How to create effective local SEO reports: Tips, tools, and templates

AI-powered search, personalized map listings, and voice queries are reshaping search as we know it. Most businesses are still playing catch-up. 

In fact, according to the 2025 Marketing Agency Benchmarks Report, 57% of agency leaders agree that their top concern this year is the impact of AI on organic search performance. 

That said, we know that high-performing brands operate with a clear local marketing strategy. Despite the threat of AI encroaching on SERP performance, it’s still possible for your agency to deliver stellar local search results. 

Clients today are data-savvy–they want clear proof that their marketing investment is driving real-world impact. By presenting data in a way that’s visual, easy to digest, and tied to business outcomes, you prove your value and impress your clients, making them much more likely to keep you around.

This guide covers everything needed to build high-impact local SEO reports: the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most, and tools, templates, and dashboards that help agencies deliver comprehensive insights at scale.

What is a local SEO report?

A local search engine optimization (SEO) report is a detailed overview of clients' local SEO performance.

Clients hire agencies to make their lives easier, not drown them in spreadsheets they'll never read. They don’t want data overload; they want clarity. Your job is to translate the numbers into insights that actually mean something for their business.

The best reports are concise, easy to follow, and show the real impact of search engine optimization efforts. By turning relevant data into a story, agencies highlight what’s working and where changes can be made in a way that's easy for clients to understand.

Why local SEO reports matter more than ever in 2025

In 2025, search is fast, conversational, and powered by AI. Tools like GPT-5, Google Gemini, and other intelligent assistants are changing how people discover local businesses and the competition for visibility has never been tougher.

Instead of searching “best coffee shop near me,” users now ask for “the highest-rated cafe within 10 minutes that serves vegan pastries and has outdoor seating.” As search queries become more specific, clients need to adapt. Businesses that fine-tune their local SEO around specific neighborhoods, districts, and landmarks are the ones getting found.

For agencies, this evolution raises the bar. Visibility now depends on how clearly AI systems can understand, cite, and trust a business. Small businesses aren’t just competing in search results anymore. They’re battling for top spots in local pack rankings, voice queries, and AI-powered recommendations. That means accurate structured data, consistent citations, quality backlinks, and glowing reviews matter more than ever.

Reports tie it all together. With the right approach to local SEO reporting, you can show clients exactly how your work translates into higher rankings, stronger credibility, and foot traffic. When clients see that their business is surfacing naturally in AI-driven results, you become indispensable. 

In this new era of search, local SEO reporting is a matter of storytelling. Agencies that combine smart local SEO strategies with transparent, actionable reporting are the ones leading the pack and keeping their clients there, too.

Key metrics to include in a local SEO report

Whether you’re using a local rank tracker or building a local SEO dashboard overview, your goal is to take that data and transform it into organic search results clients care about. Here’s a breakdown of the metrics that matter most.

Local rankings

Clients love to know where they stand. Using a local rank tracker helps you show exactly how their keywords are performing across specific cities, regions, or even neighborhoods. 

For example, tracking “plumber near me” versus “emergency plumber in Chicago” can reveal valuable insights about search intent and competitiveness. Regular updates on ranking improvements help keep clients engaged and inspire confidence.

Google Business Profile performance

Your client’s Google Business Profile (GBP) is their digital storefront. In your local SEO report, highlight key metrics like impressions, clicks, direction requests, and calls. Showing month-over-month growth in GBP interactions demonstrates how your local SEO strategies for clients are driving real engagement from nearby customers.

The majority of people rely on Google for their search efforts, so you want to be where the people are. Having an active and informative Google Business Profile can be the difference between an instant connection and a pass to the next profile.

Hannah, Senior SEO Specialist, Delmain

Local rankings and organic traffic

Rankings don't mean much if clients aren't seeing real-world impact. Pair local keyword rankings and search volume with data from Google Analytics or Google Search Console to show how those rankings translate into website traffic and conversions. This combination helps you illustrate ROI and makes creating local marketing reports far more insightful.

Local backlinks

High-quality backlinks from local websites, directories, or news outlets can make or break local SEO efforts. Create local SEO reports that highlight new backlinks earned, their domain authority, and which local partnerships are paying off. It’s also a great way to align reports with items from your local SEO checklist, like outreach campaigns or citation updates.

Reviews and ratings

What prospecting clients look for in online reviews is changing. Star ratings alone don't tell the whole story. In today’s market, credibility is everything. In fact, 86% of consumers say reviews are the deciding factor in whether they trust a business, and 83% of consumers are more likely to trust a written review over a star rating alone.

Online reviews influence both rankings and customer trust. Show trends in review volume, average star ratings, and how quickly your client’s team is responding. You might even include examples of how improved ratings have boosted GBP clicks or calls.

What this means for you:

• Monitor reviews across Google Business Profile, Yelp, and other local platforms using your dashboards.

• Track response rates and speed as part of your local SEO report metrics.

• Help clients craft professional, empathetic responses to both positive and negative reviews.

• Highlight trends and opportunities in your reports, showing how engagement drives clicks, calls, and foot traffic.

NAP quality and consistency

Wherever your client's business shows up online, their Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) should be consistent. Any inconsistencies can damage trust and impede local visibility. Include a quick audit of NAP consistency across directories, listings, and social profiles along with your custom SEO reports so clients know their online presence is accurate across the board.

