Free digital marketing report sample PDF: Build reports clients will actually read

If you’ve ever sent a client report and immediately wondered, “Did they even open it?”—you’re not alone.

Most agencies could use a level-up on their reporting process: One that makes key performance indicators obvious, ties marketing efforts to business growth, and helps keep clients informed without eating up your entire week.

Our team has pored over real client reports from our community of more than 7,000 marketing agencies and compiled the insights into a collection of sample reports–broken down to illustrate the elements that make them shine.

Today, we’re taking a look at the best ways to use the AgencyAnalytics reporting platform to create stronger, clearer, more client-friendly reports—and sharing a free download packed with tips and tricks from high performing agencies.

Why most client reports fall flat even when the data is “good”

Let’s be honest: The problem usually isn’t the data.

It’s the way we present the data.

A lot of reports are basically:

• Raw numbers

• Charts with no explanation

• Screenshots from Google Ads

• A wall of performance metrics

• No executive summary

• No next steps

This makes it hard for the client to see the big picture, and understand your agency’s ROI.

The standout reports in our guide all have one thing in common: They were built with intention. Structure, context, and readability were treated as equally important to the key data points.

What makes a great digital marketing report?

According to the data from our community, the best reports consistently focus on three areas: visual design, data storytelling, and brand reinforcement.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

1) Visual design: Make it scannable, not “pretty”

Your goal isn’t to win a design award. It’s to make sure your client can find the important stuff in 30 seconds.

The guide recommends:

• Icons next to numbers

• Consistent layouts (same placement for headers and widgets)

• Strong color contrast using your brand colors

• Limited visual noise and more white space

AgencyAnalytics makes this easier because your report template can be reused and standardized, so you’ll ensure consistency without rebuilding every month.

2) Data storytelling: Don’t just show metrics, explain them

The guide calls out a key point: Great reporting goes beyond showing what changed. It explains what it means and why it matters.

That includes:

• Leading with a report summary

• Adding short context under graphs to explain shifts

• Choosing the right visuals (line charts for trends, bar charts for comparison)

• Tying metrics to outcomes (not just “up 12%”)

This is the difference between a client report sample that looks impressive and one that actually drives better decisions.

3) Brand reinforcement: Make your report feel like your agency

Clients are paying for more than results. They’re paying for confidence.

The guide recommends using AgencyAnalytics features like:

• Drag-and-drop cover page editor with logo and brand colors

• Brand images as section dividers

• Subtle textures/patterns as background accents

• Contact details on each page or at the end

The anatomy of a standout client report: Steal this structure

Every strong sample in the guide follows a similar flow across channels: SEO, social media reports, and paid advertising / PPC. That’s because with AgencyAnalytics, it’s easy to track cross-channel metrics across more than 80 marketing platform integrations, following a uniform structure that you customize according to your client’s needs.

Here’s the reporting structure that works

This layout works whether you’re sending a one page summary or a full multi-channel marketing report.

Best practices to level up your AgencyAnalytics reports

Below are the best ways to take advantage of the AgencyAnalytics reporting tools pulled directly from the guide’s annotations and sample layouts.

1) Start with a high-value executive summary

In the SEO sample report, the guide recommends starting with a concise summary of results, including:

• Key wins

• What work was done this month

• Recommendations

• Next steps

In the PPC sample, it reinforces the same thing: Provide an overall executive summary, highlight key wins, and add actionable recommendations.

What to include in your summary

A strong executive summary should answer:

• What happened during this reporting period?

• What were the key metrics and key performance indicators?

• What was completed (completed tasks and completed milestones)?

• What needs attention (like underperforming ads)?

• What are the future strategies?

This is what keeps clients informed without forcing them to interpret 10 pages of charts.

We use the digital marketing report the most. It really makes it easy to place all performance reporting in one place. We have used other reporting templates in the past but AgencyAnalytics templates are not only easy to use as an agency but they are great for our partners to easily view the KPI's and digest the information in a fast efficient way.

Justin Hual, Co-Founder and COO, HIP Creative

2) Show “Work Done” and project progress

One of the smartest things in the SEO sample is the “Work Done This Month” section. It shows performance, of course, but more importantly, it showcases progress.

That’s critical for client communication, because many marketing campaigns take time.

The guide highlights using this section to:

• Show what was delivered

• Reinforce operational speed

• Connect tasks to outcomes

Why this matters for agency leaders

Beyond results, a client report is also about protecting the relationship.

When you show project progress clearly, you reduce:

• “What are we paying you for?”

• Churn risk

• Surprise dissatisfaction

(And yes, this is a form of risk management.)

3) Add context under every chart (yes, seriously)

In the SEO sample, the guide recommends using a short section summary to explain what the data means and adding short sentences under graphs to explain trends.

This is one of the biggest “reporting game changers” for client engagement.

Example: What context looks like

Instead of:

Organic traffic: 14,400 (up 18%)

Try:

Organic traffic rose 18% after we refreshed seasonal landing pages and improved internal linking. Bounce rate also dropped, which suggests visitors are finding the content more relevant.

Now the client sees a story with context instead of raw numbers.

4) Use the right visuals to match the message

The guide specifically calls out choosing the right visuals to most clearly illustrate each of the data points:

• Line charts for trends

• Bar charts for comparison

It also highlights the value of placing visuals beside results to make insights easier to interpret. A dramatic incline in conversions looks most impactful when clients can see the line skyrocket right after the campaign went live.

