How to Create a Google Ads Report
Step-by-step: from setting your date range in Google Ads to a finished PDF. Covers data export, chart types, deck assembly, and what to check before sending.
Before you start
You need three things: access to the Google Ads account, a spreadsheet tool (Google Sheets or Excel), and a slide deck (Google Slides or PowerPoint). If you're reusing a template, open it now and make a copy before touching anything.
If your conversion tracking hasn't been verified recently, check it before pulling numbers. A misconfigured tag will make every metric downstream wrong.
Steps
Set your date range
In Google Ads, go to the date picker and set the exact period you're reporting on. For weekly reports, use the previous calendar week (Mon–Sun). For monthly, use the previous full month. Lock the date range before exporting anything — it's easy to accidentally pull a rolling window.
Export campaign data
Go to Campaigns → select all campaigns → click the download icon → export as CSV. Include these columns: campaign name, impressions, clicks, CTR, avg. CPC, cost, conversions, conversion rate, cost per conversion, and ROAS if you track conversion value. Delete everything else.
Export keyword data
Go to Keywords → filter to your top keywords by conversions or spend → export the same column set. You only need the top 10–15 for the report — filter out low-impression terms that add noise.
Pull your summary numbers
In the spreadsheet, add a summary row at the top: total spend, total clicks, total conversions, blended CPC, blended conversion rate, blended cost per conversion, and total ROAS. These are the headline numbers for slide 1. Double-check them against the Google Ads overview dashboard — rounding errors in exports are common.
Build the trend chart
If you track weekly data, pull the last 8–12 weeks of spend, clicks, and conversions into a table. Use a line chart with three series. This requires historical data — if you don't have it yet, use the daily breakdown from this period's export and aggregate by week.
Build the campaign breakdown chart
Use a grouped or stacked bar chart: campaigns on the X axis, spend and conversions on the Y axis. Sort by conversions descending so the best performers appear first. If one campaign dominates spend but underperforms on conversions, it'll be immediately visible.
Assemble the deck
Open the Google Ads report template, make a copy, and fill in the slides in order: summary numbers → trend chart → campaign breakdown → keyword table → next actions commentary. The commentary slide is where you explain what the numbers mean — don't leave it blank.
Export as PDF
File → Download → PDF Document. Check that charts render correctly — Google Slides occasionally clips chart labels on export. If labels are getting cut off, increase chart padding in Slides before exporting.
What to write in the commentary slide
The next actions slide is the most important one for the client relationship. Cover three things in one short paragraph:
What changed
One sentence on the biggest shift from last period — up or down, and the likely cause.
What you're testing next
One specific change you're making and why — bid adjustment, new ad copy, audience exclusion, etc.
Any budget recommendation
If spend should increase, decrease, or shift between campaigns, say so here with the rationale.