How to connect Google Analytics 4 to Google Search Console

Here is your step-by-step guide for 2023 

Do you want to connect Google Analytics 4 to Google Search Console? Perhaps you are considering running paid ads or investing in an SEO specialist to help improve your website’s online presence. Regardless of the reason, you’ve come to the right place! 

Connecting Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console (GSC) is super simple.

Once connected, you’ll have access to 2 additional reports in GA4:

1. Organic Google Search Query Report. This report provides the same data that you’ll see in GSC. However, GA4 allows you extra customizations and visualizations of the data. 
2. Google Organic Search Traffic Report. This report allows you to apply GA4 metrics (such as average engagement time) to the GSC data. 

You can connect the two through either GA4 or GSC. Both ways are easy, so it doesn’t matter which route you take. Follow either step-by-step guide below! Make sure you read to the end to know how to publish the reports so you can view them in Google Analytics 4. 

Before you begin, make sure you’re logged into the Google account associated with the designated property on both platforms. You can’t link the two if the “verified site owner” is different in each. If you need to change ownership, there may be a processing period of anywhere between 1-14 days. 

Method One: Connecting through Google Search Console (GSC)

1. In the navigation column on the left of the screen, click on Settings at the bottom. 

2. You should now see a “General settings” page. Click Associations. 

3. Click Associate next to “Connect a Google Analytics property to this property”.

4. Select the correct GA4 property in the window that pops up, then click Continue. 

5. Select the correct GA4 web stream in the next pop-up, then click Continue. 

6. Double check that the information is correct, then click Associate.

7. You’re all set!  It may take up to 24 hours for the two to be linked. You can double check by taking another look at “Associations” in the “General Settings” page.

Make sure you read the Final Step at the end of this blog post on how to view the reports in Google Analytics 4, once the two have been linked. 

Method Two: Connecting through Google Analytics 4

1. In GA4, click on the Admin button (gear⚙️ icon) in the bottom left side of the screen. 

2. Under the “Admin” tab (you should be here by default), scroll down to “Product links” and click on Search Console links at the bottom.

3. Click the blue Link button next to the search bar.

4. Click Choose accounts.

5. Search for (if necessary) and select the GSC account that you want to link to GA4 by clicking on the check box on the far left.

6. Once you’ve checked the box on the account you want to connect, it should be highlighted in light blue. Then, click Confirm in the upper right corner.

7. Click Next.

8. Now you’re at number 2 “Select Web Stream”. Click Select and then pick the data stream for your site. 

9. Click Next.

10. Make sure the information is correct and then click Submit. You should now see “Link Created” in green on the right. Congrats, they are now linked! It will take up to 24 hours for your GSC data to appear in GA4. But wait, there’s one more step!

Final Step: Publish Google Search Console data to view the reports in Google Analytics 4:

1. In the navigation column on the left-hand side of GA4, click on “Reports”, then scroll down and click on Library at the very bottom. 

2. Look for the “Search Console” panel. It should be labeled as “Unpublished”. 

3. Click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner. In the popup window, click Publish.

4. It should now look like this.

5. Now, you should find the “Search Console” report in the navigation column on the left under the “Life cycle” report. 

Congrats, your Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console are now connected! 

Categorised in: Search Engine Optimization

This post was written by admin