SEM (Search Engine Marketing) reporting - Complete guide

SEM reporting is the key to understanding the performance of your search engine marketing efforts. 

And this is not just about tracking clicks and impressions. It’s about turning raw data into actionable insights that help optimize campaigns. 

But with so much data available, the challenge is knowing what to track and how to use it effectively. 

Don’t worry - we’re here to help. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through SEM reporting essentials. It includes KPIs you should be tracking, best practices to keep in mind, and how to present data to drive better decisions. 

What is search engine marketing?

Search engine marketing (SEM) is about getting your business noticed on Google and other search engines. 

To do this, it combines paid ads (PPC) and organic tactics (SEO) to drive traffic and bring in new potential customers. 

When done right, SEM can take your business to the top of search results. In other words, it makes sure people find you when they are looking for what you offer.

SEM vs SEO vs PPC

What are the differences between SEM, SEO, and PPC? 

It’s very simple. SEM is the big picture, as it includes both paid and organic tactics. 

SEO and PPC, on the other hand, are a bit more specific. While SEO focuses only on organic search visibility, PPC refers to paid ads. 

Still, all are key to building an effective marketing strategy. SEO and PPC work together to increase reach and engage more users. 

Let’s break down how they complement each other and when to use each approach.

PPC (paid search marketing)

PPC is a digital advertising model where businesses bid on keywords their potential customers are actively searching for. 

When they search for that keyword, they’re likely to see your website among the top results. Then, you pay a fee each time someone clicks on an ad—that’s why it’s called “pay-per-click”. 

In this way, PPC is an effective and quick way to drive traffic to your website. 

Just keep in mind that every click has a cost, so making smart decisions is crucial to maximizing your budget and making each click count. 

Relying on PPC tools can help you do that. These support you throughout the whole process—from keyword research to performance tracking.

SEO (organic search marketing)

SEO refers to the process of optimizing your website content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

The goal is to attract free, organic traffic from Google and other search engines by ranking as high as possible for relevant keywords. Then, you can use Google Analytics to track your SEO efforts over time. 

This is not complex, but it does take time and effort. That said, SEO is one of the most effective long-term digital marketing strategies.

What is SEM reporting?

Let’s say you’ve successfully launched your PPC and SEO campaigns. Now, it’s time to bring it all together. 

That’s where SEM reporting comes in. This is where you gather and analyze all the available data to assess the performance of your campaigns. 

It focuses specifically on paid search campaigns to help you analyze your return on investment. 

It also highlights channel performance across different metrics, such as conversion rates or cost per click (CPC).

Search engine marketing reports should answer questions such as:

• How much money did we spend on our online ad campaigns?
• What was the return on investment (ROI) of our SEM campaigns?
• What keywords did we bid on, and how well did they perform?
• How many impressions and clicks did our ads receive?
• What was our click-through rate (CTR)?
• Which ad copy performed the best and the worst?
• What does our competition look like, and how are they performing?
• Depending on your strategy, your reports may include various search engine reporting data from Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other regional search engines like Baidu and Yandex.

Ultimately, the goal is to uncover insights that help optimize paid ad campaigns and improve ROI. 

To do this, you need to know the basic elements of SEM reports, which we'll cover next.

10 KPIs to track for any SEM reporting

SEM reporting is all about understanding metrics. Therefore, tracking the right KPIs (key performance indicators) is essential for measuring the success of your SEM campaigns. 

Below, we break down the 10 most important KPIs to pay attention to in your SEM report.

1. Organic traffic

Organic traffic refers to the number of visitors coming to your site naturally from search engines—no ads, just SEO efforts.  

It’s a key indicator of how well your content and keywords are working to attract the right audience. 

If your organic traffic is growing, your SEO strategy is paying off. But if it’s dropping, here are a few ideas to help you boost it:

• Focus on creating valuable content
• Optimize content for search intent
• Improve site speed and user experience

Just a quick note—organic traffic is not the same as direct traffic, which comes from users who type your website URL directly into their browser.

2. Impressions (a.k.a. reach) 

Impressions are the number of times your ad has been shown to potential customers. In other words, they measure how often your ad or organic listing appears in search results. 

