Executives and other key decision makers don’t usually care about your endless columns or the color coded rows neatly displayed in a spreadsheet when it comes to Web analytics. In fact, most don’t even care how beautifully themed your power point presentation is, or how eloquently worded a document you’ve created. What they do care about are End Results. They want to know the issues, positions, consequences and benefits discovered in your analysis – and the next steps needed.

So don’t sell your findings short with bolded text or bullet points at the bottom of a page. Instead, spend a few extra minutes “painting a picture.” In other words, try to simplify your results and clearly convey your message with the use of a chart, graph, or if you can, “infographic.”

Do this, and you are much more likely to convey your end result in a manner that will resonate with your audience.

Here are five graphical examples I often use to help show value and drive home the message. Note: The companies below were chosen at random and currently have no affiliation with The ROI Factor.

1. Ratio of Page 1 to Page 2 Keywords

What’s Needed: Web analytics or use of a third party competitor analysis data like “SEMRush.”
Purpose: Show the ratio of keywords on page 1 of Google SERPs to keywords on page 2.
Position: According to “SEMRush,” LegalMatch.com has approximately 16,000 keyword phrases ranking in Google’s Top 20 search results.
Result: 61% of these keywords rank below position 10 – meaning LegalMatch.com is displayed on “page 2” of Google’s search results and generally receive significantly lower click through rates.

Next Steps: Focus on optimizing “page 2” keywords for search engines in an effort to increase their rankings and ultimately supplement targeted traffic to the website.

2. Increased Keyword Rankings to Increased Revenue

What’s Needed: Web analytics, # of visits, average sale, and conversion rates relating to specific keyword phrases. And a calculator. :)
Purpose: Show the potential increase in revenue with an increase in search engine rankings for specific keywords.
Position: This client has revenue generating keywords ranking in the middle of page one and on page 2 netting them $314,000 over the course of six months.
Result: By increasing the rankings for just these five keywords to position 2, they can expect an estimated increase in revenue of $1.9 million.

Next Steps: Look to improve SEO efforts around these keywords as well as others.

3. Your Links VS. Competitor Links

What’s Needed: Third party software that analyzes links.
Purpose: Show link earning potential for Sony.
Position: According to “Open Site Explorer,” Samsung’s website has a higher number of linking domains (which is likely contributing to better search engine rankings). Approximately 25,000 domains are “shared” – linking to both Samsung and Sony.
Result: We identified approximately 52,000 domains linking to Samsung that are NOT linking to Sony. These are potential link partners for Sony.

Next Steps: Identify link-building patterns employed by Samsung and see if they can be applied to Sony. Cherry-pick potential link partners for Sony. Run the same analysis on other competitors.

4. Search Interest over Time

What’s Needed: Target keywords and, Google Insights and the ability to take a screenshot.
Purpose: Show Seasonality in Search Volume. Use it to inform proper allocation of advertising budgets in paid search and display. Can also help time the implementation of social media strategies.
Situation: Search interest for “cheap hotels” starts to increase during the holiday months of November and December, stabilizes in March and April, and then begins to peak from May through July. July also marks the beginning of a downtrend in search volume with October typically showing the least search interest for this keyword phrase.
Result: There are clear trends in the seasonality of search volume for keywords relating to “cheap hotels.”

Next Steps: Plan advertising budgets and social media strategies accordingly.

5. Regional Interest

What’s Needed: Again – Target keywords and Google Insights. Hint: Play with the filters to get more recent metrics (I.e. in the “last twelve months”) and drill down to specific regions to get even more granular in your targeting of specific regions.
Purpose: Target specific regions, subregions, and cities where significant search interest is present. Use it to inform proper allocation of advertising budgets in paid search and display. Can also help advise local SEO and social media strategies.
Situation: In the past 12 months, search interest for “cheap hotels” has been highest in the metro areas of Miami, Fresno, and Las Vegas. In Miami, we can see that this is even further segmented to Key Biscayne, Miami Beach and other cities.
Result: Naturally, the search terms’ popularity varies by region.

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In closing, Don’t slack on your presentation! We want “Aha!” moments… We want our audience leaving the presentation understanding the benefits, ramifications, consequences and implications of taking (or not taking) action. Paint a simple picture. Get them there quicker. Make it stick!