Bonus tip: Include at least one “big picture” view

Clients love seeing:

• Campaign performance trends over time

• Roll-ups across channels or locations

• Total website traffic and organic traffic movement

This is where AgencyAnalytics real time dashboards shine. With just a few clicks, it’s super easy to create customized dashboards with data visualization elements that paint the full picture of your agency’s ROI. 

5) Use a glossary to reduce confusion and improve trust

Many of the best reporting examples we saw within our community featured a glossary of data definitions so clients understand the terminology contained within the report. For clients who are non-marketers, a glossary is an invaluable tool that can dramatically improve engagement with your reports.

It’s a small addition that plays a vital role in:

• Transparency

• Better client feedback

• Fewer awkward calls

Examples of what to define

Include definitions for key metrics like:

• Bounce rate

• Engagement rate

• CTR

• Conversion rate

• Advertising spend metrics

• Cost per conversion

• Social media engagement metrics

If you want clients to trust the data you present, you need to make it understandable.

6) Use goal progress bars to show performance against targets

One of the strongest ways that agencies can reinforce their ROI is to set goals and show progress towards achieving them. The report samples in the guide recommend showing goal progress bars with branded widget colors and gradient variations to illustrate performance against targets.

This is huge for agencies, because clients don’t care about “more clicks.” They care about:

• Revenue

• Leads

• ROAS

• Ecommerce purchases

• Business growth

AgencyAnalytics makes it easy to add goal progress bars within reports, clearly demonstrating how the agency’s actions have led to valuable outcomes.

7) Add real-life campaign visuals (ads, posts, screenshots)

To provide ample context and ensure client understanding, the guide recommends adding real-life campaign visuals like:

• Actual ad screenshots

• Social post images next to metrics

These visuals improve comprehension and make insights more relatable. For example, when sharing the data on how this month’s social posts performed, the easiest way to ensure quick recognition is to provide a thumbnail image or embedded video.

Why this works

It connects performance metrics to something the client recognizes.

Instead of:

Instagram engagement increased

You can show:

• The post

• The social media metrics

• The engagement lift

• The key takeaways

8) Use roll-up metrics for multi-channel reporting

The PPC report sample recommends using roll-up metrics across all platforms to show the total collective impact of multi-channel efforts.

This is perfect for agency leaders running:

• Google ads

• Meta Ads

• TikTok Ads

• Email marketing

• SEO

• Social media reports

Clients want to see how everything works together, not a bunch of disconnected channel pages.

Especially for enterprise or franchise clients with multiple locations, roll-up reporting is a key method to simplify performance monitoring across a large number of individual items you’re tracking.

9) Break down granular metrics where it matters

Generally speaking, it’s wise to avoid going into too much granular detail in your client reports to prevent losing the client’s interest in a sea of data points. However, there are certain areas where diving deep into the data helps tell the story, and you won’t want to miss those opportunities. 

For example, sharing the top performing PPC keywords is a valuable conversation point that will provide important details as you discuss the next month’s strategy with the client.

Examples of “good granular”

• Top keywords (Google Ads)

• Best-performing ads (by conversion rate)

• Top social posts

• Highest-performing landing pages

• Best segments by region

The key is to include granular details intentionally instead of using them as a data dump.

10) Make your report feel like a conversation rather than a spreadsheet

One of the best relationship-building tips in the guide is contained within the sample social media report:

• Start sections with a conversational question to make storytelling more approachable

This is a great way to make your report feel like a client relationship tool instead of a static formal document.

Example:

Wondering how your social performance contributed to website activity?

That’s the kind of line that gets read.

Types of client reports agencies should have on deck

If you want to scale reporting without reinventing the wheel, build a small library of reusable client report templates.

Based on the guide’s structure, here are the most useful types of client reports:

This is also where free client report templates become a growth lever: you can standardize your reporting needs while still keeping reports customizable.

A simple checklist for building better client reports in AgencyAnalytics

Use this as your go-to report creation checklist.

Report setup

• Include both logos (agency + client)

• Add a clear report title

• Confirm the reporting period date range

• Add a table of contents

When we're onboarding new clients, there's a huge checklist of tasks to go through. It's a tedious and lengthy process. With AgencyAnalytics, the step for implementing reporting is a snap. Because you can create reports with just a few clicks, that whole process is effortless and anyone on the team can do it.

Graham Lumley, Director of Growth Marketing, Blackhawk Digital Marketing

Report content

• Executive summary with key takeaways

• Highlights and wins (celebrate what worked)

• Recommendations and future strategies

• Goal progress bars tied to client’s specific goals

• Visuals beside key data points

Report polish

• Glossary for key metrics and acronyms

• Consistent layouts and branding

• Contact details at the end

The goal: better reporting, better retention, a healthier agency

When agencies get reporting right, a few things happen fast:

• Informed clients = fewer check-in emails

• Better client communication = fewer misunderstandings

• Clearer performance metrics = easier renewals

• Stronger client relationships = longer retention

• Better reporting process = more time saved

• Agency grows because leadership isn’t stuck in reporting every Friday

The best client report sample isn’t the one with the most charts.

It’s the one that:

• Gives a concise overview

• Highlights key details

• Explains past performance

• Connects key performance indicators to project outcomes

• Makes next steps obvious

The AgencyAnalytics guide sums it up perfectly: Effective reporting comes from clear structure, scanability, and thoughtful context, then tailoring everything to the client’s goals and ongoing conversations.

Want the full digital marketing report sample PDF?

If you want to see full report examples across SEO, social media, and PPC, plus layout ideas you can copy directly into your own report template.