New format
Client ad campaign report: 9 rules
A campaign report isn’t only numbers from the ad account — it’s a way to agree on the picture: what worked, what didn’t, and what to do next. Bad presentation breaks trust even with decent results.
Below: nine rules for mutual understanding — from transparency and structure to a glossary and “non-ad” business metrics. Account tools change; report logic beats the BI brand.
1–3. Honesty, structure, and goals
Transparency: numbers don’t “paint” success. If the campaign dips — say why and what you’re changing. Consistency: the same KPIs every reporting period.
Main first, then details: summary → stats blocks → keyword/creative breakdowns. Start with brief goals and money impact, then impressions, clicks, CTR, CPA.
In the report header:
- period and channels
- goal (leads / sales / traffic)
- actual vs plan
- 1–3 main takeaways
- what we do next period
4–5. Summary and the client’s language
A dashboard or one-page summary helps the client report “upward.” Answer: does advertising help the goal, what’s the strategy, how the media plan is going, what changed vs the last report.
Explain terms in a footnote or short glossary. Don’t over-explain the obvious, but don’t leave ROAS/attribution undefined.
6–7. KPIs by segment and data completeness
Split interaction types: search / networks / retargeting, new / returning, funnel stages. Attribution affects “whose” conversion — name the model.
Merge data from all accounts into one fact table. Spot-check exports for anomalies. Calls, messengers, offline sales — a separate block if the platform doesn’t count them.
Handy KPI classification:
- reach and cost per contact
- clicks and traffic quality
- conversions and CPA/CPL
- revenue and ROI/ROAS
- supporting: ER, bounce, depth
8–9. Details and business context
Ask the client about format: slides, PDF, spreadsheet. Full exports and keyword lists go in an appendix so they don’t drown the summary.
Add adjacent context: site lead growth, seasonality, competitor promos, analytics outages — anything that changes how numbers read, even if it’s “not from the ad account.”
Before sending:
- read it with the client’s eyes
- check period and currency
- confirm conclusions follow from the numbers
- there are next steps, not only “see the Excel”
FAQ
Should you start with CTR or with money?
With business goals and money outcomes (leads, sales, ROI/ROAS — whatever the brief locked). CTR and clicks explain; they don’t replace.
Do you need a dashboard?
A one-screen summary — yes: vs the previous period and an answer to “are we on goal?” A full dashboard — by agreement; see the separate article.
How often should you report?
As in the contract: weekly / biweekly / monthly. What matters is the same structure and metric definitions from report to report.
What if results are weak?
Show the facts, cause hypotheses, and a fix plan. Hiding a miss is worse than an honest breakdown.
Do examples have to be from Google Ads?
No. The same rules for Yandex Direct and other accounts: summary → blocks → details; calls and offline as a separate line if the platform doesn’t see them.
Ad reports full of CTR but the client still asks “so what”?
We’ll rebuild the report around goals, money, one-page summary, and clear next steps.
Discuss the task
