Quick answer: To link Search Console to Google Analytics, open Google Analytics, go to Admin, choose the property, open Property Settings and scroll to the Search Console section. Click Adjust Search Console, then Edit, pick the matching site from your Search Console list and save. You need to be a verified owner of the site in Search Console and have Edit permission on the Analytics property. Data appears under Acquisition, Search Engine Optimization, usually within a day or two.
Since Google moved to secure search, most organic keyword data in Analytics shows as “(not provided)”. Search Console still reports the queries people used to find you, along with impressions, clicks and average position. Linking the two puts that data inside Analytics, where you can view it next to your landing pages and the rest of your reports. It takes five minutes and there is no downside.
Before you start
Check three things first. Most failed links come down to one of them.
1. You are a verified owner in Search Console
You need owner level access to the site in Search Console, not just full or restricted user access. If you are not sure, open Search Console, click the gear icon and choose Users and Property Owners. If you have not set up Search Console yet, our beginner’s Search Console guide walks through adding and verifying a site.
2. You have Edit permission in Google Analytics
In Analytics, go to Admin and check User Management at the property level. You need Edit permission for that property.
3. You know which version of your site to link
Search Console treats these as separate sites:
- http://example.com
- http://www.example.com
- https://example.com
- https://www.example.com
Link the version your visitors actually land on, the one your redirects point to. If you recently moved to HTTPS, add the new HTTPS version to Search Console and verify it first. Our HTTPS migration guide explains why the HTTPS site needs its own entry.
How to link Search Console to Google Analytics, step by step
- Sign in to Google Analytics with the Google account that owns the site in Search Console.
- Click Admin in the top menu.
- In the middle column, select the property for your website.
- Click Property Settings.
- Scroll down to the Search Console section and click Adjust Search Console.
- Click Edit. If a site is already linked, you will see it listed here.
- Choose your site from the list of Search Console sites you own, then click Save.
- Confirm the association when prompted. Then choose which views should show the Search Console data. By default, all views in the property can use it.
That is the whole process. If your site does not appear in the list in step 7, you are either signed in with a different Google account, or that account is not an owner of the site in Search Console.
Starting from Search Console instead
You can also begin from Search Console. Open the site, click the gear icon and choose Google Analytics Property. Select the Analytics property and save. The result is the same.
Where the data shows up
Once linked, go to Acquisition, then Search Engine Optimization in your Analytics reports. You will find three reports.
Queries
The search terms that triggered your pages in Google results, with impressions, clicks, click through rate and average position. This is the closest thing you will get to the keyword data that disappeared behind “(not provided)”.
Landing Pages
Your pages as they appeared in search results, with the same four metrics. This is often the most useful view, because you can see which pages earn impressions but few clicks.
Geographical Summary
Impressions and clicks broken down by country, plus a Google Property option that splits web, image and mobile search.
Things to know about the data
Search Console data is not the same as normal Analytics data, so read it with a few points in mind.
- It runs about two days behind. Do not expect yesterday’s figures.
- It covers roughly the last 90 days. Analytics does not import older history. If you want long term records, export the reports each month.
- It does not connect to goals or ecommerce. The SEO reports show search behaviour before the click. They will not tell you which query led to a sale.
- Numbers will not match your organic sessions report. Clicks in Search Console are counted by Google, sessions by your tracking code. Differences are normal.
- Rare queries are left out. Google filters out some low volume queries for privacy, so totals in the Queries report can be lower than the totals for the site.
- Average position is an average. A page that ranks third for one query and thirtieth for another may show an average of fifteen.
Practical ways to use the reports
Find pages that deserve more clicks
In the Landing Pages report, sort by impressions. Look for pages with plenty of impressions but a low click through rate. Rewriting the title tag and meta description so they match what people searched for is one of the quickest SEO improvements you can make.
Spot near misses
Filter the Queries report for average positions between about 8 and 20. These are terms where you sit at the bottom of page one or the top of page two. Improving the page content, adding internal links and earning a few relevant links can push them up. If links are the gap, our guide to safe link building is a good next step.
Check queries match intent
Read through the queries for your main service pages. If people find a page with searches you did not expect, either the page is unclear about what it offers, or there is an opportunity for a new page.
Combine with landing page behaviour
Use the Landing Pages report alongside the normal Behaviour, Site Content, Landing Pages report. If a page gets strong clicks from search but a high bounce rate, the problem is on the page rather than in the rankings.
Common problems and fixes
“No data available” in the SEO reports. Give it 48 hours after linking. If there is still nothing, check you linked the right version of the site (http or https, www or not).
The site is not in the list. You are signed into a Google account that is not an owner in Search Console. Add that account as an owner, or sign in with the owner account.
Data appears in one view but not another. Return to Property Settings, Adjust Search Console and check which views are enabled.
You changed domain or moved to HTTPS. Add and verify the new site in Search Console, then change the link in Analytics to point to the new site. The old history stays in the old Search Console site.
You can only link one site. Each Analytics property links to one Search Console site, and the other way round. If you track several domains in one property, pick the main one or create separate properties.
FAQ
Is linking Search Console to Google Analytics free?
Yes. Both tools are free and the link costs nothing.
Will linking change my existing Analytics data?
No. It adds the Search Engine Optimization reports. Your traffic, goals and other reports stay the same.
Do I still need to log in to Search Console?
Yes. Crawl errors, manual actions, security issues, sitemaps and the full Search Analytics report still live in Search Console.
Does this work with classic Google Analytics and Universal Analytics?
The link is set at the property level, so it works either way. If you are still on the classic ga.js code, it is still worth planning a move to Universal Analytics, since new features are only being built for it.
Need help making sense of your data?
Linking the tools is easy. Turning the numbers into decisions is the harder part. We set up Analytics properly and build reports you can act on. See how we help you know what’s working.
