Reporting and Measurement FAQs
Short answers to the questions local businesses ask most about monthly reports and measuring marketing. Each answer links to a full guide. In short: ask for enquiries and their source first, treat rankings and traffic as context, and know which tool each number comes from.
Contents
Monthly reports
What should a monthly SEO report include?
Enquiries and their source, search performance, profile activity, reviews, work done, costs and next steps. See what a good monthly SEO report should show.
What does a good report look like?
See our sample monthly report.
How often should I get a report?
Monthly is common, and you should be able to ask for the numbers at any time. See what a good monthly SEO report should show.
What if my report only shows traffic and rankings?
Ask for enquiries by source and cost per enquiry. See vanity metrics to ignore.
Is my SEO working?
See seven signs to check.
Which numbers to trust
What is a vanity metric?
A number that looks good but does not show whether you gained customers. See vanity metrics to ignore.
Are rankings worth tracking?
As context, yes, but they are not results. See vanity metrics to ignore.
What should I track instead?
Enquiries, their source, cost per enquiry and, where you can, jobs won and revenue. See vanity metrics to ignore.
GA4 and Search Console
Why do Search Console clicks and GA4 sessions differ?
Clicks are counted on the results page and sessions only after the page loads and the code runs. See why GA4 and Search Console show different numbers.
Which tool should I use for what?
Search Console for searches, clicks and position, and GA4 for behaviour and enquiries. See why GA4 and Search Console show different numbers.
How big a gap is normal?
There is no fixed figure; watch for sudden changes. See why GA4 and Search Console show different numbers.
Why do GA4 and Google Ads differ?
They count and attribute conversions differently. See why GA4 and Google Ads numbers differ.
How do I check my tracking?
See GA4 events for small business.
Who should own my reporting accounts?
You should. Ask for your own access to Analytics and Search Console. See what a good monthly SEO report should show.
Sources
Each answer links to a guide that lists its own sources, checked on 11 October 2026.
Sam, Editor at Clariti Digital.
Related guides
- What a good monthly SEO report should show: What a monthly report should show and what to ask about it.
- Why GA4 and Search Console differ: Why clicks and sessions never match and which to trust.
Need help with this?
Clariti Digital is a UK digital growth agency for established local businesses. We start with a diagnostic, then fix what holds back visibility, enquiries and trust. Call +44 7435 063827 or email sam@claritidigital.com.