The importance of reports in SEO

The importance of reports in SEO

Over the years, we've talked a lot about SEO and how to implement SEO techniques that work and have a direct impact on your website or for your client's websites. We also discussed on how to increase the number of clients as well as optimize your task in such a way you can accommodate more clients but keep the quality of your services up.

But once you have SEO skills to offer and you figure out how to gain some clients, your next main priority is keeping those clients around for long as possible. This means keeping them happy even in periods when things aren't going so well.

Of course, quality services and results can speak for themselves but I believe the most important factor once you sign a new client is the reports.
Seriusly, most SEO and digital agencies out there don't KNOW and are virtually incapable of sending a decent report to the client. At least from what I've seen, most digital marketers are really bad at outlining the things they have done in a proper meaningful way.

Over the years I developed a real skill at writing reports. I don't think I'm spectacular but I'm good enough that I haven't lost many clients over time and most certainly I haven't lost any clients over my reports.

So here are my main bits of advice when it comes to SEO reports and how to actually make some killer reports your clients will love to read:

1. Use common words people understand.
Keep in mind most clients aren't very technical when it comes to SEO, this is the main reason why they hired you. So don't try to mask anything by using technical terms and phrases, most people can't read through your hogwash and figure out you are trying to hide something. So try to be honest and use simple, common words everyone understands.

Make it your duty to inform the client truthfully on what worked, what didn't, what are the positive results, what are the negative results as well as what can be done in the future and what opportunities their business can use?

2. Make it useful for the clients.
Even if my reports are mostly SEO orientated I always try to include helpful in formation my clients can use in solving real life business problems. If I discover a new trend for a certain keyword that suddenly becomes popular, I always make sure to inform my clients and note everything in that report, keeping my client updated with everything new happening in his niche.

I do the same when monitoring the competition, every time I notice a significant change I include that in my report. It is not all about the pretty graphics, you need to provide helpful information.
I usually write everything as like I'm answering questions the client might have. Like a short story that always is related to the previous story.
Don't include unnecessary data no matter how cool it may look. If it can't help your client understand something tangible don't include it, it's probably useless.

3. Don't stick to one template.
This is one of the biggest mistakes SEO make when developing a report. They tend to have just one very static template which they use for every client every month and every week.
You shouldn't do that! Customize everything and make each report different from the last one, because no matter the niche, every month will be different and certain aspects can be outlined in a different way.

It may take longer to make each report a custom report but I assure you the benefits of doing this are immense. First of all your clients will never get bored with your reports and will actually feel you are always doing and trying new stuff. Secondly, it will actually help you uncover some really cool bits of information that will further help you in your SEO strategy. I for one I'm always uncovering new opportunities when I'm writing my reports. I don't need a new task for "discovering new opportunities" because I always discover something new I can do next month during the time I'm writing my reports.

4. Other important factors:

• Make sure you include a summary at the end. This is highly important. Some clients will just want to read a summary and only read a whole report if the summary sparks their interest in some positive or negative way, otherwise, they'll just ignore the rest of the report;
  
• You need to have a logical flow in your report;
• Cool looking data and graphics can go a long way in impressing the client;

You can also try automating your report to some degree to save up time but I've found the more you atomate it, the more the quality of the report drops and the human touch that can make it unique is lost.
Bottom Line: SEO reports are hugely important in keeping your clients happy and convinced you are doing a great job. Outline both the negative aspects as well as the positive one and try to be sincere but also try to be overall helpful and in providing good useful information.