As search evolves and AI-driven results dominate SERPs, SEO tracking in 2025 requires a sharper eye and better tools. With Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console (GSC) leading the charge, SEO professionals must adapt their workflows to maintain visibility, measure results, and identify growth opportunities accurately.
This guide will walk you through how to track and analyze SEO performance using GA4 and GSC, including key metrics, setup best practices, custom reports, and tips to overcome modern SEO challenges get more info like zero-click searches and AI overviews.
Why GA4 and GSC Are Critical in 2025
GA4 and GSC are your primary data sources for understanding organic performance:
GA4 tracks on-site user behavior, conversions, page performance, and source attribution using event-based models.
GSC offers search engine visibility data: impressions, CTR, rankings, crawl insights, and more.
When combined, they provide a full-funnel SEO analytics view: from impressions in Google Search to clicks and on-site engagement.
1. Setting Up GA4 & GSC for SEO Tracking
Link GA4 and GSC
To integrate data:
In GA4, go to Admin > Product Links > Search Console Links.
Connect your verified GSC property.
Choose the correct GA4 web data stream.
GA4 will import GSC data (queries, landing pages, country, device).
This unlocks dedicated Search Console reports inside GA4 under Reports > Acquisition > Search Console.
Set Up SEO-Specific Conversions in GA4
GA4 no longer tracks goals like Universal Analytics. Instead, you define conversions from events.
Examples:
Button clicks (generate_lead)
Scroll depth (scroll)
Form submissions (form_submit)
Page views of a thank-you page (page_view with URL filter)
Mark these key SEO-related events as conversions to measure what organic traffic actually achieves.
2. Key GA4 Metrics to Track for SEO
GA4’s event-based model focuses on engagement and behavior, not just traffic counts. For SEO, prioritize:
Metric Meaning/Use Case
Users Total organic visitors
Sessions Number of organic sessions
Engaged Sessions Sessions with meaningful interaction (10s+, scroll, etc)
Average Engagement Time Time users stay on organic pages
Bounce Rate (via reverse calc) Gauge content match and experience
Conversions Goal completions from organic traffic
Organic Search as Source Filter by source/medium = google / organic
Use Explore > Free Form reports to build custom dashboards by landing page, device, or location.
3. Using GSC to Analyze Search Performance
Google Search Console gives raw search-side data. Focus on:
Core Reports:
Performance > Search Results: Queries, clicks, CTR, and average position
Pages: Which URLs are getting visibility?
Countries & Devices: Understand your audience's geography and behavior
Discover: Tracks visibility in Google Discover
Shopping / Video Reports: For eCommerce or content-rich sites
Key SEO Metrics in GSC:
Metric Why It Matters
Impressions Visibility in Google SERPs
Clicks Actual traffic generated
CTR Indicates relevance and title/meta effectiveness
Average Position General ranking health
Segment by date range (compare last 28 days vs previous) to track growth or decline.
4. Cross-Analyzing GA4 and GSC
Neither GA4 nor GSC gives you everything. Use both to build a clear picture.
Use Cases:
Goal GSC GA4
Keyword rankings & visibility ✅ Queries report ❌
Landing page performance ✅ Pages report ✅ Page performance & scroll
On-page engagement & behavior ❌ ✅ Engagement time, events
Conversion tracking from organic ❌ ✅ With event setup
Zero-click keyword detection ✅ Low CTR, high impressions ❌
Technical health (indexing, Core Web Vitals) ✅ ❌
Together, they offer search-to-behavior analytics.
5. Tracking AI Overview & Zero-Click Impact
Google’s AI Overviews and zero-click SERPs have changed the game.
How to monitor impact:
Look for high-impression but low-click queries in GSC.
These are likely served by AI snippets or direct answers.
Compare CTR trends year over year to gauge AI disruption.
Check for ranking position declines in GSC even when traffic stays flat — AI content might be pushing your listing down.
Tip:
Use custom Looker Studio dashboards combining GSC & GA4 to visualize these shifts monthly.
6. SEO Performance Reports to Build in GA4
GA4 lacks many prebuilt reports, but you can recreate SEO dashboards with these:
A. Landing Page SEO Report (via Explore)
Dimensions: Page path + query string
Metrics: Users, sessions, engagement rate, conversions
Filter: Session source = google
B. Query Performance (via GSC connector)
Build in Looker Studio
Dimensions: Query, Clicks, Impressions, CTR, Position
Filters: Device, Country, Page
C. Top Performing SEO Pages
Use GA4’s Path Exploration to analyze how users navigate from organic pages
D. Conversion Funnel by Source
Setup: Source > Landing Page > Scroll Depth > Form Submit
View funnel for organic users only
7. Advanced GA4 & GSC SEO Tips
Track internal search queries with GA4 site search parameters
Tag blog post schema (Article, FAQ) for tracking in GSC Rich Results report
Monitor Core Web Vitals in GSC’s Page Experience section
Use GA4 DebugView for real-time validation of SEO event tracking
Segment reports by device—SEO behavior is often radically different on mobile vs desktop
8. SEO KPIs to Monitor in 2025
KPI Source Target / Trend
Organic Users GA4 +10–20% monthly
Organic Conversions GA4 Growth aligned with traffic
Click-Through Rate (CTR) GSC 3–5% avg (improve via meta)
Avg Ranking Position GSC Maintain under position 20
Scroll Depth GA4 (event) +50% of users scrolling
Engagement Time GA4 Over 60s on key content
Pages Indexed GSC Coverage Growing + no errors
Core Web Vitals GSC All URLs in “Good” category
Final Thoughts
In 2025, tracking SEO performance isn’t just about keyword positions—it’s about understanding how users interact with search and content, especially as zero-click results, AI overviews, and shifting SERP formats evolve.
GA4 gives you in-depth behavioral and conversion data, while GSC provides visibility into how your content appears and performs in search. Use both to build a connected SEO reporting system.
Remember:
Customize GA4 to fit your SEO goals
Use GSC to detect search-side issues early
Combine the tools for holistic insights
Automate with Looker Studio dashboards for scalability
With the right setup, you can monitor what truly matters—and optimize faster than ever before.