The Data from Google Analytics and Search Console Never Match - Here's Why
The Data from Google Analytics and Search Console Never Match - Here's Why
If you pay close attention to the statistics provided by Google Analytics and Search Console, you will observe differences in the reported data. In this article, we will explore why this occurs and how it can create the impression of incorrect information.
It is important to note that despite the disparities, the data from both Google Analytics and Search Console is accurate. The discrepancy is due to variance in the tracking and presentation methods used by Google.
Search Console vs. Google Analytics
It can be challenging to reconcile the data from Google Analytics and Search Console due to discrepancies in their numbers. This is because each program focuses on different aspects and employs different methods of data collection and reporting.
Purpose Of Google Analytics
Google Analytics provides insights on a website's performance in terms of user engagement metrics such as time on page. It reports on conversion-related goals and displays visitor behavior on the website. Some typical reporting includes tracking performance goals such as purchases and lead generation. It can provide real-time data on site traffic and session quality statistics to show how close traffic is to conversions. The data also includes user behavior on the website. However, it's essential to remember that Google Analytics data is primarily used to evaluate website effectiveness for site visitors. Although it provides information on webpage performance, the primary focus is on on-site traffic and visitor behavior.
Purpose Of Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides valuable information to website publishers to improve their website's performance in Google Search. It includes search and indexing statistics to help resolve search visibility issues. Additionally, Search Console enables proactive communication between Google and publishers about search visibility issues, such as manual actions, hacked status, structured data configuration, mobile usability, and other relevant information to maintain optimal search visibility. Publishers can also use Search Console to troubleshoot localized language issues, define a site-wide country target, disavow inbound links, and take other actions related to search visibility.
Disparities Between Search Console And Analytics Explained
Due to the distinct objectives of Google Search Console and Analytics, the data aggregation methods used by each service may vary, resulting in conflicting reports. It's important to note that the information provided by both services is accurate, but the presentation may differ. Here are some possible reasons for the inconsistencies in data between Analytics and Search Console.
Definition Of Search Is Different
One major reason for the inconsistency between Google Analytics and Search Console data is their different approaches to measuring search traffic.
It's important to note that the terms "search traffic" in Analytics and Search Console cannot be used interchangeably.
In Google Analytics, traffic from Google Discover is included in the Search category, which can lead to organic search-related traffic including traffic from both Google Discover and the Google search box.
On the other hand, Google Search Console separates traffic from Google Discover and organic search results, providing a separate report for Google Discover traffic.
Search Console And Analytics Versus JavaScript
Google Analytics will only report data from site visitors who have enabled JavaScript in their browser, whereas Search Console collects data regardless of whether JavaScript is enabled or not in the browser.
Google Analytics Is Blocked From Collecting Data
Search Console and Analytics do not integrate with each other partly due to the increasingly strict restrictions on online tracking. Certain browsers and plugins that block analytics tracking prevent Google Analytics from collecting data, such as the DuckDuckGo browser plugin and Mozilla's Firefox browser. As a result, Search Console may collect different or additional data that diverges from what is collected in Google Analytics, since data collection is not prohibited in Search Console.
Time Delay Discrepancies
Search Console and Google Analytics differ in their reporting of traffic data, with Search Console data being delayed by several days while Analytics can provide data almost instantly. However, due to the delay in Search Console reporting, the data viewed may be incomplete.
Search Console Omits Certain Queries
The privacy of users is safeguarded by Search Console, and as a result, the Search Console Performance report will exclude data from certain types of queries.
Anonymized Queries Totals In Performance Report
As explained earlier, the data in the Performance report of Search Console will not align with the organic traffic data in Analytics, and anonymized queries are another factor contributing to the divergence in performance data between the two tools. For privacy reasons, Search Console excludes "very infrequent" search requests. Anonymized queries are counted in the totals, but are not included when the Performance report is filtered.
Time Zone Differences
Google Analytics provides daily and monthly reports based on the publisher's time zone. The preferred time zone for a website can be set in Analytics view settings, which allows adjustment of the publisher's time zone. However, Google Search Console reports data in the Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) time zone, which is the time zone for California. As a result, data from Search Console is assigned to a single time zone, while data from Google Analytics is assigned to a different time zone when the website's time zone is outside of California. This has a significant impact on how data is reported since it ensures that daily and monthly traffic statistics are consistently available.
Landing Page URL Differences
To some extent, landing pages are aggregated in Search Console, but Analytics does not collect landing page URLs.
Search Console Data Is Limited
A significant difference in data reporting between Search Console and Google Analytics is that Search Console is limited to show data for up to 1,000 URLs for landing pages, while Google Analytics does not have such a restriction and can report on more than 1,000 landing pages.
Data Differences In Search Console and Analytics
Search Console and Analytics differ in the data they track and provide, with discrepancies stemming from variations in how landing pages are gathered and the time zone of traffic events. However,variance in the reported data between Search Console and Analytics do not infer data issues. Ultimately, these are two distinct products that report data differently, and that is the main reason for the differences.