Mr Jonathan Jones

Mr Jonathan Jones

SEO & Digital Consultant

Google Search Central, Zurich: Google Search Console vs. GA4 2024 Edition

Back in 2017, I compared Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (then Universal Analytics), focusing on why clicks in GSC often didn’t match sessions in Analytics. Fast forward to 2024, and the discussion is even more relevant.

With the introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google’s renewed focus on user-first content, the discrepancies between these tools remain—but they’re better understood. At the Google Search Central Conference in Zurich, Daniel Waisberg, Search Advocate at Google, provided fresh clarity on the differences between GSC and GA4.

Why GSC and GA4 Report Different Numbers

At its core, Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4 measure very different things:

  • Google Search Console (GSC) is search-focused:
    • Measures impressions, clicks, and positions in search results.
    • Tracks how users find your site via organic search.
  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is user-focused:
    • Measures sessions, users, and events.
    • Tracks what users do on your site once they arrive.

The takeaway? GSC counts clicks directly from search results, while GA4 uses session-based tracking. This fundamental difference causes most of the discrepancies.

Closest metrics to compare against in Google Search Console and GA4:


Common Reasons for Discrepancies

In Zurich, Daniel Waisberg highlighted the technical reasons why GSC and GA4 data rarely align:

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Limitations:

  • Cookies or Tracking Tags Blocked: GA4 relies on JavaScript and cookies to track sessions, but privacy settings or ad blockers can interfere.
  • Implementation Issues: Errors in GA4 setup (e.g., missing tracking code) lead to incomplete data.
  • Attribution Models: GA4 uses event-based tracking, which can change how sessions are counted.

Google Search Console (GSC) Limitations:

  • Canonical URLs: GSC groups clicks under the canonical version of a page, which can differ from GA4’s tracking.
  • Bot Traffic Exclusion: GSC filters out bot traffic, but GA4 might count it under sessions.
  • Non-HTML Pages: GSC ignores clicks to non-HTML files like PDFs, which GA4 can track.

Real-World Discrepancies: Organic Sessions vs. Clicks

Example 1: Organic Search Traffic Over Time

In Zurich, Waisberg showcased how organic search trends often align between GSC and GA4 but rarely match perfectly.

  • GSC clicks often show spikes when users click repeatedly on the same search result.
  • GA4 sessions, however, aggregate these clicks into a single session, especially if they occur within 30 minutes.

Example 2: Query-Level Performance

When looking at top queries, GSC tracks clicks and click-through rate (CTR) directly from search results. GA4, however, relies on site interactions, so query-level performance can differ.

For example:

  • A query like “SEO” might show 17.4K clicks in GSC but far fewer sessions in GA4 due to tracking gaps or blocked cookies.
  • GSC might report steady clicks while GA4 shows a decline in user sessions.

These differences highlight why GSC is better for search insights, while GA4 excels at on-site behaviour tracking.


Regional Discrepancies: Sessions vs. Clicks by Country

Waisberg also showed how discrepancies appear at the country level. GSC often reports higher clicks in regions where cookies and JavaScript are more likely to be blocked (e.g., stricter privacy settings in Europe).

This highlights the need for regional context when comparing GSC and GA4 data.

A comparison of the two can show starkly different numbers when comparing Sessions with Clicks:

  • India: 138.7K clicks in GSC but a smaller number of GA4 sessions.
  • United States: Clicks and sessions align more closely due to better tracking coverage.

GA4:

CountrySessionsSessions Change (%)Returning Users (%)
India137.311.618.8
United States112.0-11.019.9
Japan44.9213.817.6
United Kingdom37.3-1.231.0
Germany30.195.821.6
Egypt27.2280.94.6
France24.4174.115.1
Brazil23.431.314.4
Indonesia21.725.614.7
Pakistan21.61.422.6

Vs GSC:

CountryClicksClicks Change (%)CTR (%)CTR Change (%)
India138.76.00.8613.9
United States99.9-10.80.50-5.4
Japan63.6-1.11.555.0
United Kingdom40.2-3.80.812.0
Germany44.6-4.01.644.9
Egypt95.52.93.1611.1
France35.5-9.21.44-6.8
Brazil27.5-11.00.657.1
Indonesia25.723.72.42-5.1
Pakistan24.5-11.40.28-2.3

Practical Recommendations for SEOs in 2024/2025

While GSC and GA4 serve different purposes, using them together provides the clearest picture of your site’s performance.

  1. Use GSC for Search Insights:
    • Focus on clicks, impressions, and top queries to understand how users find your site.
    • Track CTR trends to identify opportunities for optimisation.
  2. Use GA4 for On-Site Performance:
    • Measure sessions, engagement rates, and conversions to see how users interact with your content.
    • Fix tracking issues (e.g., cookie consent, JavaScript errors) to improve data accuracy.
  3. Accept the Discrepancies:
    • GSC and GA4 measure different things. Don’t obsess over matching the numbers—use each tool for its strengths.
  4. Regional Adjustments:
    • Consider how regional privacy laws or technical issues might affect GA4 tracking when analysing country-specific data.

Conclusion

The key lesson from Zurich? Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4 complement each other.

  • GSC tells you how users find you in search.
  • GA4 shows you what they do once they land on your site.

Instead of focusing on perfect data alignment, use both tools to extract actionable insights. By understanding their differences, you can build a more complete and accurate picture of your organic performance in 2024 and beyond.

Related Reading: Google Search Console vs. Google Analytics (2017)

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