At Assertive, we use a mix of Looker Studio and our own proprietary platform, SEO Stack, to manage client dashboards and reporting. Centralised reporting has been a game-changer for us. It means we're not chasing screenshots from five different tools; everything from GA4, GSC, and Ahrefs is pulled automatically and visualised clearly in one place. This saves us hours each month and gives our clients live access to the data that matters to them. It's also really helped with transparency. We used to send individual monthly email reports to clients with screenshots of GSC, but now, clients can see exactly what's happening in real time: what's improving, what needs work, and how their organic visibility is shifting across branded and non-branded terms. We always include key metrics like total clicks, impressions, ranking changes, query-level insights, and how they're performing for priority pages and target topics. It's not just about showing clients numbers, it's about making it easy for clients to understand the story the data is telling. And showing what their money is paying for.
We use Looker Studio connected to GA4, GSC, and Ahrefs for our SEO dashboards. The biggest benefit of a centralized reporting tool is clarity—it keeps clients focused on the right metrics and reduces back-and-forth. We always include traffic by page, keyword movement, indexed page growth, CTR from search, and conversions tied to organic sessions. For local clients, we also track map pack visibility.
Our SEO report management tools include Google Looker Studio connected with GMB Everywhere, BrightLocal, and Screpy. This information, such as ranking data and the number of reviews, is pulled into a custom dashboard where the information is updated daily via Zapier. Having everything under one roof means clients are not confused by various figures. The dashboard is very simple and almost current. We simultaneously indicate the map pack location, keyword trajectory, the number of reviews, the health of the site, and the citation progression. The advantage to it all is that the clients feel more in control. When clients check that they are in the top three in local search or when their accumulated reviews improve after working with us, it is obvious that the work is worth the effort. We do not send very long reports. Our tracked metrics include GMB position in the top keywords, Google Maps impressions, the activities in searches such as calls or directions, as well as the growth of reviews. These cues have direct impacts on walking and phone calls.
In most agencies, SEO reporting is a resource-heavy process that can span several days and involve multiple teams, especially when managing larger client portfolios. Even with automation, it typically takes up to four full days at the beginning of each month. Last year, we calculated that this inefficiency resulted in approximately £5,000 in billable time lost per month, amounting to a compounded annual business loss of £60,000. As a leading UK agency, we've tested and continue to use a wide range of tools based on the level of reporting required. This includes Looker, integrated with Google Suite for granular reporting via GA4 and GSC APIs, alongside Google Sheets for narrative commentary, rank-tracking APIs, and even CRM integrations. However, this level of granularity isn't always appropriate, particularly for our SME clients. With GA4's tokenisation limits, managing 20+ clients simultaneously in Looker becomes unfeasible due to multiple filters, tables, and charts triggering API constraints. More importantly, much of the data traditionally included in SEO reports is for SEO professionals, not marketers. To address these challenges, we transitioned to a centralised reporting system using DashThis, which eliminates "report bloat" and presents a concise, structured, one-page overview. This format is clear, focused, and tailored to complement in-house marketing reporting. By shifting to this more value-driven approach, we realigned reporting to highlight the metrics that matter most to our clients, not just to our SEO team. The modern SEO report should follow a clean, structured hierarchy of insight: 1. Channel Traffic Performance Compare traffic YoY, segmented by acquisition channels (e.g. Organic, Direct, Referral). 2. Top Landing Pages Highlight the highest-performing pages within the target channels. 3. Conversion Metrics Include form fills, purchases, or other key goals to tie traffic to business outcomes. 4. Keyword Performance Group rankings and trends by core keyword themes. 5. AI focus Ensure that the report focuses on Generative AI search (low traffic, high conversion) All of this data should be visualised using KPI cards, sparklines, and intuitive layout design, allowing busy marketing teams to absorb performance at a glance. The most critical part of any SEO report is the monthly summary: highlights, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations. This section must go beyond data to deliver real strategic value.
The best tool to manage SEO dashboards and client reporting will have to be a mix of google slides and google looker studio. Sometimes you can't go wrong with free tools. Google slides will be your go to tool for making and presenting your report. Make sure to include nice graphics while presenting your foundings in a way even someone with 0 knowledge on the subject can understand. Looker studio can act as the dashboard for all your metrics + you can import metrics from all sources such as ga4, ahrefs and semrush! Lately though I've been using a centralized reporting tool like Daxrm or Dataslayer, which have significantly improved efficiency and clarity in my SEO reporting. These platforms allow seamless integration of multiple data sources, like Google Analytics, Search Console, and SEMrush, into one dashboard. This reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and provides clients with real-time, easy-to-understand insights. The ability to automate and customize reports has also enhanced transparency and client trust. Lastly, best metrics you can include are Sessions, Total users, engagement rate and engaged sessions, as well as purchases and total revenue. You can also add some other metrics such as countries, devices and total vs new users for the month!
As someone who champions data-driven marketing and oversees a multi-city portfolio for FLATS(r), managing our SEO performance is paramount. We primarily use Google Search Console and Google Analytics for core SEO dashboards, alongside Digible for comprehensive digital campaign performance and budget realignment. These tools ensure we can track performance across our diverse properties like The Duncan. The primary benefit of a centralized reporting tool is the ability to strategically optimize our spending and achieve significant cost reductions in vendor contracts. By leveraging historical performance data from these dashboards, I've secured additional services like annual media refreshes, directly impacting our budget efficiency while maintaining occupancy. For client reports, I prioritize organic search traffic growth, which we increased by 4% over six months through revamped SEO strategies. I also emphasize engagement, evidenced by a 10% increase, and user experience metrics like a 5% reduction in bounce rates, as these directly reflect content quality and lead to a lower cost per lease.
