What the report has to do
A client report answers three questions in one page. Did anything change, what does it mean, and what happens next.
Everything else is an appendix nobody reads.
The filled report
Ridgeline Roofing, a fictional client, September 2026.
website: ridgelineroofing.example
period: 2026-09-01 to 2026-09-28, 28 days
compared to: 2026-08-04 to 2026-08-31, 28 days
timezone: Pacific Time, the source's own, applied to both periods
prepared by: Northline Studio
what we did
1. rewrote the title and description on three service pages
2. fixed two 404s left over from the August move
3. reconnected Search Console after the token expired on 12 September
search, from Search Console
measure this period previous change
impressions 4,180 3,240 +29.0%
clicks 146 118 +23.7%
click rate 3.49% 3.64% -0.15 points
average position 12.4 14.1 -1.7 places
arithmetic used
clicks / impressions = 146 / 4180 = 3.49%
previous = 118 / 3240 = 3.64%
change in clicks = (146 - 118) / 118 = 23.7%
new impressions = 4180 - 3240 = 940
rewritten pages = 562 / 940 = 59.8%
what we could not read
The connection to Search Console was down from 12 to 18 September.
Both columns are missing those six days, so neither is a full month.
Search Console still holds the days, and they can be read after reconnecting.
The 29% is a difference between two partial months, not a floor.
Conversions are unavailable: the property has no key events.
what we learned
- the three rewritten pages gained 562 of the 940 new impressions
- the click rate fell slightly while impressions grew, which happens
when new queries arrive at a lower average position
- one service page still has no impressions after 60 days
what is next
1. rewrite the title on the page with no impressions
2. configure one key event so the next report can show what follows
3. read the 28 days after 1 October, and compare like for like
what this report does not say
It does not claim the rewrite caused the 23.7%.
The window is open, and impressions were rising in August too.
Why every number has a denominator
A count alone cannot be read. 146 clicks is good or bad depending on 4,180 impressions or 40,000.
So the click rate sits beside the count, with the division written out. A reader can check the arithmetic without asking you.
Why the periods have to match
28 days against 28 days keeps the weekday mix similar. A calendar month against a calendar month does not, and 30 days against 28 flatters the longer one.
Write both ranges above the table. If a period is shorter, say so.
Why the timezone is named
Search Console reports its days in Pacific Time. A reader in another timezone sees the same range, split differently.
Name the source timezone above the table. A client comparing your totals with their own dashboard is usually looking at a different day boundary.
Acceptance: send it when
- both periods have the same number of days, or the difference is stated
- every percentage names what it is a percentage of
- a missing source is named, with the dates it was missing
- the next step is one action rather than a theme
- nothing in it claims the change caused the movement
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks fell while impressions rose | New queries arrive lower in the results | Read position, not clicks, and say so |
| Numbers disagree with the client’s screenshots | Different date range or timezone | Agree the exact ranges before explaining |
| Search Console shows a gap | Token expired or access was lost | Name the dates, and read the missing days |
| Every month looks flat | No new pages and no new queries | Say it, and propose one test |
| Sessions appear but no events | No key events configured | Configure one before predicting anything |
Limits
One period is not a trend. Two periods are a comparison.
This template describes one site. A roster repeats the table per site, and the arithmetic does not change.