Google Search Consoles Search Analytics Report is Not To Be Trusted

[DanLeibson]

Hey All,

I've long been skeptical of the new Search Analytics report in GSC and recently published this piece on why it's not to be trusted. I think as local SEO's we need to be even more skeptical of this data.

Should you trust Google's Search Analytics Report? - Local SEO Guide

I'm curious, how many of you are using this report in driving strategy/reporting to clients?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for sharing with our members Dan!

Sad to admit, but I've never even had the time to set it up and use it. Just too busy so my own sites are like the cobbler's shoes - neglected!

But I'm sure many here will find that post helpful!

What do you guys think? Do you trust the data???

 

[Eric Rohrback]

I agree with Dan's findings. I don't pay particularly close attention to the search query "data" Google is sharing in WMT; I mostly just pay attention to some of the error reporting. The search data is fine to get new keyword ideas to target, but data accuracy is not reliable at all. I think it's useful if you're searching for new ideas, but wouldn't make decisions which impact the bottom line of the business off of Google data like this.

 

[Dave]

In general I think its TERRIBLE DATA: On top of that I just caught an alarming trend for our smb's.

1. Its national data on the impressions side. Who cares if you are a local business
2. Google purposefully skews the data. You have no idea if it is at all accurate, or if it is being deliberately skewed or misrepresented.
3. In our examples it normally represents half or less than half of the organic/pack traffic we get for any business. its simply way under representative of what may or may not work. We check our organic traffic on 2 different analytics programs and periodically check log files. If we can't see organic traffic by phrase we can at least track by volumes, landing pages and some other data. We simply have no way to verify Google Search Console/WMT data.

Now the recently alarming part. On a most recent scan of keywords; which roughly corresponds to the period since the Crap Pack roll out on August 6/7.....instead of what we have KNOWN to be the huge killer traffic for discovery phrases....ie service/city--or something like "pediatrician Denver" type searches....

The console showed a majority of clicks on our sites for RECOVERY phrases ie our name or tight branding.

Uh UH UH. Hey google THAT HAS NEVER BEEN THE CASE!!!!! for our smb's, wherein branding is low.....we have ALWAYS gotten something like 4/5/6 to one traffic for discovery searches over recovery name searches.

So....is the console LYING to us...or did the crap pack kill traffic for discovery traffic???

Which is it???