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GSC Performance Knowledge Base
GSC Performance Knowledge Base

GSC Performance

Updated over 3 months ago

Step 1: Login in Search Atlas Account

Step 2: Go to GSC Performance

Connect with GSC

Step 3: Click on Connect GSC Account

Step 4: Sign in with a Gmail account that has Google Search console attached.

Step 5: Click on Continue

Step 6: Click on Allow to give Search Atlas access your your GSC account

Step 7: Click on Manage sites

Step 8: Click a,b,c

a: enable / disable website Search Atlas access for your GSC

b: select the country filter which data you want to check

c: click on confirm and continue to save your changes

Connect with GA4

Step 9: Click on Connect GA Account

Repeat Step #4 to Step #6

Step 10: Click on Connect Google Analytics 4 next to website

Step 11: Select the property

a: Select the Property

b: Update Settings

After update settings wait couple of minutes to see the status is changed to GA4 Enabled

To view the website information click on project overview

Navigation Panel (Left Side)

  • Sites List: Likely a list of tracked websites.

  • Overview: Provides a summary of key metrics related to the website.

  • Pages: Shows detailed metrics for individual pages.

  • Keywords: Displays keyword performance metrics.

  • Backlinks: Provides information about backlinks to the website.

  • Site Structure: The section displayed in the image, detailing the structure of the website and relevant metrics.

  • Competitor Discovery: Analyzes competitors' data for comparison (Internal Testing - "Alpha").

  • Site Events: Logs or reports events that could affect site performance.

  • Reports: For generating performance or status reports.

  • Additional Info: Provides further details or data points.

Overview

  1. Top Navigation and Filters

    1.1 - Timeframe Selection: This allows users to view data from a specific period, like the past month, week, or custom range.

    1.2 - Location Filter: This lets users select a geographic region to analyze, showing data either globally or for a specific country.

    1.3 - Profile/Project: Show the project name you are viewing. Useful for those managing multiple sites.

    1.4 - Export: Download pdf for the dashboard.

    1.5 - Share: Public Shareable link

  2. Backlink Profile

    2.2 - Domain Rating (DR): A measure of the site's authority based on the quality and quantity of its backlinks. Higher DR indicates a stronger backlink profile.

    2.3 - Backlinks: The total number of links pointing to the site from other pages across the web, reflecting the volume of incoming links.

    2.4 - Referring Domains: The count of unique domains (websites) that link to the site, showing link diversity and the breadth of sources.

  3. Organic Search Metrics

    3.1 - Keywords: The total number of keywords the website ranks for in search engines, indicating the site’s visibility across various search terms.

    3.2 - Traffic: The estimated amount of visitors reaching the site through organic (unpaid) search results.

    3.3 - Impressions: The number of times the website appeared in search engine results, whether clicked or not.

  4. Paid Search Metrics

    4.1 - Paid Keywords: The count of keywords for which the site is running paid advertisements, reflecting its scope in paid search efforts.

    4.2 - Paid Traffic: The estimated amount of visitors arriving through paid ads, showing the effectiveness of these campaigns.

    4.3 - Ads and Budget: Indicates the total number of active ads and the budget spent on these ads, giving insight into paid campaign investment.

  5. Keywords Overview in Top 100

    5.1 - Improved & Declined Keywords: This shows changes in keyword rankings, indicating how many keywords moved up or down in the search results.

    5.2 - Keyword Positions: A detailed breakdown of where keywords rank in search results, segmented into different position groups (e.g., top 1, top 2-3, etc.). This helps identify areas where the site ranks well and where it has growth potential.

  6. Keyword Position History

    6.1 - Position Segmentation: This chart shows the distribution of keywords across different ranking positions over time, with categories like “Highest Rank,” “Hyper Traffic,” and others. Each segment represents different levels of ranking, from top positions to deeper pages.

    6.2 - Trends Over Time: This line or bar graph shows how keyword positions have changed over a given period, helping identify ranking trends.

  7. Search Overview

    7.1 - 31-Day Running Search Impressions: Shows trends in how often the site appears in search results over the past 31 days, providing insight into visibility changes.

    7.2 - 31-Day Running Organic Traffic: Tracks daily changes in organic search traffic, useful for spotting growth or decline in visitors.

    7.3 - 31-Day Running Economic Value of Traffic: Estimates the monetary value of organic traffic, helping to quantify SEO impact.

