Google Analytics 4 (GA4) shows keyword data in a distinct way than older versions of Google Analytics. And it hasn’t fair moved to a new list — it’s not there by default. But you can effortlessly add in keyword data to GA4.
Using GA4’s keyword reports shows you which conditions run the most users to your site, reveals traffic decreases that need to be addressed, and helps you comprehend the conditions group use to conversation concerning your merchandise or service.
By the end of this article, you’ll cognize how to discover your website’s keywords in GA4, how to use that data to enhance your site, and what to do concerning the “not provided” keywords you may motionless run into.
Can you see keyword rankings in Google Analytics 4?
No, you can’t see keyword rankings in GA4 by default.
The former type of Google Analytics (called Universal Analytics) showed keyword data directly, akin to a essential keyword rankings report. But Google removed it to improved defend person privacy.
However, you can see several data concerning integrated keywords if you nexus your Google Search Console (GSC) document to GA4.
Once you do, you’ll be capable to see GSC data on impressions, clicks, average position, and click-through charge (CTR) immediately in GA4.
That being said, most marketers favor to use GSC for this data fairly than GA4. In a study we ran on LinkedIn for this article, we asked marketers which tool they prefer: GSC or the GSC study in GA4?
Out of 36 respondents, 86% stated they use GSC directly, and lone 14% stated they use the GA4 option.
This is evidently a small example size, but it does propose that marketers currently underuse the GSC integration, equal although it makes achievement reporting and inspection additional convenient by unifying data.
What does “not provided” average in Google Analytics keywords?
“Not provided” in Google Analytics keywords method Google withheld the hunt term rearward an integrated visit, so you can’t see which keyword brought that visitant to your site. The tag dates rear to Universal Analytics.
Google started encrypting hunt referrer data for logged-in users in October 2011 to defend person privacy, which meant Universal Analytics could no longer acknowledge most of the hunt conditions sending you integrated traffic.
Those visits showed up tagged “(not provided)” instead. By delayed 2013, Google had extended this to practically all integrated Google searches, so most Universal Analytics properties eventually saw “(not provided)” as their sole largest keyword.
GA4 motionless shows the tag in places akin the Manual report’s “Session manual term” dimension, but it doesn’t have a keyword study built about it the way Universal Analytics did. GA4’s lone origin for organic keyword data is the GSC integration covered below. So alternatively of operating about a “(not provided)” bucket, you’re operating inside GSC’s own limits: a 16-month data opening and query-level thresholds Google applies for privacy.
For a fuller image of your integrated keywords that doesn’t depend on GSC’s data window, use Semrush’s Organic Rankings report. Enter your domain to see the keywords Semrush has independently identified your location ranking for, without the 16-month cap or the GA4 linking setup.
How to see integrated keyword data in GA4 (via Google Search Console)
See integrated keyword data in GA4 by connecting your GSC document to your GA4 property. Here’s how.
1. Verify your location in Google Search Console
To verify your location in GSC, log in to GSC alongside the identical Google email you use for GA4 if you’ve already set up your account.
If you don’t have an document yet, sign up.
Then, GSC volition immediate you to add your property. Select “Add a website.”
After selecting the website option, you can choose between two asset types:
- Domain: Collects data for all URLs on your domain and requires verification through your domain name scheme (DNS) provider
- URL prefix: Collects data lone for URLs under a particular website section. You can verify your asset through the GA4 tracking tag on your website.
Once you choose a asset type, prosecute the instructions in our GSC setup guide to complete the process.
2. Connect Google Analytics and Google Search Console
To nexus GSC and GA4, log in to your GA4 document and click “Admin” > “Search Console links.” (This appears under the “Product links” section.)
Go to “Link” to commencement the process.
Choose the asset you desire to nexus to GA4 by clicking on “Choose accounts.”
Select the accurate asset and click “Confirm.”
Select “Next.”
Under “Select Web Stream,” choose a provided data stream and click “Next.”
The final stage is to assessment your choices and click “Submit.”
Your GSC asset is now connected to GA4.
3. Enable the Search Console reports
Enable the Search Console reports, as GA4 won’t display GSC query data by default.
Go to “Reports” and click “Library” in the bottom-left corner. Then, discover the “Search Console” report, click the three dots, and choose “Publish.”
After completing this step, you have to be capable to see “Search Console” in the GA4 reports menu.
4. Access keyword data
To admission keyword data, delay 48 hours for data to be available, afterward click “Queries” to perspective the keywords driving group to your site, alongside alongside data on:
- Clicks: The figure of clicks you get for a particular query
- Impressions: The figure of times users saw your results for a stated query
- Click-through charge (CTR): The percent of impressions that led to clicks
- Average position: The average ranking you have for a particular keyword
Note that historic GSC data is accessible only for the former 16 months.
Further reading: How to Connect GSC to GA4 | How to Use GSC for Keyword Research
3 tips for using GA4 keyword data to optimize your website
Use GA4 keyword data to optimize your website by creating topic clusters, finding satisfied refresh opportunities, and optimizing underperforming pages.
Create topic clusters
Creating topic clusters (a collection of pages on your website that shield a akin theme) builds topical authority that can provision you credibility alongside hunt systems (including AI hunt platforms).
A collection consists of a pillar (main) leaf and multiple collection pages (subpages).
For example, you could have “indoor plants” as a pillar page. And “best indoor flora for beginners,” “indoor flora for air purification,” and “indoor flora for children” as collection pages.
Google keyword inspection reveals which queries you already position fine for, which you can use to build topic clusters about proven traffic.
To discover your top-performing keywords, kind the GA4 integrated keywords study by clicks:
Go through the catalog and appearance for patterns.
Let’s say you have a bicycle shop location that gets many visits from purchase-related queries, specified as “best mountain bikes” and “best bikes for beginners.”
