Your report should help decide what to do next. Use the business goal from lesson one and report the path toward it. A useful small-business view combines search visibility, visits to relevant pages and meaningful customer actions.
In Search Console, impressions describe appearances in results, clicks record clicks, and CTR is clicks divided by impressions. Average position is an aggregate, not a permanent ranking for every person. Filter by page, query, country or device when a broad average hides the issue.
Compare carefully
Use comparable periods and record changes such as seasonality, promotions or a redesigned page. Where sufficient data exists, compare with the previous period and consider a year-over-year view. A change happening after an edit does not automatically prove the edit caused it.
Analytics and Search Console measure different things, so their numbers need not match. Check consent settings, tracking implementation and definitions before interpreting differences. Never report missing conversion data as zero sales without checking the setup.
Apply it
- Select one important page and a suitable reporting period.
- Record clicks, impressions and CTR with the filters used.
- Record the relevant enquiry or purchase measure, if reliable.
- Write one observation and two plausible explanations.
- Choose a proportionate next action and how you will evaluate it.
Your deliverable
A monthly report with five items: objective, evidence, interpretation, limitations and next action. Use the reporting template. If the website is new, report setup completion and early observations rather than inventing a growth percentage.
Record your work in the SEO workbook. Your notes and progress save only in this browser; keep a copy of important work.
Further reading: Official guidance ↗
