What Are SEO Advanced Reports & Why Do They Matter?

If you're investing in SEO, you need to know whether your efforts (or those of your agency) are paying off. That's where SEO advanced reports come in. These reports go beyond basic rankings and traffic numbers, providing a deep dive into your website’s performance, technical health, and opportunities for growth.

But here’s the big question: What should you expect to see in an advanced SEO report, and what does it actually tell you about your website? Let’s break it down.

1. Key Metrics You Should Expect to See

A well-structured SEO advanced report should include a mix of technical, content, and performance-related insights. Here are the key elements:

A. Search Engine Visibility & Rankings

• Keyword rankings (with historical comparisons)

• SERP features (e.g., featured snippets, local pack, People Also Ask)

• Competitor rankings for key terms

  
  

B. Organic Traffic & User Behaviour

• Total organic visitors & trends over time

• Bounce rate (how quickly visitors leave your site)

• Click-through rate (CTR) from search results

• Pages per session (how engaged users are with your site)

  
  

C. Technical SEO Health

• Site speed and Core Web Vitals

• Mobile-friendliness scores

• Indexing issues and crawl errors

• Structured data implementation

D. Backlink Profile & Authority

• Number and quality of backlinks

• Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA)

• Toxic/spammy backlinks to disavow

E. Local SEO Performance (For Local Businesses)

• Google Business Profile (GBP) insights

• Local keyword rankings

• Citation consistency across directories

2. What Do These Metrics Tell You About Your Website?

Each of these metrics paints a picture of your website’s health and effectiveness in search results. Here’s how to interpret the data:

✅ If your rankings are improving, your content and SEO strategy are working. If not, it’s time to review your approach.

✅ If organic traffic is high but conversion rates are low, your website might need better calls-to-action (CTAs) or a more user-friendly design.

✅ If technical issues exist (slow site speed, indexing problems, etc.), they could be holding back your rankings—even if your content is great.

✅ If your backlink profile is weak or full of toxic links, your authority in Google’s eyes may be low, meaning you need a link-building strategy.

✅ If your local SEO rankings are struggling, your Google Business Profile or citations might need optimisation.

3. What Should You Expect from an SEO Agency’s Reports?

When working with an SEO agency, you should expect clear, actionable insights rather than just raw data.

A quality SEO report should:

• Explain trends in simple terms

• Highlight what’s working and what’s not

• Provide next steps and recommendations

• Show a clear return on investment (ROI) for your SEO efforts

Be wary of agencies that provide vague reports with little explanation. If they’re just sending over keyword rankings without context, they’re not offering true value.

4. How to Use SEO Reports to Improve Your Business

Once you have the insights, what’s next? Here’s how to take action based on your report:

🔹 Improve pages with high impressions but low CTR – Optimise titles and meta descriptions.

🔹 Fix technical issues – Address slow loading speeds, broken links, and indexing errors.

🔹 Boost underperforming content – Update old blog posts, add fresh keywords, and improve readability.

🔹 Build authority – Earn high-quality backlinks and improve domain trust.

🔹 Refine local SEO – Ensure GBP is fully optimised and local citations are accurate.

The Power of Data-Driven SEO Decisions

SEO advanced reports are more than just numbers—they’re a roadmap to improving your website’s performance. Whether you’re analysing them yourself or working with an agency, knowing what to look for ensures you’re making informed, strategic decisions.