A high number of impressions indicates strong visibility. ‍The more impressions you get, the more likely users will click on your content.

But here’s the trick—impressions don’t always mean engagement. You could be getting tons of them, but if no one’s clicking, they are not doing much good.  

To maximize impact, analyze impressions alongside other metrics. For example, pair it with CTR (click-through rate) to assess if visibility is translating into actual traffic and revenue.

3. Quality score

Quality score is an SEM metric that helps advertisers measure the quality of their keyword list. 

In general, a high-quality score means your keywords are relevant to the user's search intent. This means that they are more likely to click and convert. 

It's important to note that you can't control your quality score. This depends on how well your keyword list matches up with users' queries. 

Try mixing things up. Test different versions of your content until you find the keywords that actually get results. 

4. Click-through rate (CTR)

Click-through rate (CTR) is a key performance indicator that measures the number of clicks compared to the number of impressions. It’s calculated as (clicks ÷ impressions) × 100.

A high CTR suggests that your copy or keywords are resonating with users. On the other hand, a low CTR may indicate the need for better targeting or more compelling messaging.

When analyzing this metric, ask yourself: 

• Are there certain keywords or copy variations that have higher CTR than others? 
• What other factors affect CTR? For example, does geographical location matter? 
• How does CTR vary over time? 

5. Cost per click (CPC)

CPC is the amount you pay for each click on an ad. It’s a key metric in PPC, especially when using platforms like Google Ads. 

All in all, it helps advertisers understand the cost-effectiveness of their campaigns. For example, a lower CPC is great news—it means you’re driving more traffic for a lower cost, maximizing your budget. 

Some factors that influence this metric are keyword competition, quality score, bidding strategy, and ad rank. To lower CPC, you can try these tactics:

• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions to attract more clicks
• Use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic
• Experiment with different bidding strategies

6. Bounce rate

Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who leave your page without taking any additional action, such as clicking a link, filling out a form, or navigating to another page. 

• For SEO, a high bounce rate may indicate irrelevant content, poor UX, or slow loading times.
• For PPC, it can signal a poor landing page experience, unclear ad messaging, or ineffective targeting. 

Keep track of your bounce rate on Google Analytics, as your goal is to reduce it. This helps keep visitors engaged and boosts your chances of turning them into customers. 

7. Conversion rate

Conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors who take a desired action. This may include filling out a form, subscribing, or making a purchase. 

• For SEO, a high conversion rate shows that organic traffic is high-quality. This could also mean that your content is relevant and well-targeted.
• For PPC, it ensures that your paid traffic is converting efficiently. This may justify ad spend or help you identify how to relocate the budget between campaigns. 

A low conversion rate, for either SEO or PPC, often signals issues with landing pages, CTAs, or audience targeting.  

8. Cost per conversion (CPC)

This metric shows how much you spend to get a single conversion. A conversion may be a purchase, a form submission, or any other desired action. It’s calculated as: 

CPA = Total Ad Spend ÷ Total Conversions

This is one of the most important KPIs for SEM because it highlights if your actions are actually bringing revenue. 

A low CPA means you're acquiring conversions efficiently. On the other hand, a high CPA may indicate poor targeting, ineffective landing pages, or unoptimized bidding strategies.

To improve CTA, consider these tactics:

• Refining targeting
• Optimizing landing pages
• Adjusting bidding strategies
• Improving copy to attract high-intent customers

9. Return on ad spend (ROAS)

ROAS measures the revenue generated per dollar spent on ads, helping you assess overall profitability.

ROAS = Revenue from ads ÷ Ad spend

A high ROAS means your campaign is performing well and generating strong returns—good job! 

On the flip side, a low ROAS means there is room for improvement in efficiency and profitability. 

To improve ROAS, start by working on KPIs like CTR and conversion metrics tracked in Google Analytics. 

10. Ad position

Ad position refers to where your ad appears on a search engine results page (SERP) relative to other ads. 

It’s a key metric in platforms like Google Ads for a simple reason— higher positions lead to more visibility and clicks.

That said, landing on the first result isn’t always necessary. A good strategy is about finding a balance between cost, position, and ROI.

