Want to get more people to your website? You need Google Search Console and Google Analytics Together. These two tools show how people find your site and what they do once they’re there.
Google Search Console tells you how often your site shows up in Google searches. It tracks clicks, impressions, and the exact words people use to find you. Google Analytics goes a step further. It tracks what visitors do after they land on your site—where they click, how long they stay, and if they leave right away.
Using both tools means better data. You can see where your traffic comes from and how to improve it. If you only use one, you’re missing half the picture.
✅ Google Search Console → Tracks search data, clicks, and impressions.
✅ Google Analytics → Tracks user behavior after they visit.
✅ Using both together → Full picture of your website’s performance.
Understanding Google Search Console
Google runs the biggest search engine. People type in words. They find websites. Google Search Console helps website owners see how often their site appears in search results. It’s free. It’s powerful. But most people don’t use it right.
What Google Search Console Does
It tracks how your site performs in Google search. It doesn’t show traffic from ads or social media. Just organic search results. That means real searches from real people.
You can see:
- How many times your site showed up in search results (Impressions)
- How many people clicked on your site (Clicks)
- What words they typed to find you (Search Terms)
- Which pages get the most clicks
Why It Matters?
If no one clicks on your site, something’s wrong. Maybe the title isn’t clear. Maybe it’s too far down in search results. Google Search Console tells you what’s working and what’s not.
Some pages get lots of views but no clicks. Maybe the title needs a change. Or the description isn’t interesting enough. Small tweaks can lead to more visitors.
Common Mistakes People Make
- Not checking it often
- Ignoring low click-through rates
- Not fixing errors Google finds
Google won’t tell you exactly how to fix things. But it will show problems. Broken links. Missing pages. Stuff Google can’t understand. Fix those, and your site might rank better.Most people guess why their site isn’t getting traffic. Google Search Console shows the facts
Overview of Google Analytics
Your website gets visitors. But who are they? Where do they come from? What do they do on your site? Google Analytics answers all of that. It tracks user actions, traffic sources, and how people interact with your content.
Tracking User Interactions
Not every visitor is the same. Some click around, others leave fast. Google Analytics tracks what they do.
- Page Views → See which pages get the most visits.
- Time on Page → Find out how long people stay.
- Bounce Rate → The % of visitors who leave without clicking anything.
- Clicks & Scrolls → Track what parts of a page people actually use.
Every action is logged. If a user watches a video, clicks a button, or fills out a form, it’s recorded.
Where Visitors Come From?
Your traffic comes from different places. Google Analytics sorts them out.
- Organic Search → People who find your site through Google.
- Direct → Those who type your URL and visit directly.
- Referral → Traffic from other websites linking to yours.
- Social Media → Clicks from Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Paid Ads → Visitors from Google Ads or other paid campaigns.
If most of your visitors come from search, that’s good. If they come from a random site, maybe it’s time to check why.
Why Google Analytics Matters?
Numbers don’t lie. If nobody’s staying on your site, something’s wrong. Maybe the design is bad. Maybe the content is boring. Maybe it loads too slow. Google Analytics helps figure that out.
People guess why their site isn’t working. This tool shows the truth.
Comparing Search Console and Google Analytics
Both tools show website data, but they do different things. Google Search Console tracks how people find your site in search results. Google Analytics tracks what people do after they arrive.
Key Differences in Data Reporting
One focuses on search. The other focuses on behavior.
- Google Search Console tracks impressions, clicks, and search queries. It shows how often your site appears in Google searches.
- Google Analytics tracks sessions, bounce rates, and user interactions. It helps you see what visitors do once they land on your site.
The numbers don’t always match. Someone might click your site in search, but if their browser blocks tracking, Analytics won’t count it.
Search Console as the Source for Google Organic Search Data
If you want to know how your site performs in Google search, you need Search Console. It shows:
- What keywords bring visitors
- Which pages show up the most
- How many people click vs. how many see your link
Google Analytics won’t give you full search data. It only shows traffic sources. It can’t tell you which search terms people used.
| Feature | Google Search Console | Google Analytics |
| Tracks search queries | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Shows organic search clicks | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Measures user behavior | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Tracks bounce rate | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Analyzes search rankings | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
People mix up these tools all the time. They’re not the same. Use both to get the full picture.
In this video, Daniel and Cherry demystify the differences between Google Analytics and Search Console, and provide some ideas on why you may see different data and what to do about it.
Connecting Search Console to Google Analytics
Keeping Google Search Console and Google Analytics separate is like having half a map. One shows how people find your site. The other shows what they do after they get there. Linking them together gives a full picture.
Why Link the Tools?
Alone, each tool has gaps. Google Search Console tracks clicks from search but doesn’t show what happens next. Google Analytics tracks user behavior but doesn’t know what search terms brought them in.
When connected, you get:
- Which keywords bring traffic and how those visitors behave
- Which landing pages get the most search visitors
- How search traffic compares to other traffic sources
More data. Better decisions.
Using Analytics Reports to Analyze Search Traffic
After linking the tools, new reports open up in Google Analytics.
- Acquisition > Search Console → See search queries, impressions, and clicks alongside user actions.
- Landing Pages Report → Shows how well search visitors engage with each page.
- Devices Report → Tracks search traffic from mobile vs. desktop.