We aggregate data from Google Analytics and Search Console, combining it with insights from our advanced lead tracking software and reputation management tools into custom, user-friendly dashboards for our clients. This centralized approach is fundamental to our ROI-focused strategy, allowing us to directly show clients how their investment translates into tangible business growth, fostering the trust and transparency we promise. It clearly demonstrates the domino effect of success we've seen with clients who track their progress. Our reports emphasize metrics that directly impact a business's bottom line: increased organic calls and form submissions, improved Google Business Profile visibility leading to more leads, and the resulting decrease in cost per lead. We also highlight review volume and overall sentiment, as these directly correlate to higher conversions and allow clients to raise prices more easily.
As a direct-to-consumer CEO, my "client" is my business, so I only care about results. We use Looker Studio to create a single dashboard from Google Analytics 4, Search Console, and Semrush. The benefit is absolute clarity. I can see exactly how our search rankings for specific jewelry styles translate directly into qualified leads and, ultimately, revenue. It proves the ROI of our SEO efforts beyond just traffic. Because of this, our reports ignore vanity metrics. We focus exclusively on Organic Revenue, goal completions like "Book a Consultation," and our Share of Voice for the keywords that actually drive sales.
At 3WH we manage SEO reporting for B2B, ecommerce, and multi-location clients. Here's the SEO reporting stack we rely on: Platforms: Looker Studio with BigQuery; GA4 and Search Console via Dataslayer or Supermetrics. AgencyAnalytics for lighter accounts. BrightLocal for local SEO. Benefits: One link, consistent definitions, and scheduled exports; blending SEO with CRM speeds decisions. We've found one link is easier than PDFs. Metrics: Outcomes first - organic leads, enquiries, revenue. Then indicators: clicks, impressions, CTR, ranking coverage, landing pages, GBP actions, Core Web Vitals. Hope this helps. Shout if you need more.
Our agency primarily utilizes Google Looker Studio dashboards connected to Google Search Console and GA4 for managing SEO reporting. These integrated dashboards allow us to provide clients with real-time visualization of their keyword performance, traffic sources, and goal completions. We've found particular success with our approach of separating branded from non-branded keyword performance in these dashboards, which gives clients a more transparent view of their SEO progress.
We use SEMrush for our dashboards and weekly reporting. It's extremely useful to have one platform that can report on Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and SEMrush keyword rankings. We also report on the overall health of the backlink profile for each client so they can understand their Authority Score and see how many backlinks we are building for them each month.
At the moment, we're using a combination of SEMrush, Google Looker Studio, and AgencyAnalytics to run SEO dashboards and report for the clients. Things really level up when you combine all that data into one place: It saves time, lessens the chances of manual errors, and in turn, clients have a real-time view of what's being converted. The greatest advantage that we get from a centralised reporting tool is clarity. It allows us to tell a story with the data rather than just throw random numbers in front of a client. SEO performance metrics are aligned directly with their business objectives: lead generation, traffic growth, or perhaps increased visibility within specific markets. Organic traction, keyword rankings (especially on terms that matter most), CTR from search, bounce rate on organic pages, and goal conversions—fills, demo requests, or sales—are always addressed early on in the sheet. When working on local SEO activities, though, GMB interactions and map pack visibility are tracked as well. We aim to present activity and impact.
- What platforms are you currently using to manage SEO dashboards and client reporting? I use Ahrefs. - What specific benefits have you seen from using a centralized reporting tool for SEO? It's easy for us to manage and it's easy for clients to digest. You have to understand that clients don't really care about SEO at the end of the day. They care that you a) are doing something and aren't being paid for nothing and b) that their spend is bringing, or is on track to bring, ROI. - Which key SEO metrics do you make sure to include in your reports for clients? Ranking reports, being #1. This is the main KPI for SEO, in my opinion. Our job is to increase rank; we can't properly influence or predict how much that rank will yield traffic. But traffic is still included in the reports, as it is, at the end of the day, an important thing for the client to see. I'd add leads to this list but it's not really an SEO KPI; we can't, again, properly predict how many leads an SEO campaign will bring. We can only guess. Plus, it's almost impossible to attribute leads solely to SEO, as there's the marketing rule of 7 and the buyer's journey is usually very complex and not predictable.
For my SEO and marketing clients, I use Semrush to monitor performance and create detailed monthly reports. Having everything in one platform saves time and ensures consistent, easy-to-read analytics so clients can clearly see progress over time. Each report starts with the key metrics—impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and average position—followed by a deeper analysis of ranking changes and how those shifts may have influenced impressions and clicks. This approach not only highlights results but also connects the data to real-world outcomes.
As the CEO of ENX2 Legal Marketing, my 15+ years turning around firms means our reporting needs to reflect true partnership. For deep SEO insights, we rely on **Semrush** for comprehensive data analysis. We then present this through custom dashboards within our secure client portal. This centralized system builds the vital trust essential for every successful relationship, allowing us to align on strategy and make proactive adjustments. It means we're not just reporting numbers, but collaboratively finding new ways to "hit the reset button" and seize opportunities for significant growth. We focus on key indicators of a solid foundation and future success: improvements in targeted keyword rankings for their niche practice areas, and the overall health and speed of their website. These metrics truly embody our "do good work, do well" approach, showing the continuous planting of seeds for a prosperous harvest.