Search Console vs Google Analytics
Search Console reports what happens on Google before someone reaches your site: how often your pages were shown, how often people clicked, and the searches behind them. Google Analytics reports what visitors do once they arrive, and where they came from.[1] Google says their numbers won’t match completely, and a small gap is normal.[1]
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What each one counts
| Compared on | Search Console | Google Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| What it reports | How your site does in Google Search: times shown (impressions), clicks and searches[1] | What visitors do on your site, which pages, how long, what actions[1] |
| Traffic it sees | Google Search only, split by web, image, video, news and Discover[1] | Where visitors came from: email, other websites, social, paid and organic search[1] |
| Default time zone | Pacific Time[1] | Your choice: set per property[1] |
| Bots | Not necessarily filtered out[1] | Known bots and spiders left out automatically[1] |
Why the numbers differ
Google lists these reasons, among others:[1]
- The tag is missing. Some pages may not carry the Google Analytics tag.
- Cookies. Visitors who opt out of tracking skew Google Analytics.
- Clicks and visits are counted differently. Search Console counts every click in Google Search; Google Analytics counts visits (it calls them sessions).
- Canonical addresses. Search Console reports only the canonical address Google chose; Google Analytics reports any address that carries the tag.
- Files that are not pages. Search Console includes PDFs and other non-HTML files shown or clicked in Search.
If the gap is small, Google says you can ignore it.[1]
Linking the two
Link a Search Console property to Google Analytics and you can see where your site ranks, which searches lead to clicks, and what those visitors did next.[3] You need the Editor role on the Google Analytics property and must be a verified owner of the Search Console property. One web data stream links to one Search Console property, and Search Console keeps 16 months of data.[3]
Where Convertlyft fits
Convertlyft puts both in one place for one website. Connect Search Console and Google’s clicks and times shown sit beside the visits our tag counts and the sales and enquiries those visits led to. The two are kept as two counters, never added together, for the same reasons Google gives above.
Questions
Why don’t Search Console clicks match Google Analytics?
Google says the two use different metrics and systems, so the data won’t match completely. Among the reasons: pages without the Google Analytics tag, visitors who opt out of tracking, different time zones, and canonical addresses.[1]
Which one is right?
Both, for what each measures. Google says a small gap is normal and expected, and not something you need to fix.[1]
Can I see Search Console data inside Google Analytics?
Yes, by linking them. You need the Editor role on the Google Analytics property and to be a verified owner of the Search Console property. Google Analytics then shows up to 16 months of Search Console data, about 48 hours after Search Console collects it.[3]
Is Search Console free?
Yes. Google calls it a free service, and you don’t have to sign up for it to be included in Google Search results.[2]
Sources
- Google Search Central, guide to using Search Console and Google Analytics together, last updated 7 January 2026, developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/google-analytics-search-console, checked 8 November 2026.
- Search Console Help, “About Search Console”, support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9128668, checked 8 November 2026.
- Google Analytics Help, “Connect Search Console to Google Analytics”, support.google.com/analytics/answer/10737381, checked 8 November 2026.
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