How to write a monthly SEO report
The Doily team
Reviewed by the Doily team, Oct 2026 Updated 4 min read
Quick answer
A monthly SEO report should open with business outcomes, then show search visibility, then list what you changed and what you plan next. Use the same few numbers every month, compare against the previous period, explain each movement in a sentence, and keep it to one or two pages.
Why it matters
Many reports list work done: pages optimized, links built, audits run. An owner does not buy activity. They want to know whether more of the right people are finding and contacting the business, and what is being done about it.
Google's own Search Console is the first-party source for search clicks, impressions, click-through rate, and average position. Google says third-party tools cannot see its internal ranking data, so a report built on Search Console numbers is easier to trust and to defend.
Key takeaways
- Lead with outcomes, such as leads, calls, and organic conversions, and put activity after them.
- Use the same metrics and date ranges each month so changes mean something.
- Explain every notable move in one sentence with a cause or a plan to find one.
- Close with next month's priorities, so the report leads to a decision.
Step by step
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Agree the audience and the goal
Decide who reads the report and what decision it supports. An owner needs a short outcome summary, while a marketing manager may want page-level detail. Write the goals at the top, such as more booked estimates from organic search.
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Pull the numbers from first-party sources
Take clicks, impressions, click-through rate, and average position from the Search Console Performance report, and conversions from your analytics. Add rankings and AI visibility from your tracking tool. Use a consistent date range and compare with the previous month and the same month last year if the business is seasonal.
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Write a three-line summary
Open with what happened, why you think it happened, and what you are doing next. For example: organic leads rose, driven by the new service page, and next month the focus moves to the two location pages that are not indexed. A reader who stops here still has the story.
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Show a short scorecard
Put 5 to 8 metrics in a table with this month, last month, and change. Group them as outcomes, visibility, and health. Add a color or arrow only if the meaning is obvious.
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Explain the movements
For each metric that moved meaningfully, add 1 or 2 sentences: the likely cause, the evidence, and the action. If you do not know the cause yet, say so and state how you will find out. Avoid blaming algorithm updates without evidence.
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List work completed and its purpose
Keep a short list of what shipped, tied to the goal it serves. Link each item to a metric you expect to move and the date you will check it. This is the place for activity, kept brief.
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Plan the next month
List the 3 to 5 priorities for next month and any decisions you need from the client, such as approvals, access, or budget. State what would change the plan. End the report with this list.
A one-page report outline
Use this outline as a template. Each section has one job.
| Section | What it holds | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | What happened, why, and what is next | 3 lines |
| Goals | The business goals the work serves | 1 to 3 bullets |
| Scorecard | 5 to 8 metrics with month, previous month, and change | 1 table |
| Movements | Cause, evidence, and action for each notable change | 1 or 2 sentences each |
| Work completed | What shipped and the metric it should move | Short list |
| Next month | Priorities and decisions needed | 3 to 5 bullets |
Example data for a summary: “Organic calls rose from 31 to 38. The gain came from the new boiler repair page, which now receives most new visits. Next month we fix the two location pages that Google has not indexed.”
How Doily helps
Doily's reports use a drag and drop builder with templates, scheduled sends, and PDF or live link delivery, and white label reports are available on the Agency plan.
Questions
How long should a monthly report be?
One or two pages for most small businesses. Put the story in the first 3 lines, the scorecard in a table, and detail in an appendix for those who want it.
Should I include rankings?
Yes, but with context. Google says search results vary by time, place, device, and the searcher's history, so a single position is a sample. Show the trend for tracked terms and pair it with clicks and conversions.
What if the month was bad?
Say so plainly, give the likely cause and what you will do. Owners trust reports that explain dips more than reports that only show good months.
Sources
Primary sources, checked Oct 11, 2026.
