After spending hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars, there are pretty good chance that your boss or client will ask you for some reports.

Reporting on a regular basis is an inevitable task for any business measuring ROI for their ad budgets.

There are number of data you can show to the people, but we will focus on the ones we think are the most important. Make sure that your reports are digestible, easy to understand and appropriate for the audience at hand.

How to create PPC reports

Don’t include too much data in reports

Your first step should be to remove all the unnecessary charts, graphs, screenshots, etc. It’s harder to create action items when you have too much information. Include the information that will help guide your decision or that is valuable to the client’s business.

Show results

Providing wide lens context from the start is going to make for a much stronger meeting. When showing the results, tie everything back to your business or marketing goals.

PPC metrics to include

While Google offers tons of really granular measuring tools for very specific numbers, there are a few key metrics that you should include in every PPC report. Metrics we recommend are: clicks, costs, conversions, cost per conversion and return on ad spend. For recipients who are not used to looking at PPC reports, you can even translate the PPC terms into business terms.

Use graphs

Including trend graphs helps them visualize performance and ask questions, especially if there are peaks or dips in traffic and conversions.

Explain changes

With each trend graph, you should include a brief explanation. A sentence or two is all you want here. If you start including long paragraphs of text on your reports, then that’s a hint that the data isn’t speaking for itself and you need to re-think which metrics you’re including.

Short conclusion

Following these tips you’ll have the building blocks you need to have a smart, efficient conversation about your PPC performance. By spending less time hunting for insights from your reports, you can spend more time on actually optimizing your accounts.