An SEO report for a client has one job: show what changed, why, and what happens next, in numbers the client can check. In 2026 it has a second job, because clients now ask whether ChatGPT and Google’s AI recommend them. Below is a monthly SEO report template that covers both, with the source of every number and the caveat that goes with it.
SEOFOMO surveyed 171 search professionals in 36 countries, a small community sample[6]; data timings are from Google’s help pages[1].
Build your SEO report template
Pick the sections your client needs, add their name and the month, and copy the template. Each section lists the metrics, where they come from and the caveat to tell the client. It works as an SEO audit report template too: keep the technical health section and drop the rest.
# [Client]: SEO and AI visibility report, [Month Year] ## 1. Summary - The one change that mattered most this month: - What we did: - What we will do next: _Source: Your own notes. Note: Write this last, in three sentences. It is the only part some clients read._ ## 2. Google Search performance - Clicks and impressions, against the previous period: - Average position for priority queries: - Top pages by clicks: _Source: Google Search Console. Note: Search Console data arrives about 48 hours after collection, the newest days can be preliminary, and it keeps 16 months._ ## 3. AI visibility - Share of tracked buyer questions where AI assistants name the brand: - Share of voice against named competitors, with the range: - Positions held every week versus ones that rotate: _Source: AI visibility tracking. Note: AI answers vary between runs. Report trends over several weeks, never a single check._ ## 4. Sources AI cites - Domains cited most for the client's questions: - Sources that cite competitors but never the client: - Outreach done on those sources: _Source: Citation analysis. Note: Only engines that search the web cite sources: Perplexity and Google's AI features._ ## 5. Traffic from AI assistants - Sessions from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Copilot: - Conversions from those sessions: _Source: Google Analytics 4. Note: GA4 processing can take 24 to 48 hours. AI traffic is undercounted: some apps send no referrer, and clicks from Google's AI features count as organic._
An SEO report example, section by section
Where each number comes from, and its limits
| Shows | Limit to mention | |
|---|---|---|
| Search Console | Clicks, impressions, position, queries, pages | About 48 hours behind; newest days preliminary; 16 months kept |
| Generative AI report | AI Overviews and AI Mode impressions, pages | No clicks or queries |
| GA4 | Sessions, conversions, AI referrals | Processing can take 24 to 48 hours; AI traffic undercounted |
| AI visibility tracking | Whether assistants name the brand | Answers vary; report trends, not one run |
The details: Search Console data reaches Search Console and Analytics “48 hours after it is collected” and is kept for 16 months[1]; the newest data “can be preliminary”, shown as a dotted line[2]; GA4 processing “can take 24-48 hours”[3]; and the Generative AI performance report, available to all sites since 31 August 2026, shows impressions, pages, countries and devices for AI Overviews and AI Mode[5].
How to report AI visibility honestly
Questions people ask
What should an SEO report for a client include?
A short summary of what changed and why, Google Search performance against the previous period, and now AI visibility: whether AI assistants name the client for its buyers' questions, which sources they cite, and how much traffic AI sends. Add technical fixes and content shipped, and end with what happens next.
How often should I send SEO reports?
Monthly suits most clients. Search Console data arrives about 48 hours after collection and GA4 can take 24 to 48 hours to process, so send the report a few days after the month ends, not on the first.
Should I include AI visibility in client SEO reports?
If clients are asking, yes. In SEOFOMO's August 2026 survey of 171 search professionals, 98% had been asked about AI search visibility by clients or decision-makers. Report it as a trend over weeks, because AI answers vary from one run to the next.
Can I report on AI Overviews from Search Console?
Partly. Since August 2026 every site has Search Console's Generative AI performance report, which shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode by page, country and device. It does not show clicks or queries.
What is the best way to share an SEO report?
A live dashboard, such as Looker Studio, with view-only access, plus a short written summary. Looker Studio lets you invite people as viewers or share a link. The summary is what most clients read.