BrightonSEO 2025 - Lies, Damned Lies & SEO Reports

Transcript

1. Lies, Damned Lies, & SEO Reports: How to Spin Bad Data Without Selling Your Soul Ryan Ricketts Slicketts Digital slickettsdigital.com @slicketts
2. Ryan Ricketts • SEO for 13 years • Started in sketch comedy with College Humor and Cracked.
4. Clients
5. The Dream Client
6. The Drama Queen
7. The Know-It-All
8. The Ghost
9. The Wildcard
10. Reports
11. Why Good Reporting is Essential For Clients
12. • Builds Trust and Credibility a. Clear, accurate reporting shows you’re transparent—even when results aren’t perfect. b. Clients trust you more when they know you’re not cherry-picking data to look good.
13. • Aligns Expectations a. Regular, well-structured reports keep everyone on the same page about goals, progress, and timelines. b. Prevents misunderstandings or “I thought we were ranking #1 by now” moments.
14. • Drives Better Decisions a. Quality reporting turns data into insights, helping clients understand where to invest time and budget. b. Makes strategy conversations data-driven rather than emotional.
15. • Shows Progress Over Time a. Reports visualize momentum, proving value even if wins are gradual. b. Helps clients see how today’s work contributes to long-term growth.
16. • Strengthens the Relationship a. Consistent, thoughtful reporting signals reliability and care. b. It transforms you from “vendor” into “partner” because they feel informed and supported.
17. Clients and Reporting Are a Necessary Evil
19. Digital Marketing Study
20. Local Marketing Industry Survey: Agency Edition • Created by BrightLocal and was released in November 2024. • https://www.brightlocal.com/research/loc al-marketing-industry-survey-agencies/
21. Agency Health • High-performing Agencies = Respondents who said their agencies were ‘exceeding’ performance expectations. • Everyone Else = Respondents who said their agencies’ performance has either ‘met’ or ‘fallen short’ of expectations this year.
23. Why Bad Data Happens
24. Google Algorithm Updates • How Many Confirmed? ◦ 2024 - 7 updates ◦ 2023 - 9 updates ◦ 2022 - 10 updates
25. Misleading
26. Time Frame
27. Seasonality
28. Clients will not always admit there is seasonality to their business. Many verticals have seasonality and that is okay and clients need to understand that.
29. Filters
30. Context
31. Is this a client that gets most of their traffic and users from Desktops?
32. Is this a client that gets most of their traffic and users from Mobile?
33. Client Example
35. Houston, we have a problem
37. “Your SEOs were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”
38. How to Present Bad Data Honestly
39. Lead With The Truth
40. • If the main metric is down, just say it up front to them. ◦ Don’t bury it like a plot hole. • Clients will respect you more for being direct.
41. Provide Context
42. • Tell the story of why it happened. ◦ Is it a seasonal trend? ◦ A Google update? ◦ A competitor surge?
43. Show The Full Picture
44. • Always show both MoM and YoY. • Break it down by channel — Organic, Paid, Referral, Social. • Break it down by device — Mobile, Desktop, or Tablet.
45. Pivot To Action Steps
46. • Don’t just say, 'Traffic is down.' Say, 'Traffic is down—and here’s how we’re going to fix it.' • Give 3 specific next steps: ◦ Technical SEO fix ◦ Content gap campaign ◦ Local search or backlink push
47. Finally
48. So here’s what I want you to remember • Transparency builds trust. • Always provide context—numbers mean nothing without it.
49. • Action steps turn bad news into a rallying point. • Tell the truth, tell it often, and tell it well.
50. • “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The minute it crops up, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations, and resentments flit away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.” - Mark Twain
51. Honesty might not always make the data look good…but it will always make you look good.
52. Thank You
53. ryan.ricketts@slickettsdigital.com Slicketts Ryan Ricketts