Factors that impact ad position are:

• Bid Amount
• Quality score
• Competition
• Ad extensions and formats

6 best practices for making effective SEM reports

SEM involves mixing and matching different metrics to understand organic and paid performance. 

Yes, we get it—sometimes they can feel overwhelming, with a stream of numbers that are hard to track, let alone interpret.

That’s why it’s important to present these numbers in a way that is easy to digest. 

Let’s explore some best practices to create effective and compelling SEM reports that actually drive actionable insights. 

Define clear goals and KPIs

Before compiling data, establish what story you want to tell through your metrics. To do this, start by establishing clear goals for the report.

Are you measuring organic traffic, paid efforts, or overall SEM performance? 

Identify the most relevant KPIs to ensure the report aligns with business goals. 

Focus on actionable insights, not just data

Numbers alone don’t really tell the whole story. Without context, they are just that—plain numbers. 

Try to complement them with trend analysis, performance comparison, and recommended improvements. 

What do these numbers tell you about traffic and performance? Highlight what’s working and what needs adjustments.

Providing actionable takeaways helps clients or stakeholders make informed decisions.  

Use visuals for better clarity

Charts, graphs, and tables make complex data easier to understand. Look for reporting tools that offer visual assets like trend lines, pie charts, and heat maps. 

These will enhance your report and help present insights clearly for your audience. 

For example, use visuals to illustrate performance changes, highlight trends over time, and compare key metrics. 

Segment data for deeper analysis

Not all SEM efforts perform the same or follow the same patterns. Some campaigns may thrive on mobile. Others may do better with a specific audience or in certain locations. 

To spot trends, break down your report by campaign, audience, device, and geography. This will let you see what’s working, what’s not, and where to optimize for even better results. 

Compare performance over time

Performance metrics aren’t just isolated numbers. They reflect a long-term journey of ups, downs, and trends. 

Use that information to gain deeper insights into performance and make informed decisions for future optimization. 

To do this, track metrics week-over-week, month-over-month, or year-over-year. This allows you to evaluate seasonal patterns, campaign effectiveness, and long-term growth. 

Customize reports for your audience

Make sure your report speaks to the right audience. 

Are you presenting to executives? They’ll appreciate a quick, high-level summary. Marketing teams? They’ll likely need a deep dive with all the technical details. 

When you craft your report to match your audience, it instantly becomes more useful and way more impactful. 

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Top 3 SEM reporting software

As we’ve covered so far, SEM reporting tools are all about gathering the right data and tracking trends over time. 

But it doesn’t stop there—the next step is presenting all the information in a way that’s easy to understand and act on. 

Could you do this manually? Sure. But it’s time-consuming and prone to errors that can mess up your results.

Luckily, there are reporting tools that streamline the process—saving time and ensuring accuracy. 

Let’s dive in. 

Reporting Ninja 

Reporting Ninja is a powerful reporting platform that turns SEM data into clear, actionable insights with custom reports.  

It allows you to manipulate Google Ads or Google Analytics data to display the information most important to you. 

Key features

Easy-to-use reporting tool

Reporting Ninja enables users to create in-depth reports in just a few clicks—no hassle, no coding, just simple drag-and-drop. 

Its intuitive report editor lets you build and customize your reports, and implement ready-to-use templates to save time and maintain consistency.

Unified data connections

Reporting Ninja centralizes all your SEM data in one single place, making reporting effortless. 

It allows you to connect to multiple data sources—from Google Ads to Google Analytics—to get a clear, complete view of your performance. 

Automated marketing report scheduling

SEM data is constantly updating. With Reporting Ninja, you can schedule reports to be sent automatically—weekly, monthly, or on your own timeline. 

Recipients receive the latest insights straight to their inbox, without any extra work on your end.  

Pricing 

Reporting Ninja provides a flexible, all-in-one pricing plan that includes all features and combines three powerful solutions in a single package.

Where Reporting Ninja shines

• Simplicity and customization: Whether you prefer custom-built reports or ready-made templates, Reporting Ninja allows you to tailor them to fit your needs in just a few clicks.
• Seamless data integration: It allows you to easily connect multiple SEM, SEO, and PPC tools to get a complete view of your performance in one place.
• Automation and efficiency: No more manual reporting—scheduled, auto-updating reports keep everything running smoothly with less effort.
• Pricing: No hidden fees—just one single plan that includes all features, integrations, and destinations. 

