How do you report SEM feedback to clients?

1 Define your objectives

Before you start creating your SEM report, you need to define your objectives and align them with your client's expectations. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure the success of your SEM campaigns? How do they relate to your client's business goals and challenges? How often do you need to report on them? By answering these questions, you can set the scope and frequency of your SEM feedback and avoid confusion or disappointment.

2 Choose your tools

The next step is to choose the tools that will help you collect, organize, and visualize your SEM data. There are many options available, from Google Analytics and Google Ads to third-party platforms and software. Depending on your budget, preferences, and needs, you can use one or more tools to create your SEM report. The main criteria to consider are accuracy, reliability, compatibility, and ease of use.

3 Analyze your data

Once you have your tools ready, you need to analyze your data and extract the most relevant and meaningful insights for your client. You should focus on the KPIs that you defined in the first step and compare them to your benchmarks and targets. For example, you can look at metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost per click, return on ad spend, and quality score. You should also segment your data by different dimensions, such as keywords, ad groups, campaigns, devices, locations, and time periods.

4 Highlight your achievements

The next step is to highlight your achievements and show your client the value of your SEM services. You should emphasize the positive outcomes and impacts of your SEM campaigns, such as increased traffic, leads, sales, brand awareness, or customer loyalty. You should also quantify your achievements using numbers, percentages, or graphs and explain how they relate to your client's goals. For example, you can say "We increased your conversions by 25% and reduced your cost per conversion by 15% in the last quarter, which means you generated more revenue and profit from your SEM investment."

5 Identify your challenges

The next step is to identify your challenges and show your client the areas of improvement for your SEM campaigns. You should be honest and transparent about the negative or unexpected results and explain the reasons behind them. You should also provide solutions and suggestions on how to overcome them. For example, you can say "We noticed that your click-through rate dropped by 10% in the last month, which could be due to increased competition or seasonal fluctuations. We recommend that you update your ad copy and landing pages to make them more relevant and appealing to your audience."

6 Provide your recommendations

The final step is to provide your recommendations and show your client the next steps for your SEM campaigns. You should summarize your main findings and feedback and outline your action plan and timeline. You should also set realistic and measurable goals and expectations for the future and explain how you will track and report on them. For example, you can say "Based on our analysis and feedback, we suggest that you increase your budget for the high-performing keywords, test different ad formats and extensions, and optimize your landing page speed and design. We expect that these changes will improve your SEM performance and ROI in the next quarter. We will monitor your campaigns closely and send you a monthly report with the results and feedback."

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?