Link Google Search Console with Google Analytics 4

Updated: October 21st, 2022

If you are using Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4, you can connect them. As a result, some search console data will become available in Google Analytics 4.

In this blog post, I will describe how to link Google Search Console with Google Analytics 4, where you can find that data, and more.

 

Video tutorial

If you prefer video content, watch at this video from my Youtube channel.

 

What kind of data will be imported?

Speaking of dimensions, there will be 4 of them:

• Search queries
• Landing pages
• Devices
• Countries

As for metrics, the following ones will be available:

• Organic Google search clicks
• Organic Google search impressions
• Organic Google search click-through rate
• Organic Google search average position
• Users
• Engaged sessions
• Engagement rate
• Average engagement time
• Event count
• Conversions
• Ad revenue

Some of these metrics are a bit of a black box to me because I am not sure how exactly Google Analytics 4 maps them (e.g. users, engaged sessions, or conversions).

For example, here is a regular blog post from Reports > Engagement > Pages and screens.

The count of confirmed_email_optin conversions on that page is 0. That is because the final email option confirmation happens on a Thank you page (which is a different page). Thus, all conversions are counted on that page.

But, if I check the same page in the Google Search Console Landing page report within GA4, I see that seven confirmed_email_optin conversions are counted for that regular blog post.

And the same applies to all other blog posts/pages. In regular GA4, only Thank you pages get the credit for confirmed_email_optin conversions. In GSC GA4 reports, those conversions are split among landing pages that are visited before the final Thank you page visit.

Is there some attribution here? Is this something similar to the Universal Analytics Landing page report (where you could easily see the landing pages of sessions that ended up with goal completion)? Hopefully, Google will clear these things in the future.

 

How to connect Google Search Console with Google Analytics 4?

There are two ways how the connection can be made: from the Google Analytics 4 interface or the Google Search Console UI.

In this blog post, I will show the GA4 option.

In Google Analytics 4 property, go to Admin > Search Console Linking.

In the top right corner, click Link.

Important: You must be an editor in your GA4 property, and that very same email address must be a verified site owner of the Google Search Console property to create the link.

Then select Google Search Console Property. Click Choose accounts.

A new list will appear with properties where you are a verified site owner. Choose one property and then click Confirm. You can link only one GSC property with one GA4 property/web stream.

Then you will need to select a web stream you want to link with that Search Console property. Click Select and then choose the stream.

In the final step, you will have to review everything and click submit.

After that, you will see a green badge Link Created. This confirms that you have connected two properties successfully.

You will need to wait up to 24 hours (read: until tomorrow) to start seeing data in the reports. Where? Read the next chapter.

 

Where can I find Google Search Console data in Google Analytics 4?

Google Search Console data will appear as two additional tiles (widgets) in Reports > Acquisition > Acquisition overview:

• Google Organic Search Traffic
• Google Organic Search Queries

To see more detailed reports, you will need to click the link at the bottom of each tile.

The data here is available only from when you have linked two properties. Historical data will also be available.

In the Google Organic Search Traffic report, you will see the following dimensions:

• Landing page
• Country
• Device category

Metrics:

• Organic Google search clicks
• Organic Google search impressions
• Organic Google search click-through rate
• Organic Google search average position
• Users
• Engaged sessions
• Engagement rate
• Average engagement time
• Event count
• Conversions
• Ad revenue

In the Google Organic Search Queries report, you will be able to see these dimensions:

• Organic google search query
• Country
• Device category

Metrics:

• Organic Google search clicks
• Organic Google search impressions
• Organic Google search click-through rate
• Organic Google search average position

 

Adding Google Search Console reports to the sidebar of GA4 interface

If you want to quickly access GSC reports straight from the sidebar (instead of going into acquisition reports), here’s a thing that you should do:

In GA4, go to Reports > Library.

Then find a new widget called Search Console. It will be displayed as Unpublished. Click 3 dots next to it and press Publish. 

Some people have reported that they cannot see the Publish option. I think that’s a bug. In that case, copy the widget and then publish that one.

After that, a new section called Search Console will appear in the sidebar for future quick access.

 

Limitations and things to keep in mind

Because of how the GSC data is imported to Google Analytics, there are some limitations you must be aware of.

One property and one web data stream. You can connect only one GSC property with one Google Analytics web stream.

Additional dimensions for breakdown. You cannot add additional dimensions available in other standard reports (e.g. user scoped dimensions).

Time series/line charts. Currently, they are not available in the Google Search Console reports.

Comparisons. Even though that feature is displayed in the interface, comparisons will not work in GSC reports. The same principle applies to Universal Analytics (GA3) when you cannot use advanced segments for such data.

 

Link Google Search Console with Google Analytics 4: Final words

Hopefully, this blog post gave you some clarity on how to connect Google Search Console with Google Analytics 4. The process is pretty straightforward and quick.

After you link both properties, check your reports the next day, and the data should be in the Acquisition overview.

Personally, I prefer checking GSC data in Google Search Console’s interface (instead of GA4). It’s just more convenient and I can use regular expressions to filter out some data quickly.