Google Releases New Guidance on GA4 & Search Console Integration

Google Releases New Guidance on GA4 & Search Console Integration
Google has updated its documentation on integrating Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console via Looker Studio as of February 2025. The new guidance helps SEO professionals merge data from both platforms, enabling a more comprehensive analysis of user journeys. This documentation also includes a pre-built Looker Studio dashboard to assist in visualizing trends and data comparisons.
What We Will Cover:
Enhanced SEO Insights with GA4 & Search Console Integration
Google’s updated documentation explains how integrating GA4 with Search Console can provide a holistic view of website performance. GA4 tracks on-site user interactions, while Search Console records search result performance. By merging these data points, marketers can better understand how visitors engage with a site after clicking from search results.
Google’s official documentation, available on its Developer website, provides step-by-step instructions for setting up this integration. The new guide clarifies data differences between GA4 and Search Console and offers strategies to reconcile reporting discrepancies.

Why It Matters
Integrating GA4 and Search Console provides SEO professionals with more accurate and actionable data. Key benefits include:
- Understanding the full user journey from search query to on-site behavior.
- Identifying performance trends with visualized data in Looker Studio.
- Resolving discrepancies in search and website analytics for better decision-making.
Unified SEO Insights
- GA4 tracks website engagement, including sessions, returning users, and conversion rates.
- Search Console provides data on clicks, impressions, and search ranking positions.
- Merging these datasets helps businesses compare search intent with on-site activity.
Leveraging Looker Studio for Data Visualization
- Google provides a pre-built Looker Studio dashboard for combining GA4 and Search Console data.
- The dashboard includes:
- Separate visualizations for GA4 and Search Console data.
- A side-by-side comparison of sessions and clicks.
- Customizable charts for deeper analysis of SEO performance trends.
Addressing Data Discrepancies
- Google clarifies why GA4 and Search Console may show different numbers:
- GA4 uses session-based tracking, while Search Console reports search impressions.
- Time zones and attribution models vary between the two platforms.
- Non-HTML pages are included in GA4 but not Search Console.
- Google’s guide provides recommendations for minimizing inconsistencies.
Next Steps for SEO Professionals
Google’s updated guidance encourages SEO professionals to integrate GA4 and Search Console for better insights. Those already using analytics tools can review the new Looker Studio dashboard to optimize their reporting.
For detailed instructions, visit the official Google Developers documentation. By leveraging this integration, marketers can enhance their SEO strategies and make data-driven decisions.