What a Good Monthly SEO Report Should Show: Enquiries First
A good monthly SEO report starts with what you care about: enquiries, calls and jobs, and where they came from. It then shows the signs behind them, such as clicks and impressions for relevant searches, profile actions, reviews and work done, and explains in plain English what changed and what happens next. Rankings and traffic alone are not results.
Contents
- The one-page test
- What a good report includes
- What to leave out or play down
- Numbers that will not match
- Questions to ask about any report
- Red flags
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
The one-page test
The first page of a report should answer four questions without scrolling: how many enquiries did we get, where did they come from, what changed since last month, and what happens next. UK reporting guides say a report should lead with leads and revenue, and one agency guide lists a report that never mentions conversions as a red flag.
What a good report includes
| Section | What it shows | Where the data comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Enquiries, calls and jobs, change on last month, three lines of plain English | GA4 key events, call records, your own jobs |
| Enquiries by source | Where each enquiry came from: search, map listing, ads, referrals | GA4, call tracking, forms, your records |
| Search performance | Clicks, impressions and average position for relevant searches | Google Search Console |
| Profile activity | Calls, direction requests and website taps from your Google profile | Google Business Profile insights |
| Reviews | New reviews, rating and replies | Your profile |
| Work done | What was done this month and what it was meant to achieve | The agency |
| Cost | Spend, cost per enquiry and, where known, cost per job | Agency fees plus any ad spend |
| Next month | What will be done and what to expect | The agency |
Whito advises insisting on monthly reports with lead source, cost per lead and cost per customer. See a layout in our sample monthly report.
Want a second pair of eyes? Clariti Digital can review your setup and show you what to fix first.
What to leave out or play down
Rankings for one chosen keyword, total impressions, follower counts and raw traffic can look good while the phone stays quiet. See vanity metrics to ignore. If these fill the report and enquiries are missing, ask why.
Numbers that will not match
Search Console and GA4 report different totals for good reasons. A good report says which tool each number comes from. See why GA4 and Search Console show different numbers.
Questions to ask about any report
- Where does each number come from?
- How many enquiries came from this work, and how are they counted?
- What changed since last month, and why?
- What was done, and what will be done next?
- What is the cost per enquiry?
- What does the report not tell me?
Red flags
- No enquiries, calls or conversions anywhere in the report.
- Rankings for keywords chosen by the agency, with no search volume or context.
- A dashboard link with no commentary.
- Numbers with no source.
- The same report every month with only the dates changed.
See whether your SEO is working for seven signs to check yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What should a monthly SEO report include?
Enquiries and their source, search performance, profile activity, reviews, work done, costs and next steps, in plain English.
How long should a report be?
A one-page summary first, then supporting pages. If the summary is missing, the report is too long.
Should a report show rankings?
As context, yes. Rankings are not results, and should come after enquiries.
How often should I get a report?
Monthly is common. You should also be able to ask for the numbers at any time.
What if my report only shows traffic?
Ask for enquiries by source and cost per enquiry. If they cannot give them, ask why.
Sources
- IRPR, SEO reporting guide, checked 11 October 2026.
- Priority Pixels, What to look for in an SEO agency, checked 11 October 2026.
- Whito, UK plumber marketing costs, checked 11 October 2026.
Sam, Editor at Clariti Digital.
Related guides
- Vanity metrics to ignore: Numbers that look good but do not show results, and what to track instead.
- 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.