  8. Top Organic Keywords

    8.1 - Keyword List: Shows the top-performing keywords in organic search, providing insight into the terms that drive the most traffic.

    8.2 - Search Intent and Position: Displays the intent behind the keyword (e.g., informational, navigational) and its rank, helping assess alignment with user needs.

  9. Top Organic Pages

    9.1 - Page List: Displays top-performing pages in organic search, which shows which pages generate the most traffic.

    9.2 - Average Position and Keywords: Shows the average rank of these pages and the keywords driving traffic to them, giving an idea of page performance.

  10. Organic Pages by Traffic

    10.1 - Traffic Ranges: A breakdown of the number of pages and the total traffic within different traffic bands (e.g., 1-100 visitors, 1001-5000 visitors), showing the distribution of page performance.

  11. Google Rank Change

    11.1 - Ranking Trend: A line graph that visualizes the change in Google rankings over time, highlighting the site’s overall ranking progress or decline.

  12. Sitemap Insights

    12.1 - Sitemap Path: Lists the URLs of the site’s XML sitemaps, which help search engines find and crawl the site's pages.

    12.2 - Issues and Warnings: Shows any errors or warnings associated with each sitemap, which could affect search engine crawling and indexing.

    12.3 - Pages Submitted: Indicates the number of pages in each sitemap, reflecting the size of the site’s content in each category.

    12.4 - Google Indexing Status: Shows the last time Google indexed each sitemap, providing a sense of how recently the site’s pages were crawled.

Pages

  1. Organic Pages - The main section that focuses on analyzing organic pages and their SEO performance, specifically for search rankings and impressions.

  2. Page Groupings (coming soon) - An upcoming ability that shows pages based on groups for more organized analysis.

  3. Country Selector - Shows the geographic region being analyzed, allowing users to filter organic page data based on country.

  4. Date Range - Displays the selected date range for the analysis, giving users the option to set specific time frames.

  5. Share Button - An option to share the report or data visualizations, possibly as a link or export.

  6. Page Stats Summary - Two key metrics:

    6.1 Organic Pages - The total number of pages with organic traffic.

    6.2 Ranking on Page 1 - The count of pages that are ranking on the first page of search results.

  7. Page Quality Chart - A scatter plot that visualizes the quality of pages based on impressions and keywords:

    • Y-axis - Shows total impressions for each page.

    • X-axis - Shows total keywords associated with each page.

    • Legend - Color-coded categories (Very Bad, Almost There, Good Enough, Amazing) representing page quality based on total keywords.

  8. Presented Data Options - A dropdown allowing users to customize the Y-axis and X-axis metrics in the chart.

  9. Pages Table - A detailed table showing performance data for each organic page, with the following columns:

    • Page URL - The URL path of the page being analyzed.

    • Traffic - The organic traffic count and its change compared to the previous period.

    • Avg. Position - The average search engine position of the page.

    • Impressions - The total number of times the page appeared in search results.

    • Top Keyword - The keyword driving the most traffic to the page.

    • Watch listed - Indicating if the page is marked for special attention or tracking.

    • More Filters - Additional options to filter the data by various criteria.

  10. Pages Navigation - Pagination control at the bottom of the table allowing users to navigate through pages.

  11. Manage Columns - A button to customize which data columns are displayed in the table, providing flexibility for users to view only the relevant metrics.

  12. Export - An option to export the data for use in external reports or further analysis.

  13. GA Settings - Setting to integrate Google Analytics data within the view.

Keywords

Organic Keywords

  1. Date Range, Location & Share Buttons:

    • The date range indicates the period over which the data is being analyzed. You can adjust this range to view data for different timeframes.

    • Location selector gives the the option to select which locations data you want to analyze.

    • Share buttons give the url to share the report publicly.

  2. Metric Overview:

    • The overview displays key metrics like “Organic Keywords,” “Keywords in Top 3,” and “Traffic Value,” Summarize the overall keyword performance, keyword rankings in the top 3 search results, and the estimated monetary value of organic traffic.

  3. Keyword Position History Chart:

    • This area visualizes the keyword position history over time. The chart shows fluctuations in keyword rankings with a color-coded breakdown representing different ranking ranges (e.g., positions 1–10, 11–20).

    • The chart legend provides categories like "Highest Rank," "Hyper Traffic," "Traffic," "Striking Distance," "Developmental," and "Deep Traffic," each representing a different range of rankings and their potential impact.

  4. Keyword Table:

    • This table contains detailed information about specific keywords. Each row represents a keyword and provides data across multiple columns.

