Give each client a decision they can follow
Agency reporting becomes difficult when the report is a data export with no agreed decision. A client owner may need to know whether enquiries are becoming more relevant, while an internal specialist needs the page or campaign evidence behind a change. Both can use the same source without receiving the same presentation. Begin each reporting cycle with the client workspace, reporting period, business objective and known collection limitations. This prevents the team from interpreting one client’s target or another period’s screenshot as the current result.
Use a four-part monthly handoff
| Part | What the client should receive |
|---|---|
| Evidence | The relevant KPI, comparison period and source |
| Interpretation | What changed and the credible alternative explanations |
| Decision | The priority the agency recommends and why |
| Assignment | Owner, agreed deliverable and next review point |
For instance, a rise in organic impressions with fewer relevant enquiries should trigger a closer query and landing-page review. It should not automatically become a request for more content. Preserve the query scope and identify the conversion path before proposing delivery work.
Demonstrate the workflow in SharkBlade
Use the category view to locate the issue, the underlying KPI to explain it, and the monthly report to preserve the period’s evidence. Fin can help frame a question about the workspace, but the agency remains responsible for validating advice and agreeing the client’s action plan.
The demo’s overall score of 84 and Site Health score of 74 are fictional. They are useful for rehearsing the conversation: a strong overall result can coexist with a category that deserves attention. They are not benchmarks for every client.
Keep the handoff manageable
- Lead with the one or two decisions that need client attention, then link to supporting detail.
- Distinguish agency-controlled work from changes requiring client access or approval.
- Record assumptions, such as whether booked meetings are qualified enquiries or simply appointments.
- Bring unfinished assignments into the next review instead of treating every month as a fresh list.
An illustrative action could be: “The agency will test the enquiry form on the priority service page and document successful delivery before Friday.” Its acceptance evidence is a completed test, not an immediate score increase or a promise of new revenue.
Separate software procurement from reporting practice
SharkBlade’s agency option is $999 per month for five workspaces, plus $199 per additional workspace per month. Strategist reviews and execution are scoped separately; agency access is monthly only. The plan does not by itself establish that every client has the same needs or that all delivery work is included. Use the agency software checklist when choosing a platform. Use this workflow when preparing the actual client conversation. A reusable reporting outline can help standardize the evidence without flattening each client’s business context.