A Google Ads client report should explain what happened, what was changed and what needs a decision. Start with the client's objective, then show the evidence needed to understand it. A longer list of metrics does not make the explanation more useful.
This guide uses a fictional bike shop to build a short report you can adapt. The numbers are invented for the example, not customer results or evidence of Adstrateo's performance. For a method of reviewing the account itself, use the Google Ads optimization checks.
1. Define the account, objective and comparison period
Write the account name, currency, reporting dates and comparison dates at the top. State the business objective in plain language: for example, quote requests for bikes sold in the shop. Explain what counts as a conversion in this account before presenting a total.
Keep the scope consistent. Compare the same campaigns and complete periods, and record relevant differences such as a holiday, a promotion or a tracking change. Google Ads supports comparisons between date ranges; the comparison is useful only when the reader knows what each period includes.
- Account: Example Bike Shop · Search campaign.
- Objective: tracked quote requests, with lead quality reviewed separately.
- Current period: September 29–October 26, 2026; previous period: September 1–28, 2026.
- Currency: USD. Both periods contain 28 days.
If a conversion definition changed between periods, say so next to the affected figure. A cleaner table cannot make incompatible measurements comparable. Keep the account time zone in the report notes so the next reviewer can reproduce the dates.
2. Use a Google Ads reporting example to explain the numbers
Choose metrics that help answer the business question, then explain their limits. Spend, clicks, tracked conversions and cost per conversion describe the campaign activity in this example. They do not establish revenue, profit or the number of customers who bought a bike.
| Metric | Previous 28 days | Current 28 days |
|---|---|---|
| Ad spend | $1,200 | $1,260 |
| Clicks | 600 | 700 |
| Tracked quote requests | 24 | 28 |
| Cost per tracked request | $50 | $45 |
| Confirmed sales and profit | Not supplied | Not supplied |
The calculation is explicit: $1,200 ÷ 24 = $50, and $1,260 ÷ 28 = $45. The cost per tracked request is 10% lower in this fictional comparison. That is an observation about these numbers, not proof of a profitable campaign or an improvement caused by one particular change.
A useful summary would say: “Spend increased by $60 and four more quote requests were tracked. Cost per tracked request fell from $50 to $45. Sales and lead quality have not yet been confirmed.” This gives the client a result and the remaining question.
Check how recent the conversions are. Google explains that conversion delays can make recent cost-per-acquisition figures look worse before later conversions are reported. Mark recent data as provisional where appropriate; do not silently treat missing sales data as zero.
3. Separate completed changes from explanations you have not proved
List the changes that actually happened, with a date, campaign and evidence. Keep a proposal separate from an applied change. A recommendation that was rejected or failed is not completed work.
In the fictional bike shop, suppose an exact negative keyword, [bike rental], was added to its bike-sales Search campaign on October 20 because the shop does not rent bikes. Record that precise action and its scope. Do not turn it into the claim that every rental-related search was blocked.
For the real account, use the tool's action record and check the relevant setting in Google Ads. Google's change history provides a timeline for investigating edits. A change near a performance shift is a lead to investigate, not proof of its cause.
Write the distinction clearly: “The exclusion was applied on October 20. We will review subsequent search terms.” Do not write “The exclusion generated four extra leads” from the period totals above. Other campaigns, demand, tracking and conversion timing could also have changed.
4. Finish the client report with decisions and follow-up
Give the client a next step for each unresolved question. Name who needs to act, where the evidence is and what would change the decision. Sometimes the right next step is to leave a campaign unchanged while checking measurement or waiting for sufficient data.
| Question | Who and where | Next decision |
|---|---|---|
| Were the tracked requests useful? | Client or sales owner: review the actual enquiries. | Report qualified outcomes separately when confirmed; do not relabel every tracked request as a sale. |
| Are irrelevant searches still appearing? | PPC manager: inspect the relevant Search terms report. | Review specific queries and exclusion scope; keep useful traffic rather than blocking a broad word automatically. |
| Is the latest period complete enough? | PPC manager and tracking owner: check dates, conversions and reporting delay. | Label the result provisional if necessary and revisit it before changing budget or bidding. |
These are example review tasks, not mandatory weekly changes. Set the next review according to the account's volume and conversion delay. Carry unresolved questions into the next report instead of replacing them with a fresh list that loses the history.
5. Distinguish a report template from the software producing it
The example above is an editorial explanation, not a screenshot or PDF exported from Adstrateo. A reporting template shows how to communicate. Software also needs to retrieve the right account data and make its supported workflow clear.
Adstrateo's multi-account Google Ads workflow includes branded PDF client reports with the Agency plan. The report template includes campaign performance and confirmed changes made through Adstrateo, with the agency's logo and colors. Check the current plan limits for your portfolio.
Keep reporting and execution separate. Viewing an issue in a report does not itself change Google Ads. Connected-account management requires a paid plan; supported actions are previewed and confirmed by the user. The Free plan covers campaign generation, not connected-account management or direct publishing.
If you need cross-platform reporting, a client portal or scheduled email delivery, verify that exact requirement rather than inferring it from the phrase “client reports.” Our software buying guide explains how to distinguish reporting, recommendations and actions.
6. Check the report before you send it
- Can the client identify the account, objective, dates, comparison and currency?
- Do the totals and calculations match the same reporting scope?
- Are tracked conversions separated from confirmed sales or qualified leads?
- Are completed changes distinguished from proposals and unproved explanations?
- Does each open question have a responsible person and a next check?
- Have you removed details the recipient should not receive?
When there are zero conversions, show the count and explain the limitation; a cost-per-conversion ratio cannot be calculated by dividing by zero. When sales data is missing, say “not supplied” instead of suggesting that the campaign generated no revenue.
Keep the report short enough to discuss. The aim is for the client to understand the result and choose the next step. Continue with the account-review method when the evidence calls for investigation, rather than adding more metrics to avoid a decision.