  5. Keyword Column:

    • Lists the specific keywords being tracked. Keywords are clickable links, which probably direct to more in-depth information or performance details on each keyword.

  6. Search Intent:

    • Displays icons or tags indicating the type of search intent (e.g., informational, transactional) associated with each keyword, which can help in understanding user motivation behind each search.

  7. Position Column:

    • Shows the current ranking position of each keyword in search results. Any changes in position (such as rank increase or decrease) are also noted, likely with icons or color codes.

  8. Traffic Column:

    • Displays an estimated number of visits each keyword brings to the website, based on its ranking position and search volume.

  9. Search Impression:

    • Indicates how often the website appears in search results for each keyword, providing insight into visibility and exposure.

  10. CPC (Cost Per Click):

    • Shows the average cost-per-click for each keyword, which can be helpful for estimating the competitive value and potential advertising cost if targeting the keyword in paid search campaigns.

  11. MSV (Monthly Search Volume):

    • Represents the estimated number of monthly searches for each keyword, offering insight into demand and popularity.

  12. Manage Columns / Export Options:

    • Options to customize the columns displayed in the table or export the data, allowing users to focus on specific metrics or download the data for offline analysis.

  13. Pagination and Results Count:

    • Indicates the number of results and provides options for navigating through multiple pages of keywords.

Keyword Movements

  1. Date Range, Location & Share Buttons:

    • The date range indicates the period over which the data is being analyzed. You can adjust this range to view data for different timeframes.

    • Location selector gives the the option to select which locations data you want to analyze.

    • Share buttons give the url to share the report publicly.

  2. Keyword Movement Chart:

    • The chart visually represents keyword movement over time, using color-coded bars to indicate the status of each keyword.

      • Green for keywords that improved in ranking.

      • Red for keywords that declined in ranking.

    • This chart helps users quickly understand whether keywords are generally gaining or losing positions over the selected period.

  3. Movement Filters (New, Improved, Declined, Lost):

    • These tabs allow users to filter the keyword table based on status:

      • New: Keywords that are newly ranked.

      • Improved: Keywords that have moved up in ranking.

      • Declined: Keywords that have moved down in ranking.

      • Lost: Keywords that are no longer ranking.

  4. Keyword Table:

    • The main table provides detailed information on individual keywords, including multiple columns for various metrics.

  5. Pagination and Results Count:

    • Indicates the total number of keywords and provides pagination controls for navigating through the data set. The current view shows a limited number of results per page, with options to move between pages.

Keyword Cannibalization

  1. Cannibalized Keywords Chart:

    • This line chart visualizes the history of keyword cannibalization over time. The chart tracks the number of keywords affected by cannibalization, allowing users to see trends and patterns in keyword overlap.

  2. Keyword Cannibalization Table:

    • This table provides detailed information on individual keywords that are cannibalized, including multiple columns with key metrics.

  3. Keyword Column:

    • Lists each keyword that has instances of cannibalization. These keywords are clickable, likely allowing users to access more detailed information or view the URLs competing for each keyword.

  4. Listed on # of Pages:

    • Indicates the number of different pages that rank for the same keyword, giving insight into the extent of cannibalization for each keyword.

  5. Average Position:

    • Displays the average ranking position across all pages that rank for each keyword, helping users assess the impact of cannibalization on search visibility.

  6. CPC (Cost Per Click):

    • Shows the average cost-per-click for each keyword, providing an idea of the keyword’s commercial value if targeted in paid search campaigns.

  7. Monthly Search Volume:

    • Represents the estimated number of monthly searches for each keyword, indicating demand and popularity.

  8. Pagination and Results Count:

    • Displays the total number of cannibalized keywords and provides pagination controls for navigating through the data set. The current view shows a limited number of results per page, with options to move between pages.

Backlinks

  1. Summary Metrics at the Top: Shows key metrics related to backlinks:

    • Backlinks: Total number of backlinks pointing to the site.

    • Referring Domains: Number of unique domains that link to the site.

    • Referring IPs: Number of unique IP addresses hosting sites that link to the target website.

  2. Historical Totals Graph:

    A time-based line chart that visualizes the historical trend for backlinks and referring domains over several years.

  3. Link Type:

    Displays a bar chart categorizing the types of links, such as text, image, form, and frame links, helping users understand the composition of backlink types.

  4. Link Attributes:

    Another bar chart that indicates the distribution of follow and nofollow links, showing the quality and potential impact of the backlinks on SEO.

