SEO Analytics and Reporting

Introduction

Data-driven SEO requires understanding what to measure, how to analyze it, and how to communicate results effectively. This lesson covers essential SEO metrics, analytics setup, and reporting best practices.

Essential SEO Metrics

Focus on metrics that indicate real business impact:

Traffic Metrics

• Organic sessions: Total visits from search engines
• Organic users: Unique visitors from search
• Organic landing pages: Pages receiving search traffic
• Organic CTR: Click-through rate from search results

Ranking Metrics

• Keyword positions: Rankings for target terms
• Keywords in top 3/10/100: Distribution of rankings
• SERP visibility: Overall search presence score
• Featured snippets: Position zero rankings won

Engagement Metrics

• Bounce rate: Single-page sessions (use cautiously)
• Pages per session: Depth of site exploration
• Average session duration: Time spent on site
• Scroll depth: How far users scroll on pages

Conversion Metrics

• Goal completions: Desired actions from organic traffic
• Conversion rate: Percentage of visitors who convert
• Revenue: Sales attributed to organic search
• Assisted conversions: Organic's role in conversion paths

Google Analytics 4 for SEO

Set up GA4 to track SEO performance effectively:

Essential GA4 Reports for SEO

• Traffic acquisition: Filter by organic search
• Landing page report: Performance by entry page
• Engagement overview: User behavior metrics
• Conversions: Goal tracking by channel

Custom SEO Explorations

1. Create exploration with organic traffic segment
2. Add dimensions: landing page, device, country
3. Add metrics: sessions, engagement rate, conversions
4. Compare time periods for trend analysis

Search Console Analysis

Google Search Console provides search-specific data:

Key Search Console Reports

• Performance: Clicks, impressions, CTR, position by query/page
• Coverage: Indexing status and errors
• Core Web Vitals: Page experience metrics
• Links: Internal and external link data

Search Console Analysis Techniques

1. Query analysis: Find high-impression, low-CTR opportunities
2. Page analysis: Identify underperforming content
3. Compare periods: Track ranking changes over time
4. Filter by device: Spot mobile vs desktop differences

Building SEO Dashboards

Create dashboards for ongoing monitoring:

Dashboard Tool Options

• Google Looker Studio: Free, integrates with GA4/GSC
• Google Sheets: Simple data aggregation
• SEO tool dashboards: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz

Essential Dashboard Elements

• Organic traffic trend (monthly/weekly)
• Top ranking keywords and changes
• Top landing pages by traffic
• Conversion metrics from organic
• Core Web Vitals status
• Backlink growth

SEO Reporting Best Practices

Communicate SEO value effectively:

Report Structure

1. Executive summary: Key wins and challenges in 2-3 sentences
2. KPI overview: Traffic, rankings, conversions vs goals
3. Detailed analysis: What changed and why
4. Actions taken: Work completed this period
5. Recommendations: Next steps and priorities

Reporting Tips

• Connect SEO metrics to business outcomes
• Explain "why" behind the numbers
• Use visualizations for trends
• Compare to previous periods and goals
• Highlight wins and address setbacks honestly

Practical Exercise

Summary

• Focus on metrics that connect to business goals
• Use GA4 for traffic and engagement analysis
• Search Console provides search-specific performance data
• Dashboards enable ongoing monitoring
• Effective reports communicate value and guide decisions