How do you measure SEO effects in Google Analytics 4 and Search Console?

Implementing a SEO strategy is only half the battle. The real challenge begins when you have to answer the question: „Are these measures generating a profit?”. In the world of data-driven marketing, there is no room for guesswork. Understanding this, how to measure SEO results in Google Analytics and knowing how to interpret data from Google Search Console is the key to optimising your budget and achieving real growth. Without analytics, your SEO is like wandering in the dark.

The perfect pair: Why do you need both tools?

Many novice website owners make the mistake of relying on just one data source. However, these two free tools from Google provide completely different, complementary information:

• Google Search Console (GSC): This tool focuses on what is happening before per click. It shows which search terms you appear for, how many times your website has appeared in search results, and what your average CTR (click-through rate) is.
• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): This tool analyses what is happening after clicks. It provides information on user behaviour on the website, the time spent on individual pages and – most importantly – the conversions achieved.

To get the full picture, you need to link both accounts. This will make GSC reports visible directly in the GA4 dashboard, allowing you to easily link specific keywords to your company’s revenue. If your analytics system is showing errors, it’s worth starting from the basics: SEO audit – how to carry one out effectively?.

Key SEO metrics you need to track

Focusing solely on the number of visits is a trap. A true understanding of this, how to measure SEO results in Google Analytics, lies in a more in-depth analysis.

Key metrics in Google Search Console:

1. Impressions: How many times has the link to your website been viewed on Google? This is an early indication that your content is starting to be „indexed” for new search terms.
2. CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of people who clicked on your link. If you have a lot of page views but a low CTR, you need to improve your meta title and description.
3. Average position: A metric showing the average ranking of your search terms.

Key metrics in Google Analytics 4:

1. Sessions from organic search results: The actual number of visits from Google.
2. Engaging sessions: It shows whether the traffic from SEO is of high quality.
3. Key events (Conversions): Do users coming from SEO make purchases or submit enquiries? This is the most important ROI metric.

A practical analysis: Where should we look for problems and opportunities?

Having the data is one thing, but interpreting it is quite another. A good analyst looks for patterns that enable adjustments to be made to the content strategy. You can find out more about content creation here: SEO copywriting – how to write content that ranks highly?.

Analysis of landing pages: In GA4, check the „Pages and Screens” report, filtering traffic to „organic search”. Identify subpages that have high traffic but a very low engagement rate. This may mean that the content does not meet the user’s intent or that the page is loading too slowly.

Identifying keyword cannibalisation: In Search Console, check whether several different subpages are appearing for the same keyword. If so, they may be competing with one another, which weakens the ranking of both. The solution is to merge the content or improve internal linking.

Looker Studio – Your SEO at your fingertips

Analysing data across two different panels can be cumbersome. That is why, by 2026, it has become standard practice to build a dashboard in Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio). It allows you to link data from Google Search Console i Google Analytics 4 in a single, clear visual report.

This dashboard allows you to monitor the following in real time:

• The correlation between an increase in ranking and an increase in conversion rates.
• The most promising keywords (high number of views, ranking in the top 10–20).
• Year-on-year (YoY) trends in traffic.

Measure, analyse and succeed on Google

Knowing this, how to measure SEO results in Google Analytics, is the cornerstone of modern marketing. SEO is a long-term process, and reliable data is the only way to prove its effectiveness to the board or to yourself. Remember that tools such as Google Analytics 4 – log in to the dashboard are there to help you make better business decisions.

At 4ADStudio, we don’t just focus on SEO; above all, we analyse. We provide our clients with transparent reports that show, in black and white, how our efforts translate into their profits.

Are your SEO efforts failing to deliver measurable results? Not sure how to interpret the data in the new GA4? Get in touch with us – we’ll help you set up your analytics and ensure your SEO results are fully understandable and predictable!