Say goodbye to Google Sheets and hello to SEO reporting software that makes sense. Try AgencyAnalytics free for 14 days.

5 best SEO reporting tools for local search performance

Thanks to the latest SEO reporting software for clients, it's never been easier to track rankings and showcase SEO performance. We'll compare reporting features and help you choose the right SEO tool to give you and your clients a competitive edge.

1. AgencyAnalytics: Best for automated, client-ready local SEO reports and real-time performance tracking.

Key features:

• The only Local SEO Reporting platform purpose-built for marketing agencies.

• White label reports keep your branding consistent and instill trust in clients.

• Competitor and keyword tracking compares your clients to local competitors and monitors their performance for targeted keywords in specific regions.

• Connect with Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, Search Console, Semrush, Ahrefs, and 80+ other platforms for up-to-date local data.

• AI insights and summaries reveal trends, local search challenges, and opportunities for each client.

• Customizable local SEO report templates set you up for success by automatically pulling in your clients’ real-time metrics.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $59/month for up to 5 users. Try it for free and take your local SEO reporting to the next level.

2. BrightLocal: Best for citation management and client reputation tracking

Key features:

• Automated citation building and auditing keeps client info consistent across directories.

• Local Search Audit tool analyzes over 300 data points and provides an overview of local search visibility.

• API support for custom reporting makes you look like a pro without writing a single line of code.

• Monitor reviews across multiple platforms for easy reputation management.

Pricing: Starts at $29/month.

3. Whitespark: Best for building local citations and finding link-building opportunities

Key features:

• Local citation finder helps you uncover new high-quality listing opportunities.

• Review monitoring to track and respond to customer reviews.

• Local rank tracking pinpoints the cause of search engine ranking dips across multiple locations and keywords.

• Competitor research to identify local link-building strategies.

• Integration with Google My Business and other relevant local search platforms.

Pricing: Starts at $1 per month, per location and varies widely depending on tool/service needs.

4. Moz Local: Best for managing multiple business listings

Key features:

• Automatic business listing distribution across 90+ top directories.

• GeoRank lets you see precise local results and track map pack rankings by area.

• AI-powered sentiment analysis identifies recurring themes in reviews.

• Integrates with Google Business Profile for actionable insights and updates.

Pricing: Starts at $20/month.

5. SE Ranking: Straightforward local SEO tracking and reporting for agencies at all levels of experience

Key features:

• Local and national rank tracking for multiple locations.

• Website audit for on-page SEO issues and optimization recommendations.

• Competitor research helps you analyze competitor keyword strategies for both paid and organic search along with their Google Ads history.

• Keyword suggestion and tracking for region-specific searches. Automated client reporting with white label options.

• Backlink checker examines the backlink strategies of competitors and identifies opportunities.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $65/month.

Best local SEO reporting tools for marketing agencies: Summary

Local SEO report templates so you don’t start from scratch

Wondering how to create SEO reports for clients in a smarter way? With AgencyAnalytics’ local SEO report templates, skip the grunt work and go straight to delivering polished, client-ready dashboards.

The layout is fully customizable: drag and drop the metrics you want to highlight, brand it with your logo and colors, and set it to send automatically.

Benefits of using a local SEO report template

• Pull in real-time data from Google Business Profile, Analytics, Search Console, and your local rank tracker all in a single dashboard.

• Reuse the same report and adjust layouts by location or priority, emphasizing the metrics that matter most for each location.

• Use annotations to explain trends or wins—“Hey, here’s where your strategy kickstarted a jump in Google Maps views.”

• Automate report scheduling and send-outs so your team doesn’t have to oversee every monthly deliverable.

• White label your reports with agency branding and custom domains, or even send from your own email address.

Still scrambling to piece together scattered SEO data? Try AgencyAnalytics free for 14 days and create detailed reports in just a few clicks.

Why these templates matter for local SEO strategy

Clients don’t care about endless spreadsheets—they want to know what the data means for their business. How many calls, visits, or sales came from your work? That’s what matters.

Reports should be rooted in solid data, but your job is to turn those metrics into a clear, compelling story of progress and performance.

Pre-built templates make that easier. They give structure, consistency, and a repeatable workflow that saves time while building client trust.

“We used to create monthly manual reports to demonstrate successes. Clients were not always interested in all the metrics we were showing them. Now, we set up their dashboards with the data that they want to see.”

Colin Lewis, Director of Content, SEO Design Chicago

Stop chasing keywords and start tracking conversations

For clients, success doesn't equate to numbers in a spreadsheet, but phone calls, foot traffic, and visibility. Local SEO reports connect the dots between community trust and online performance, showing Google (and your clients) that you’re leading the pack, not just keeping up.

AI can do a lot, but one thing it can’t do is replace the human relationships that form the foundation of local business. Google rewards businesses that are trusted and well-regarded in their communities. If locals don’t back your client’s business, Google won’t either. 

That's why monitoring clients' online reputation is critical. AgencyAnalytics makes it easy to track metrics at scale with dashboards that show just how every new backlink and positive review brings new customers through the door. 

Start your free 14-day trial today and experience AgencyAnalytics in action.