Where Reporting Ninja falls short

• Setup time: While the platform is easy to use, getting started may require some initial setup. 
• No free plan: There's a free trial to test things out, but continuous access requires a paid plan. 

Customer reviews

“We used to spend hours immersed in spreadsheets and gathering data. Thanks to Reporting Ninja, we've transformed that process. Automation has freed up my team, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: crafting effective strategies” Daniel Kristoffersen | Fox Real Estate

Who Reporting Ninja is best for

• Marketing agencies that want an easy way to centralize data from multiple sources, like Google Analytics and Google Ads.
• In-house marketing teams looking for a simple, automated SEM reporting tool.
• Companies that want a simple way to monitor site performance and user engagement.
• Businesses focused on organic growth that need a dedicated SEO reporting solution.

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AgencyAnalytics

AgencyAnalytics is a reporting platform designed for digital marketing agencies to monitor and showcase their clients’ performance metrics. 

Key features

• Multi-channel integration: Connects with platforms like Google Analytics, Ads, and Search Console for a unified dashboard.
• User-friendly interface: Provides an intuitive design that simplifies data visualization and analysis.
• Preset templates: Offers ready-to-use templates for quick setup. 

Where AgencyAnalytics shines

• Easy and efficient: Simple setup with time-saving automation.
• White label customization: It allows users to customize reports with their logo and style if necessary.
• Automated data sync: Seamlessly pulls and updates data from multiple sources

Where AgencyAnalytics falls Short

• Extra cost for more clients: Adding clients beyond the base plan means additional fees, which can be a major disadvantage for growing agencies.
• Limited customization: While there are plenty of templates, the design options can feel restrictive for those wanting fully customized reports.
• Premium features in higher plans: Some advanced tools, like certain integrations and white-label options, are only available in pricier plans.
• Lacks advanced analytics features: While the platform offers extensive features, there may be limitations in advanced analytics compared to other tools.

Customer reviews

"Platform is great, but pricing doesn't make any sense" - Adam R., verified G2 user

Who AgencyAnalytics is best for 

• Agencies with multiple clients who require branded reports.
• Marketers seeking ready-to-use report templates with easy setup.

Zoho Analytics 

Zoho Analytics is a self-service business intelligence (BI) and analytics platform that enables users to create insightful data visualizations and dashboards with ease. 

Key features

• AI-powered analytics: Includes natural language querying and automated insights.
• Visualization tools: Provides over 50 visualization options with a drag-and-drop interface.
• Collaboration: Supports secure sharing and role-based access

Where Zoho Analytics shines 

• User-friendly interface designed for users without extensive technical expertise.
• Comprehensive data integration unifying business analytics.
• AI-powered insights to spot trends and patterns in data.

Where Zoho Analytics falls short

• Takes time to learn: Zoho Analytics is a powerful BI tool, but it takes time to fully explore its features.
• More than you might need: If you’re only looking to create SEM reports, you might end up paying for advanced analytics features you don’t need.
• Premium features cost extra: Some advanced analytics and AI-driven insights are only available in higher-tier plans.

Customer reviews 

“Zoho Analytics provides a wide range of options including charts, graphs, pivot tables, and dashboards. (...) Sometimes understanding complex analytics takes a very long time. The learning curve to understand is much higher.” - Gopi T., verified G2 user. 

Who Zoho Analytics is best for 

• Businesses looking for advanced data visualization and predictive analytics.
• Analysts who need to blend data from multiple sources for deeper insights. 

Drive better results with accurate SEM reporting

Great SEM reporting isn’t just about collecting data. It’s about turning numbers into insights that help you make better decisions. 

By tracking the right KPIs, segmenting data, and using visuals, you can spot trends, optimize campaigns, and improve your ROI.

But let’s be real—manual reporting is a headache. That’s why Reporting Ninja makes it easy with automated, customizable reports that pull all your SEM data into one place. 

Start crafting insightful, data-driven reports in just a few clicks with Reporting Ninja—start the free trial now!  

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