If you work in a company’s marketing department, or are the marketer, business owner, and everything else, being able to understand user behavior on your website as well as your site’s performance on Google Search is important.
The best way to do this is by connecting your Google Search Console to Google Analytics 4, as it provides the most effective way to gain insight into your website’s performance. It’s not too hard to do, but it’s easier when you have a step-by-step on how to connect the two; that’s what you’ll see below.
Step 1: Sign in to Google Search Console
First, go to the Google Search Console website.
Sign in with your Google account and make sure you’re using the same Google account that has access to your website’s property in Google Analytics.
Step 2: Add Your Website Property to Google Search Console (If Not Already Added)
If your website property isn’t already added to Google Search Console, click the “Add Property” button.
Make sure you use the “Domain” property type. Enter your website’s domain in the provided field and click “Continue.”
Follow the verification process to prove ownership of your website. You’ll need to add a DNS record to your domain name. We normally use the TXT record since it’s reliable and the “easy” way to do this, in our opinion.
You may need to make this request from whoever manages your website (or more specifically, your DNS records). Once verified, your property will be added, and you’ll be good to go from a Google Search Console standpoint.
Step 3: Sign in to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Before you start this step, make sure you have a GA4 property set up that is connected to your website, you are an admin in this GA4 property, and you are a verified owner in your Google Search Console property with “edit” permission.
Without all of the above, you won’t be able to set things up properly, so it’s better to have those things in place and then continue with the connection.
Go to your Google Analytics 4 account, and make sure you are signed in with the same Google account used for Google Search Console.
Step 4: Connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to Google Search Console (GSC)
You’ll start by going into the Google Analytics dashboard and selecting the GA4 property you want to link with the Google Search Console you set up.
In the left-hand menu, click on “Admin”.
Under the “Property” column, click on “Search Console Links,” which can be found in the Product Links section.
Please note, If you haven’t set up a data stream yet, you’ll need to do so first before proceeding.
Click on the blue “Link” button, which will open a configuration screen with the next steps.
Click on the “Choose accounts” button, which will open the list of accounts you can add to GA4 accounts.
Choose the correct account and hit the blue “Confirm” button.
Click the blue “Next” button.
Under Select Web Stream, click the blue “Select” text, and choose the proper data stream.
Click “Next”. (Almost done with this step!)
You’ll then be shown information for you to “Review and submit”. You can go back by clicking “Previous” if needed. If not, you can confirm the link by clicking the blue “Submit” button.
Step 5: Verify the Connection Between GA4 and GSC
To verify the connection, go back to the Google Search Console.
Click on “Settings” on the left menu near the button.
Under “General settings,” you should see a section called “Associations” that should now show “Google Analytics”.
If you see your GA4 account in this section, you’re good to go!
Step 6: Explore the Combined GA4 and GSC Data
You can now access GSC data directly from your GA4 property by navigating to the “Reports” section in GA4 and selecting “Library”. You can click “Create new report” and “Create detailed report” to find the available Search Console templates.
With Google Search Console connected to Google Analytics 4, you can explore a wealth of data related to your website’s performance in Google Search, including click-through rates, impressions, and query performance, all within the context of your GA4 reports. This combined data will help you make more informed decisions to improve your website’s performance and SEO strategy.
That’s it! You’ve successfully connected Google Search Console to Google Analytics 4, enabling you to gain deeper insights into how users find and interact with your website through Google Search.