Step-2: Make sure that the email address you are using for the GA4 property (with either the ‘Administrator’ or ‘Editor’ permission) is also used to login to your Google Search Console property for which you must be a verified site owner.
Step-3: Make sure that your GA4 property and your search console property are already collecting data for your website before you link the two properties together.
Step-4: Navigate to your Google Analytics 4 Property and click on the ‘Admin’ link from the menu:
Step-5: In the ‘Property’ column, scroll down and then click on the link ‘Search Console Linking’ under the ‘Product Linking’ section:
Step-6: Click on the ‘Link’ button:
Step-7: This will open a new side relay like the below image, now click on the link ‘Choose accounts’.
Step-8: Another side relay will appear like the below image which list all the search console properties for which you are a verified site owner. Now click on the check box next to the search console property you want to link to your GA4 property:
Step-9: Now click on the ‘Confirm’ button at the top right corner.
Step-10: Click on the ‘Next’ button:
Step-11: Click on the ‘Select’ button to select the web data stream for your website:
Step-12: Now choose the data stream for which you are setting up Search Console:
Step-13: You will see that your selected data stream is displayed under the ‘Select Web Stream’ section. Now click on the ‘Next’ button:
Step-14: Review your configuration settings and then click on the ‘Submit’ button:
Congratulations! You have successfully linked your Google Search Console property to Google Analytics 4 property.
You should now see a ‘Link Created’ screen like the image below:
Step-16: Click on the cross button at the top left-hand side:
Step-17: Click on the ‘Reports‘ menu:
Step-18: Click on the ‘Library’ link from the menu.
Step-19: Under ‘Collections’ look for the new collection named ‘Search Console’:
Step-20: The ‘Search Console’ collection is not yet published. You would need to publish it. To do that click on the three dots menu:
Step-21: Click on the ‘Publish’ button.
Note: If you do not see the ‘Publish’ button then click on the ‘Edit’ link to edit the ‘Search Console’ collection and then click on the ‘Save’ button.
You should now see the ‘Published‘ status:
Step-22: Click on the ‘Search Console‘ menu:
You should now see the following two reports: Queries and Google Organic Search Traffic:
About the “Queries” report in GA4
Through the Queries report, you can determine the following about each Organic Google Search Query:
Organic Google Search Clicks.
Organic Google Search Impressions
Organic Google Search Click through rate.
Organic Google Search Average positon,
About the “Google organic search traffic” report in GA4
Through the Google organic search traffic report, you can determine the following about each organic search traffic landing page:
Organic Google Search Clicks.
Organic Google Search Impressions
Organic Google Search Click through rate.
Organic Google Search Average positon,
So this is how you can find and use your Search Console reports in Google Analytics 4.
What is the advantage of linking your Google Search Console property to GA4?
Google Analytics 4 allows you to connect your GA4 property with Google Search Console property.
Through such integration, you can view the Google search console data (queries, impressions, clicks, CTR, landing pages etc) in Search Console’ reports of your GA4 reporting view.
Google search console provides data about what users see in Google search results before they decide to click on your website.
You can use this data to identify opportunities and prioritize development efforts to increase the number of visitors to your website.
For example,
You can identify landing pages on your web site that have good clickthrough rates (CTR) but have poor average positions in search results. These could be pages that people want to see but have trouble finding.
You can identify search queries (keywords) for which your website have good CTR but poor average positions. These are queries for which your pages get attention and improved ranking could lead to more website visitors.
Caveats of linking Google Search Console property to GA4 property
#1 The Search console reports are unpublished by default. You need to manually publish them via the ‘Library’ menu. Otherwise, they won’t appear in your GA4 reporting view.
#2 The search console metrics are only compatible with search console dimensions and following Google Analytics dimensions
Landing page
Device
Country
#3The search console is directly linked to a webstream. If you delete the link with the current web stream and link it again with another web stream, then all date ranges for search console reports will use the webstream you selected for the new link.
Limitation of linking Google Search Console property to GA4 property
You can link a web data stream from GA4 to only one Search Console property.
You can link a Search Console property to only one data stream.
Search Console reports in GA4 do not support the time series chart.
Search console by default keeps data for the last 16 months. So the search console reports in GA4 can show you a maximum of 16 months of data.
Search Console data is available in GA4 Search Console reports 48 hours after it is collected by your linked Search Console property.
You can not edit links to search console property. If you want to link another GA4 property with the search console property you need to first delete the existing link and create a new one.
If you create a web data stream in GA4 and then complete site verification in the search console, the search console data in GA4 is available from the time of site verification.
If you complete site verification first and then create a new web data stream in GA4, the search console data is available in GA4 from the creation date of the web data stream.
Frequently asked questions about Google Search Console integration with Google Analytics 4
How do I integrate Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console?
Follow the below steps to integrate Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console. Step-1: Navigate to your Google Analytics 4 Property and click on the ‘Admin’ link from the menu. Step-2: Now in the ‘Property’ column, click on the ‘Search Console Linking’ available under ‘Product Linking’. Step-3: Click on the blue ‘Link’ button. Step-4: Click on ‘Choose accounts’. Step-5: Select the search console account. Step-6: Click on ‘Confirm’. Step-7: Select the ‘Data Stream’ from the GA4 property. Step-8: Click on ‘Next’. Step-9: Review your configuration and click on ‘Submit’.
How do I add the Google Search Console report menu to Google Analytics 4?
Once you have successfully linked Google Search Console to Google Analytics 4, follow the below steps to add the Google Search Console report menu to Google Analytics 4. Step-1: Navigate to your Google Analytics 4 Property and click on the ‘Library’ link from the Menu. Step-2: Now under ‘Collections’ you will find the new widget as ‘Search Console’. This widget is not yet published and to get a quick access sidebar menu, you need to publish it. Now click on the 3 dots beside the search console widget. Step-3: Now click on ‘Publish’. Step-4: As soon as you publish the widget, you will find a new sidebar menu available as ‘Search Console’.
What are the limitations of linking Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console?
There are a few limitations as below
1. You can link a web data stream from GA4 to only one Search Console property. 2. You can link your Search Console property to only one GA4 web data stream. However, you can also link it with another Universal Analytics property. 3. Search Console reports in GA4 do not support the time series chart. 4. Search console by default keeps data for the past 16 months so in GA4 reports as well you can only see data for the past 16 months. 5. Data collected by the Search console is available after processing that takes 48 hours. This is applicable in GA4 as well 6. You can not edit links to search console property. If you want to link another GA4 property with the search console you need to delete the existing link and create a new one.
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