Organic vs SEO in Analytics

[coadr93]

In my analytics account, the Acquisition / All Traffic / Google organic searches shows me around 19,000 hits from 1st Jan to 1st Feb.

But if I go to the Search Engine Optimization tab / Queries or Landing pages I can only count 1,800 clicks from 1st Jan to 1st Feb.

Why such a huge discrepancy ? Am I getting 1800 clicks from the Google organic search, or 19,000 ?

[Everett]

Hello Coadr93,

The two numbers come from two different sources (GSC and the GA Script on your site) so I wouldn't expect them to align. Think of the Search Engine Optimization data Google shows in GA as a representation of which keywords and landing pages are working, relative to each other. I definitely wouldn't use it for reporting.

The GA data should be closer to the truth, as it relies on the script, which should appear on every page on your site.

If I go to Acquisition ---> SEO ---> Queries in Google Analytics for a website I run, I see 400,852 impressions and 7,126 clicks. I get the same number with the Landing Pages report under SEO in GA.

If I go to Acquisition ---> All Traffic ---> Source/Medium ---> Google Organic I see 7,291 sessions for the same time period.

There is a difference, but not a huge one.

If you have looked at the same reports and the discrepancy is as large as you stated in the original question, I would look into verifying your sites in GSC and making sure the right one is connected to GA.

You can verify in several ways, including at the DNS level, or with your GA tracking code:
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35179?hl=en

Good luck!

[coadr93]

Yes, the default URL in Propriety Settings is

http://www.domain.com

and if I scroll down and click Adjust Search Console I can see

Search Console Settings

Search Console site
If your property is also a verified website in Search Console, and you are the owner, you can associate your Search Console data here. Google Analytics will then be able to display some of that data in some reports.
http://www.domain.com/ - Edit

Enabled views ( 3 views selected )

And if I click Edit it takes me to my Webmasters account on my email and I get this.

Enable Search Console data in Google Analytics
When you associate a Google Analytics web property with a Search Console site, you will be able to see Search Console data in your Google Analytics reports, and enable Search Console to link directly to associated reports in Google Analytics.

Web Property: domain.com ( just the name of the propriety, not the URL )
Linked Site: This site is not linked to any web property in your Google Analytics account.
Search Console site Associated Analytics web property

You haven't verified any sites.

When you associate a site in your Search Console account with a Google Analytics web property, by default Search Console data is enabled for all profiles associated with that web property. As a result, anybody with access to that Google Analytics property may be able to see Search Console data for that site. More information.
Add a site to Search Console

So basically yes, it's the same URL for Analytics and Search Console.

So the discrepancy of the numbers is really strange.

[DirkC]

Just take one step back: you say that if you go to the Admin > Property settings you see that there is a link between the analytics account and a search console account. You don't have to edit it, you just have to be sure that both accounts are covering the same domain & same scope:
So - if your analytics account covers www.mydomain.com and sub.mydomain.com - it could be linked to the search console account of www.mydomain.com or the account of sub.mydomain.com. It's unfortunately not possible to link one analytics property to multiple search console accounts. On the other hand - you can't have one search console accounts that spans multiple subdomains.

You can only link accounts when you have access to both the Analytics (with edit permissions) and Search Console (as admin)

Dirk

[coadr93]

So basically I can only see the Search Console results in the Analytics account, only for that website ( there are many more but I'm working with one currently ) but if I access my Webmasters account (on my email) it tells me that there is no verified propriety so I added the site and it now tells me

"You don't have access to this property. Verify this property or ask a property owner to add you as a user. - verify this propriety"

• You must have the "edit" permission for the Analytics web property.

  I have it...

[coadr93]

Ok so my collegue gave me access to the search console, I don't know exactly how he did it and if it is correctly set up, I will ask.

If I go to  Analytics > Admin (top navigation) - Check Property settings at the bottom I have Adjust Search Console and then  the URL of the website shows there, then I can click it and it tells me I have 3 enabled views I can then click Edit and this is what I get.

"

Enable Search Console data in Google Analytics

When you associate a Google Analytics web property with a Search Console site, you will be able to see Search Console data in your Google Analytics reports, and enable Search Console to link directly to associated reports in Google Analytics.

Web Property:url to site

Linked Site: This site is not linked to any web property in your Google Analytics account.
Search Console site Associated Analytics web property
You haven't verified any sites.

When you associate a site in your Search Console account with a Google Analytics web property, by default Search Console data is enabled for all profiles associated with that web property. As a result, anybody with access to that Google Analytics property may be able to see Search Console data for that site. More information.

Add a site to Search Console

"

But this is only on my account, I'm not the owner, the programmer is. Did the programmer set me up wrong ?

[DirkC]

You're right - it doesn't include the paid traffic (I put it a bit too simplistic when stating referrer = google).

It's strange that you don't have access to the SC account - somebody must have linked both else you wouldn't been able to see anything under this report. If you're analytics Admin you can create access in Search Console (Analytics can be used as ownership validation - check here: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35179?hl=en).

You can also check in Analytics > Admin (top navigation) - Check Property settings (at the bottom of that page you see which Search Console (= Webmaster tools) account is linked to your analytics.

Dirk

[coadr93]

Hi Dirk, thanks for the anwer !

Just to make sure, the ( Acquisition / All Traffic / Google organic searches ) means that they do NOT include the paid ads right ? So some people might search "brand name" where we also have an ad, and some might click on the ad ( goes to google cpc traffic ) and some might click on the organic one ( and it goes to organic traffic ).

The problem is I don't have access to the Webmasters account ( search console is there right ?) , I just have access to the Analytics account. But I will check and try to find out. I heard about this about web/images/video but I doubt people search images because the products are supplements, and we definitely don't have many videos, around 3-4 with low views.

[DirkC]

The first ( Acquisition / All Traffic / Google organic searches) measures the traffic (on your site) with referrer = Google. This figure should normally be the most accurate.

The second report is coming from the Search Console - and measures the number of clicks in the SERP's. It's not abnormal that there is a difference between these two figures (check this link)- but in your case it seems huge.

Are you sure that the Search Console Account which is linked to the Google Analytics account has the same scope as the Analytics account (example - if you have a search console account measuring the traffic for the www version & analytics includes traffic from all subdomains)? If you check in the Search Console account - do you have big amount of non-web search (image/video)?

Dirk