Agencies
The monthly client report that keeps agency clients: a template you can copy
Most client reports are 20 pages of charts the client never reads. The reports that keep clients are short, honest and end with a plan. Here is the structure we recommend.
By the ARIQ Editorial Team 4 min read
Ask agency owners why they lost a client and you will often hear a version of “they didn't see the value.” The work was being done. The results may even have been decent. But the monthly report was a pile of screenshots, and the client could not tell whether things were going well.
A good report fixes that. It does not need more data. It needs a clear order, plain language and a recommendation at the end. Here is the template we suggest, section by section.
The structure in one view
| Section | Length | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Summary | 3–5 sentences | Was this a good month, and why? |
| 2. Results against goals | One table | Are we on track for what we agreed? |
| 3. What we did | A short list | What did we spend our time on? |
| 4. Channel detail | One page per channel | Where did results come from? |
| 5. What didn't work | A few lines | What are we changing? |
| 6. Next month's plan | 3–5 actions | What happens next, and what do you need from me? |
1. Start with a plain-English summary
Write it last, put it first. Three to five sentences a busy owner can read on a phone between meetings. Lead with the result that matters most to them, which is usually leads or revenue, not impressions.
For example: “October brought 62 enquiries from the website, up from 48 in September. Most of the increase came from Google search after the new service pages went live. Meta ads cost more per lead this month because of festival-season competition; we have moved budget to the two best-performing ads. Next month we focus on the implants page, which is close to page one.”
2. Results against the goals you agreed
One small table: each goal, the target, this month, last month, and a simple status. If you never agreed goals with the client, agree them now. Without goals, every report is a debate about whether the numbers are good.
3. What you did this month
A short list of the work: pages published, campaigns launched, technical fixes, reviews requested. Clients pay for effort as well as outcomes, and they cannot see effort unless you show it. Keep it to what matters; nobody needs a log of every meeting.
4. Channel detail, one page each
Then the supporting evidence, one page per channel you manage. For each, show two or three numbers with a comparison to last month and last year, and one sentence explaining the change:
- SEO: organic clicks, key pages and keyword positions. Include a geo-grid for local businesses; see how geo-grid tracking works.
- Paid social: spend, results, cost per result and blended return. Explain gaps between platform and store numbers; we wrote about Meta and Shopify disagreeing.
- Paid search: spend, conversions, cost per conversion and the search terms that wasted money.
- Website: sessions by source and key events; the eight GA4 reports cover what to pull.
- Ecommerce: revenue, orders, conversion rate and average order value.
5. What didn't work
This section is the one most agencies leave out, and it is the one that builds the most trust. Say what underperformed, why you think it happened and what you are changing. Clients notice bad months anyway. Being the first to explain them keeps you in control of the story.
6. Next month's plan
End with three to five specific actions, plus anything you need from the client: photos, approvals, access, budget. A report that ends with a plan turns into a conversation about the future instead of an audit of the past.
Format and delivery
- Same day every month. Reliability is part of the service.
- Your branding, not your tool's. White-label reports with your logo and colours look like your work, because they are.
- A live link as well as a PDF. Clients forward links to partners and managers; PDFs get lost in email.
- Short. If a section never changes and nobody asks about it, drop it.
Spend the time on thinking, not screenshots
Gathering numbers from six platforms by hand eats the hours you should spend on the summary and the plan. ARIQ builds the channel pages automatically from GA4, Search Console, Google Ads, Meta, Shopify and more, in your branding, and ARIQ AI drafts the summary for you to edit. Reports can go out on a schedule, and our automations can email clients a progress update between reports. See a sample white-label report or compare plans.
Frequently asked questions
What should be included in a monthly marketing report?
A short summary, results against agreed goals, the work done, one page per channel with comparisons, what did not work and what is changing, and a plan for next month with anything you need from the client.
How long should a client report be?
As short as it can be while answering the client's questions. Many agencies find four to eight pages, or one scrolling live report, is enough. Lead with a summary that can be read in under a minute.
Should I show bad results in a client report?
Yes. Explaining a weak month, the reason and the fix builds more trust than hiding it. Clients usually notice anyway.