for Brand Name
  • Use Google Trends and Google Search Console impression data (limited to keywords that consistently maintain the top position)
  • SEO tools' search volume may have accuracy issues, making them unsuitable for precise reporting

Examples of Reports for Reference

Reports that Automatically Generate Forecasts

This is a report format that automatically calculates future traffic forecasts and visually displays them in graphs.

Reference SEO Forecasting in Google Sheets | Moz

Templates Provided by Ahrefs

Although primarily aimed at SEO specialist companies, this template can be customized for those using Ahrefs, enabling efficient reporting.

Reference Steal Our SEO Template | Ahrefs Official Blog

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is easier to use, Google Data Studio or Google Sheets?

Google Sheets offers greater practical convenience.

We recommend Google Sheets for the following reasons:

• Excellent page load speed
• High transparency of data sources
• Flexible customization options
• Accessible to stakeholders regardless of digital literacy

On the other hand, Google Data Studio has these challenges:

• Often has long loading times
• Data source identification isn't intuitive (leading to questions like "Where does this data come from?")
• Requires technical knowledge for modifications and updates
• May prioritize visual appeal over practicality

Advertising agencies often recommend Google Data Studio due to business advantages: it ensures service continuity through data uniqueness, generates additional work from modification requests, and supports ongoing maintenance contracts.

Do listing ads and display ads affect SEO scores?

While there is no direct impact, an indirect correlation has been recognized.

The relationship between advertising strategies and SEO performance continues to be debated within the industry. Research suggests the following correlations:

Reference How Google AdWords (PPC) Does and Doesn't Affect Organic Results | Moz

Specifically, these indirect effects can be observed:

• Brand awareness from ad exposure may improve CTR in organic search results
• Engagement metrics tend to improve for organic traffic when users have prior experience with ads
• Increased awareness from ad exposure may lead to more backlinks and social shares

Additionally, SEMRush's research indicates that search volume for brand names (branded search queries) is extremely important as an SEO ranking factor. While experts debate this view, a certain level of correlation is widely acknowledged.

Conclusion

SEO reporting may seem like a technical topic at first glance, but it's also an effective communication tool. By selecting appropriate metrics and providing clear visualizations, you can effectively share the value of SEO initiatives within your organization and establish a continuous improvement cycle.