If search visitors leave fast, maybe the page isn’t what they expected. If a keyword brings a lot of clicks but no conversions, it might need better content.
How to Link Them
- Open Google Analytics
- Go to Admin
- Click Property Settings
- Find Search Console Linking
- Choose your Google Search Console property
- Save
Now the tools talk to each other. More insights. Less guessing.
Understanding Metrics Differences
Numbers don’t always match. Google Search Console and Google Analytics measure different things. One tracks search activity. The other tracks what happens on your site.
Search Console Tracks Clicks and Impressions
Google Search Console is all about search results. It tells you:
- Impressions → How many times your page appeared in Google search
- Clicks → How many people clicked on your page
- Click-Through Rate (CTR) → Clicks divided by impressions
- Average Position → Where your page ranks in search results
It doesn’t track what people do after they click. That’s where Google Analytics comes in.
Google Analytics Measures Sessions and User Interactions
Once visitors land on your site, Google Analytics tracks:
- Sessions → A visit to your site, no matter how many pages they see
- Bounce Rate → Percentage of visitors who leave after one page
- Page Views → Total number of pages viewed
- Events → Clicks, video plays, form submissions
Search Console doesn’t know if a visitor stays for an hour or leaves in two seconds. Analytics does.
Why Do These Numbers Look Different?
Clicks and sessions won’t always match. Here’s why:
- A user clicks but leaves before the page loads → Counts in Search Console, but not in Analytics
- A user clicks multiple times → Search Console counts each click, Analytics might group them into one session
- A user has tracking blocked → Search Console still tracks the click, Analytics doesn’t see the visit
Each tool tells part of the story. Search Console shows what happens before the visit. Google Analytics shows what happens after.
Reasons for Data Discrepancies
Numbers don’t line up? Happens all the time. Google Search Console and Google Analytics collect data in different ways. Some visits go missing. Some clicks don’t count. It’s not broken—just different systems.
User Opt-Outs and Tracking Blockers
Not every visitor allows tracking. Some use ad blockers. Some disable cookies. Google Analytics relies on tracking scripts. If a visitor blocks those, their visit won’t show up.
Google Search Console doesn’t have this problem. It tracks clicks from search results, no matter what. That’s why you might see more clicks in Search Console than sessions in Analytics.
Tracking Tag Issues
If Google Analytics isn’t set up right, it won’t track visits correctly. A few common problems:
- Tracking code missing → Pages won’t report data
- Wrong placement → Tag loads too late, missing some visits
- Multiple tags → Inflates session numbers
Search Console doesn’t rely on on-page tags. It tracks data directly from Google search.
Time Zone Differences
Google Analytics and Google Search Console use different time zones.
- Google Analytics → Uses your account’s time zone setting
- Google Search Console → Uses UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
If your site gets traffic late at night, clicks might be counted on one day in Search Console but on another day in Analytics.
How These Factors Affect Reporting
Data won’t ever match perfectly. Some visits don’t get tracked. Some clicks don’t become sessions. That’s normal. Instead of trying to match the numbers, use both tools together. Search Console shows search performance. Analytics shows user behavior. Both matter.
Maximizing Insights with Both Tools
Using Google Search Console and Google Analytics together makes everything clearer. One tool tells you how people find your site. The other tells you what they do after they land. Alone, each has limits. Together, they give the full picture.
Why Use Both?
- Search Console shows search rankings, clicks, and queries but not user behavior.
- Analytics shows session duration, conversions, and interactions but not search performance.
- Combining both helps you understand which keywords bring valuable visitors and which pages keep them engaged.
Want to know if search traffic actually converts? You need both tools.
A Custom Dashboard for Everything in One Place
Jumping between reports is frustrating. A custom dashboard brings it all together.
- Track search queries and user behavior side by side
- See which landing pages perform best from search
- Spot traffic drops fast by comparing both data sets
Setting up a dashboard means less guessing, more insights. No more switching between tools—just answers.
Steps to Create a Custom Dashboard
Setting this up isn’t hard. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Google Looker Studio → This tool lets you merge data from Search Console and Analytics.
- Connect Your Data Sources → Link both accounts to pull in website performance data.
- Select Key Metrics → Add important data like clicks, impressions, sessions, and conversions.
- Customize Charts and Tables → Show trends, compare data, and highlight problem areas.
- Save and Share → Use this dashboard to check performance regularly and share with your team.
Now, no more switching between tools. All the important data in one place.
Conclusion:
Tracking website performance can be confusing. Google Search Console and Google Analytics give different data. One shows how people find you, the other shows what they do after clicking. Both are useful, but using them together makes everything clearer.
Search Console tracks clicks, impressions, and rankings.
Analytics shows sessions, user behavior, and conversions.
Using both tools, you see the full picture. No guessing. No missing data. A custom dashboard makes it even easier. All key insights in one place.
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Ankit Prajapati
Digital Marketing Professional | SEO Consultant | Teetotaller | Music Buff | Early Bird. "Love to do SEO for Humans, not for Bots." As an SEO Consultant, I will identify the opportunities to make your website user-friendly, improve visibility, traffic and leads. I also help SEO freshers and experienced SEO professionals in resolving their SEO errors and their queries for free, which extends my skill sets.
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