New GSC Search Analytics report: position mixes web and image

[QRN]

Dear all,

I am auditing a site in Google Seach Console (GSC, formerly Google Webmaster Tools) and find the Position data in the new Search Analytics report very, very improbable.

I suspect that even if you filter by "SearchType = web", the Position data does count the ranking of images in the Image search widget as a search position.

Has anybody observed this as well?

Here is the case: the site targets a quite broad search query in the bath room domain. I have made a number of searches with private browser sessions, different browsers, alternative IP address via a VPN, etc, and the look of the search result in the relevant geographical market is consistently the following.

1. Three Adwords ads
2. #1 organic result
3. Images universal results widget
4. #2-10 organic results

The site’s first page ranks consistently around #15 of the organic results, hence on the second SERP. But it also consistently has an image in the Images universal results widget (usually #2 or #3).

This is consistent with the data I have in Moz Analytics.

Yet, the GSC Search Analytics report shows 2.2 as average position with the default SearchType=Web setting.

I have done the search over and over, and never has a PAGE of the site ranked that high.

Is there any public information how exactly the position is calculated? I mean, something more precise than the very general information on https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6155685?hl=en

Is there any way to get the correct position/ranking?

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[QRN]

Thanks for your observations!

That'd be a really biggy, wouldn't it, if the Position data was really biased by Image boxes?

Did you find any statement by Google on this topic?

Schöne Grüße nach Berlin

Frank

[paints-n-design]

When I compare image and web, I can see that image searchers aren't counted as web searchers.
When I check positions, I can see that some search querries of one of my sites are at positions 1.1 to 1.9 based on web and 3.1 to 45.4 based on image search. Thats working - as long as it is picture search vs. web search. And as long as the search querry has no image-box.

Now your question - I checked another side wich has a lot of rankings in image boxes in web search. And I think you are right:

• Search Console is telling me I am on the web at postion 1.1
• When I Google it, my picture is the first one in a picture box at the top of the Results.
• Than there is a website (wich is not mine)
• And finally I am on Positon 2 (Picture Box, other Website, my Website)
• the same with a lot of querries. Google is here counting my image result (first result) in a picture box @ web search.

Tried to find some clients - found one. A search result he simply couldn't have with his website. But he had - it was a picture somewhere in the middle of the SERPs. I also saw that google seems to count each image as one result.

So finally you are right. If you have a Picture somewhere in an Image Box (wich is displayed in a Web Search) is a Web Search Position in Google Search Console.