What Your Monthly SEO Report Should Include

In today’s competitive digital landscape, keeping an eye on your website’s SEO performance is crucial. As a business owner, you might not have the time to dive deep into every detail, but understanding the key metrics in your monthly SEO report is essential. A well-crafted SEO report not only shows you how your website is performing but also helps you make informed decisions that can drive your business forward. So, what should your monthly SEO report include? Let’s break it down.

Why SEO Reports Matter

Before we dive into the specifics, it’s important to understand why SEO reports are so valuable. Your SEO report is like a health check for your website. It tells you what’s working, what needs improvement, and where you should focus your efforts. Without regular reporting, you could be missing out on opportunities to grow your online presence and, ultimately, your business.

Organic Traffic Overview

Total Traffic vs. Organic Traffic

One of the first things you’ll want to look at in your SEO report is your website’s traffic. But not all traffic is created equal. While total traffic gives you an idea of how many people are visiting your site, organic traffic specifically refers to visitors coming from search engines like Google. This is the kind of traffic you want to grow because it’s often more targeted and more likely to convert.

Source Breakdown

Your SEO report should also break down where your organic traffic is coming from. Are most of your visitors coming from Google? What about Bing or other search engines? Understanding which sources are driving traffic can help you tailor your SEO strategy to focus on the most effective platforms.

New vs. Returning Visitors

It’s also worth looking at the ratio of new to returning visitors. A healthy mix of both is ideal. New visitors indicate that your content is attracting fresh eyes, while returning visitors suggest that your website is engaging enough for people to come back.

Keyword Performance

Top Performing Keywords

Keywords are the backbone of SEO. Your report should highlight the top-performing keywords that are driving traffic to your site. How are these keywords performing compared to last month? Are there any surprising changes? This information can help you identify which topics resonate most with your audience and where you might want to focus your content efforts.

Keyword Rankings

Alongside performance, it’s important to track your keyword rankings. Are your target keywords climbing higher in the search results, or have they taken a dip? Regularly monitoring your keyword rankings can help you understand what’s working and what might need tweaking.

Competitor Keyword Analysis

Don’t forget to keep an eye on your competitors. How are their keywords performing compared to yours? A good SEO report will include a competitor analysis, helping you identify potential opportunities to outrank them.

On-Page SEO Metrics

Page Load Speed

Nobody likes a slow website, least of all Google. Your SEO report should include data on your website’s load speed. If your pages are taking too long to load, you could be losing visitors before they even see your content. Speeding up your site can lead to better user experience and higher rankings.

Content Performance

Which pages on your site are performing the best? Your SEO report should highlight your top content, along with engagement metrics like bounce rate and average session duration. This can give you insights into what’s keeping your visitors on your site and what might be turning them away.

Meta Tags and Descriptions

Meta tags and descriptions might seem small, but they play a big role in SEO. Your report should review these elements and suggest optimisations if needed. Well-crafted meta tags can improve your click-through rate (CTR) and boost your site’s visibility in search results.

Backlink Profile

Total Backlinks Overview

Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more authoritative your site appears to search engines. Your SEO report should show you how many backlinks you’ve gained or lost over the past month. But remember, quality is more important than quantity.

New Referring Domains

It’s also crucial to track the diversity of your backlinks. How many new domains are linking to your site? Are these domains relevant and authoritative? A diverse backlink profile is key to building a strong online presence.

Anchor Text Distribution

The anchor text—the clickable text in a hyperlink—used in your backlinks also matters. Your SEO report should analyse this to ensure that it’s natural and varied. Overusing the same anchor text can look spammy to search engines, which could hurt your rankings.

Technical SEO

Crawl Errors and Fixes

Technical issues can quietly undermine your SEO efforts if left unchecked. Your SEO report should highlight any crawl errors—issues that prevent search engines from indexing your site properly—and the steps taken to fix them. Staying on top of these errors is essential for maintaining a healthy website.

Mobile Usability

With more people browsing on their phones, mobile usability is non-negotiable. Your report should include an analysis of your site’s mobile performance, identifying any issues that might be affecting user experience. Remember, a mobile-friendly site is also a Google-friendly site.

Index Coverage

Finally, your SEO report should review your site’s index coverage. Are all your important pages being indexed by search engines? If not, you could be missing out on valuable traffic. Addressing any issues with non-indexed pages ensures your content is visible and accessible.

Conversion Rate and Goal Completions

Conversion Rate Analysis

Driving traffic to your site is only half the battle; you also need to convert that traffic into leads or sales. Your SEO report should include a conversion rate analysis, showing how well your site is turning visitors into customers. A low conversion rate might indicate that something on your site needs tweaking, whether it’s the content, design, or user experience.

Goal Completions

Whether it’s form submissions, phone calls, or purchases, your SEO report should track specific goal completions. This data can help you understand how well your site is meeting its objectives and where you might need to adjust your strategy to improve results.

Recommendations and Action Plan

Summary of Key Insights

Your monthly SEO report should end with a summary of the key insights from the data. What are the most important takeaways? How do these insights align with your business goals? This summary should give you a clear picture of where your website stands and what needs attention.

Actionable Recommendations

Alongside the insights, your SEO report should offer actionable recommendations. These are specific steps you can take to improve your SEO performance. Prioritising these tasks based on their potential impact can help you make the most of your time and budget.

Long-term SEO Strategy

Finally, your report should offer suggestions for your long-term SEO strategy. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, and having a clear roadmap can help you stay on track. Whether it’s focusing on content creation, building more backlinks, or improving technical aspects, your long-term strategy should align with your business’s broader goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, your monthly SEO report is more than just a document; it’s a powerful tool for growing your business. By regularly reviewing these key metrics, you can stay informed, make data-driven decisions, and ensure your SEO efforts are paying off. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, and staying on top of your performance is the key to long-term success.

So, take the time to review your SEO report each month, work closely with your SEO team, and keep pushing your business towards greater online success.

If you're ready to take your SEO efforts to the next level, MJH Digital is here to help. Whether you’re interested in a FREE comprehensive website audit to uncover opportunities for improvement or you want to jump on a call to discuss how we can tailor our SEO strategies to your business, we are ready to guide you every step of the way. Don’t leave your digital success to chance—partner with MJH Digital and let’s achieve your business goals together.