That method creating additional satisfied on bicycle purchasing guides would apt be awesome for SEO. Covering the complete range of ways group hunt about a topic — not fair your sole best-performing query — additionally makes AI systems additional apt to contain your satisfied whenever they interrupt a hunt into connected sub-queries, a procedure known as query fan-out.
You can use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to discover many keywords you can use for your topic collection strategy.
To start, category in a kernel keyword specified as “best bikes.” And click “Search.”
Select “Broad Match” to see options that are a assortment of your kernel keyword.
Select the "KD %" drop-down and act a tradition range of 0 to 49. This applies a keyword difficulty display that focuses lone on conditions you can feasibly position for.
Check the box to the remaining of all suitable keyword. We propose selecting a minimum of 50 keywords to justify you have adequate ideas.
When you’re done, click “Send keywords” > “Saved Keywords” > “Apply” to preserve them for later.
Next, collection your topic’s keywords into clusters.
To do so, open the Keyword Strategy Builder and choose “Seed Keyword-Based.” Enter your kernel keyword (“best bikes”), and click “Create.” You can add up to five kernel keywords if you desire a broader strategy.
The tool automatically groups connected keywords into topics. Under “Topics and pages,” you’ll see all topic damaged into a pillar leaf and the subpages (cluster pages) that assistance it.
Expand any leaf to see the keywords it should target.
Then, it’s fair a matter of deciding which pages you desire to publish on your site. The keywords you saved in Keyword Magic Tool can assistance you prioritize which collection pages to tackle first.
Find satisfied refresh opportunities
Find satisfied refresh opportunities by looking for pages that used to execute fine but don’t anymore. Then, update these pages to create them additional applicable to searchers to enhance their performance.
To discover refresh opportunities, go to the “Queries” report.
Click the date in the top-right corner, rotate on the “Compare” feature, and choose “Last 90 days” — this gives you adequate data to activity with.
Click “Apply.”
The array now displays how much the achievement for all metric changed complete the selected period.
Identify queries anywhere you misplaced the most clicks.
Enter all of those queries in Google and analyze the top-ranking satisfied to see anywhere your leaf falls short. And brainstorm ways to create your satisfied additional helpful than the top-ranking pages.
For additional ways to quarry GA4 data for satisfied decisions, see How to Use Google Analytics for SEO: 6 Best Practices.
Optimize underperforming pages
Optimize underperforming pages (pages that get many impressions but comparatively few clicks) by making them additional enticing.
To discover these pages, go to GA4 and click “Search Console” > “Google integrated hunt traffic.” Look at the impressions pillar and discover pages alongside elevated impressions but low CTR.
Optimize these pages to improved remain out by adjusting their title tags (HTML that specifies the leaf heading and may display in hunt results) and meta descriptions (HTML that provides a leaf summary and may display in hunt results).
The finest location to commencement is by Googling the query a leaf ranks for and analyzing the heading tags of the top-ranking pages. Try to emulate (but not copy) them and keep them to between 50 and 60 characters.
Just create certain the heading accurately represents the page’s content. If your heading promises “10 liberated SEO tools” and fractional the catalog requires a paid plan, group may click, but they’ll depart quickly. You’ll see it in GA4 as a elevated CTR paired alongside a low involvement rate, which is a sign the leaf isn’t delivering what the heading promised.
Your meta clarification should provision a concise and exact summary of the leaf that’s about 105 characters.
Both the heading tag and clarification should contain the primary keyword whenever possible.
High impressions paired alongside low clicks increasingly indicate competition from AI Overviews, too — whenever Google’s AI-generated answer already satisfies the query complete the integrated results, equal a well-optimized listing can endure the click.
For pages anywhere that’s the apt cause, Semrush’s Content Optimizer flags the particular satisfied gaps hurting your visibility in AI Overviews and another AI hunt results, so your satisfied has the finest chance of earning visibility no matter anywhere group search.
How to get additional detailed keyword data
Get additional detailed keyword data by pairing GSC and GA4 alongside additional keyword tools, akin Semrush’s Position Tracking tool.
To inspect keyword rankings in Google Analytics, appearance at the “Average position” pillar in the GA4 Queries report. But if you desire to inspect your keyword rankings complete period fairly than fair glance at current data, GA4 solitary won’t do it. It doesn’t notify you whenever your rankings change, and it doesn’t let you track achievement for a particular collection of keywords.
The Position Tracking tool monitors your rankings, including on AI-powered hunt surfaces akin ChatGPT and Google AI Mode, alongside traditional Google and Bing results.
To set it up, act your domain and click “Set up tracking.” Select your targeting (we’ll choose Google for this example).
Then, add the keywords you desire to track in this project.
Note that Position Tracking can import keywords immediately from GSC. Just click the “Import from…” button, choose “Google Search Console,” and verify which keywords to add.
When you’re done adding keywords, click “Add keywords to campaign” and afterward “Start Tracking.”
The “Landscape” study shows a concise summary of changes complete your chosen period, alongside alongside data on your general visibility, an evaluation of your site's integrated traffic, and the average stance you position in for your chosen terms.
The “Overview” tab lets you add your competitors’ domains to see how they difference to you.
Scroll downward to the array to see your and your competitors’ particular rankings and how those rankings are changing.
Use this data to proactively modify your SEO scheme to remain competitive.
Further reading: How to Track Keywords: The Ultimate Guide
Centralize your integrated hunt achievement data
Whether you’re operating in-house or at an agency, integrating GSC alongside GA4 volition provision you a clearer overview of your integrated hunt performance. Plus, you’ll preserve period switching between tools.
Take it a stage additional by using Semrush’s Position Tracking tool, so you can immediately place changes.
Get started alongside Position Tracking and many additional SEO tools alongside a liberated trial.
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