SEM Report Template With a Section-by-Section Example
This is a search engine marketing report template you can copy today: six sections, what belongs in each one, and a filled-in example so you can see what "done" looks like. The numbers in the example are made up to show the shape of a good report, not real client data.
If you want the full reasoning behind the structure, read our guide to search engine marketing reporting. If you need definitions for the metrics themselves, the nine SEM KPIs post covers each one. This page is only about the template.
The template at a glance
A monthly SEM report that gets read has six sections, in this order. If a section does not apply to the client, delete it rather than padding it.
- Executive summary. Three lines the client can read on a phone.
- Goals and scorecard. The agreed targets next to the actual numbers.
- Paid search performance. Google Ads by campaign.
- Organic search performance. Search Console clicks, impressions and movers.
- What, why, next. The analysis, one block per campaign or goal.
- Next period plan. Three actions, each with an owner.
Section 1: Executive summary
Most readers stop here, so this section has to stand on its own. Give the headline result against the goal, the one insight that explains it, and the one recommendation you want a decision on. Keep it under a hundred words.
Example. August spend was $12,400, up 4% on July. Conversions rose 19% to 318 and cost per acquisition fell from $45 to $39, beating the $42 target. The gain came from moving budget out of the broad "software" campaign into the brand and competitor campaigns. Recommendation: hold the shift for September and add $1,500 to the competitor campaign, which is still limited by budget.
Section 2: Goals and scorecard
Put the targets you agreed with the client at the start of the engagement next to this period's actuals and last period's actuals. Four to six rows is plenty. A scorecard with twenty rows is a data dump wearing a suit.
| Metric | Target | This month | Last month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversions | 300 | 318 | 267 |
| Cost per acquisition | $42 | $39 | $45 |
| Return on ad spend | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Organic clicks | 9,000 | 9,420 | 8,870 |
| Organic conversions | 120 | 131 | 118 |
If a target was missed, say so in this section rather than hoping the reader does not notice. The explanation belongs in section 5.
Section 3: Paid search performance
One table by campaign with impressions, clicks, click-through rate, average cost per click, conversions, cost per acquisition and return on ad spend. Then one line chart showing conversions and cost per acquisition over the last six months, because a single month tells nobody whether things are getting better.
Order the columns from vanity to impact: impressions first, revenue last. The reader's eye should finish on the number that pays the invoice.
Example. Brand: 41,200 impressions, 6.1% click-through, $1.10 cost per click, 142 conversions at $19. Competitor: 18,900 impressions, 2.8% click-through, $2.90 cost per click, 61 conversions at $25, budget-limited 22 days of 31. Broad "software": 96,000 impressions, 1.1% click-through, $2.40 cost per click, 115 conversions at $59.
Ready to streamline your reporting?
MetricsWatch pulls twelve sources into one white-label report, delivered on your schedule: Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, Google Sheets, Microsoft Advertising, Facebook Ads, Facebook Pages, Instagram, LinkedIn Ads, LinkedIn Pages, and Mailchimp. Starts at $49/month. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Section 4: Organic search performance
Search engine marketing includes organic, so the report should too. From Search Console, show total clicks and impressions against last month, average position for the client's five most important queries, and the three pages that gained or lost the most clicks. Skip keyword rankings for hundreds of terms. Nobody reads them and they hide the story.
Example. Organic clicks 9,420, up 6%. Impressions 412,000, up 11%, which means we are appearing for more queries than we are winning. The pricing page moved from position 8 to 5 on "project management software pricing" and gained 340 clicks. The integrations page lost 190 clicks after a competitor published a comparison. Recommendation in section 5.
Section 5: What, why, next
This is the section that earns the retainer. For each campaign or goal that moved, write three short paragraphs: what happened, why it happened, and what you will do about it. The "why" is the part clients cannot get from a dashboard, so spend your time there.
Example. What: cost per acquisition on the broad "software" campaign rose from $51 to $59. Why: two new search terms, "free software" and "software jobs", took 14% of clicks and converted at zero; both were added as negatives on the 22nd. Next: expect the campaign to return to about $50 in September; if it does not by the 15th, we cut its budget by a further $1,000 and move it to competitor terms.
Section 6: Next period plan
Three actions at most, each with a date and a name. This section is what the next report's executive summary will be judged against, so write it as a promise you are willing to be measured on.
- Add $1,500 to the competitor campaign budget by 3 September.
- Publish a comparison page answering the competitor's article by 20 September.
- Add sitelink extensions to the brand campaign by 10 September.
Which chart goes where
Three rules cover almost every case. Line charts for anything over time, so conversions and cost per acquisition by month. Bar charts for comparing campaigns or ad groups against each other. A single large number, sometimes called a scorecard, for spend, conversions and return on ad spend at the top of a section. Pie charts do not appear in this template.
How often to send it
Send the full six-section report monthly. If the client wants more, send a weekly snapshot that is only sections 1 and 2, with no analysis. Weekly analysis on paid search invites reactions to noise, and it costs you a day a week per client.
Tools that fill in the template for you
You can build this template by hand in Google Slides or a spreadsheet. Most agencies stop doing that around the fifth client. The tools below each solve a different part of the problem, and the prices were checked on the vendor pricing pages on 4 September 2026. They change often, so confirm before you quote one to a client.
| Tool | What it does with this template | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Looker Studio | Free connectors for Google Ads, Analytics and Search Console. You design every page yourself and the client opens a dashboard. | Free |
| MetricsWatch | Sends the finished report by email, white-labelled, on a schedule. Built for agencies that want the client to read the report rather than log in to anything. | $49 per month, 14-day trial, no card |
| Supermetrics | Moves the raw data into Google Sheets, Looker Studio or a warehouse. You still build the report. | From $44 per month, billed annually |
| Whatagraph | Visual cross-channel dashboards and scheduled reports for larger teams. Sold through a demo rather than self-serve. | From EUR 699 per month, billed annually |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this template for an SEO-only client?
Yes. Delete section 3, expand section 4 into two sections (queries and pages), and keep everything else. The executive summary, scorecard and what-why-next structure work for any channel.
What is the difference between this report and a dashboard?
A dashboard shows the numbers and leaves the interpretation to the reader. A report includes sections 5 and 6, which are the interpretation. Clients who pay a retainer are paying for those two sections.
How long should the finished report be?
Two to four pages for a monthly report with one paid and one organic channel. If it runs longer, something is in the wrong section or should not be in the report at all.
Get the report sent for you
MetricsWatch builds this report from your Google Ads, Google Analytics 4 and Search Console data and emails it to the client on the schedule you choose, with your branding. Plans start at $49 per month for two reports, with a 14-day trial and no card required. See how the reports work or start a trial.