Backlinks:

Analyze individual backlinks in detail. Each column in the table provides specific information about the links pointing to the target website, giving insight into both the quality and characteristics of each link.

Anchors:

This section (accessible via a tab) displays the distribution of anchor text of backlink, which is the clickable text of the link on the source page. Anchor text can provide insight into keyword targeting and relevance, as it indicates how other sites describe the content of the linked page.

Referring Domains:

Referring domains are the unique websites that contain links pointing to the target site. This section (also accessible via a tab) provides a list of these domains, along with details about the number of backlinks from each domain.

Referring IPs:

Referring IPs show the unique IP addresses hosting the referring domains.

Indexed Pages:

This section (accessible via another tab) displays the specific pages linking to the target site that are indexed and linked from other sites.

Site Structure

  1. Path Column: Represents URLs or subdomains within the website. Each row can display the structure of the site, such as subdirectories or specific sections.

  2. Subdirectories: Indicates how many nested sections or folders exist under each path, providing insight into the site's complexity.

  3. Organic Pages: The number of indexed pages that generate organic search traffic.

  4. Organic Keywords: Shows how many unique keywords the specific path ranks for in search engines.

  5. Organic Traffic: Represents the estimated number of visitors coming from organic search results to the specific path.

  6. Organic Impressions: The number of times any page under the path was shown in search results.

  7. Traffic Value: An estimate of the monetary value of the organic traffic, often calculated based on equivalent paid advertising costs

Site Events

  1. Add Site Event Button: A button for manually adding an event to track its impact on the website's performance.

  2. Show 7 Day Moving Average Checkbox: Allows the user to toggle the display of performance metrics averaged over a 7-day period, providing smoother trend visualization.

  3. Events Count: Shows the total number of tracked events

  4. Event Title: The name given to the specific event.

  5. Event Icon: A visual identifier that may indicate the type of event or its category.

  6. Event Creation Date: Specifies when the event was recorded or created

  7. Event Type and URL: A brief label indicating the nature of the event (e.g., "Technical Bug") and a link to the related page

  8. Keywords: The number of keywords impacted by the event, with a change indicator

  9. Average Position (Avg. Position): The average search engine position for the keywords, with an indicator of change

  10. Impressions: The number of times the site appeared in search results for the impacted keywords, along with change data

  11. Traffic: The number of visitors driven by organic search for the event's page, with a change marker

Additional Info

  1. Page Grouping Table:

    1.1 - Groupings: Lists different page group categories or segments (e.g., "Unassigned", "Audit").

    1.2 - Impressions, Traffic, Traffic Value: Metrics for each grouping.

    1.3 - Graph Toggle: Option to visualize the metrics through charts.

  2. Pie Chart:

    Represents the distribution of metrics among different page groupings. Interactive controls to show which elements want to display.

  3. Rank Position Table:

    3.1 - Rank Position: Indicates the position of keywords in search results.

    3.2 - Traffic, CTR (Clickthrough Rate), Impressions: Performance metrics associated with each rank position.

  4. Bar Chart and Line Graph:

    4.1 - Visualizes keyword position metrics such as traffic and impressions.

    4.2 - The line indicates the clickthrough rate (CTR) trend over different rank positions.

  5. Search Appearance:

    5.1 - Table listing types of search result appearances (e.g., AMP, translated results) and their related traffic and impressions.

  6. Device Traffic Breakdown:

    6.1 - Pie Chart displaying the share of traffic from different devices (e.g., mobile, desktop).

  7. Top Pages:

    7.1 - Table of URLs showing which pages receive the most traffic and impressions.

  8. Country Breakdown:

    8.1 - Table of countries, indicating the amount of traffic and impressions received from each location.

FAQs

  1. Why some pages have an SEO potential of zero. While others have a higher value

    It's directly proportional to clicks and impressions and keywords cpc, and inversely proportional to the position. So higher clicks/impressions/cpc mean higher score, higher positions mean lower score

  2. What level of access is needed for a client in GSC to connect a site to GSC performance?

    Owner (verified or delegated) or Full User access to the GSC site in account is required.

  3. Why did GSC performance numbers change?

    We previously used complex algorithms to filter out junk (misspellings) or irrelevant keywords. From 23 October 2024,, We have stopped using these filters, which may result in different GSC performance numbers.

  4. Why there is no public share option in my GSC performance Report?

    This option is only available for Pro and Enterprise plans

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