About metrics and dimensions from Google Search Console

After integrating Google Search Console with Piwik PRO, you can use metrics and dimensions coming from the search console to build custom reports. Obviously, you can gain lots of insights by looking at the ready-made Google Search Console report. But if you fancy creating a report that has different data combined together, you are free to do it using custom reports. In this article, we’ll explain how. 

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you start working with metrics and dimensions from Google Search Console:

• Google aggregates Search Console data, therefore we can’t match data to a particular session.
• You can create a report combining data from Google Search Console with analytics data only when using matching dimensions: device type, continent, country, session entry URL, or date.
• If you use the dimension of a search engine keyword, you can combine it only with metrics from Google Search Console like impressions (search engine), clicks (search engine), CTR (search engine), or average position (search engine). It’s because this dimension doesn’t match any dimension in Piwik PRO.
• If you see zeros in your report, it means that you have used the dimension that doesn’t match the dimension from Google Search Console.
• If you’re not familiar with custom reports, read our supporting article.

Create a custom report with data from Google Search Console

To create a custom report that will contain data from Google Search Console, follow these steps:

1. Go to Menu > Analytics.
2. Navigate to Custom reports.
3. Click Add new report.
4. Choose the type of report: flat table, explorer, bar chart, or line chart.
5. Name the report.
6. Choose the Visibility option: Author or All users. The All users option lets you share this segment with other teammates.
7. On the right, click Dimensions.
   

   

8. Scroll down until you see Google Search Console and click the drop-down.
   

   

9. Pick the dimension that you want to use in the report. If you want to combine data with analytics data, choose one of these dimensions:
   •  Device type
   •  Continent
   •  Country
   •  Session entry URL
   •  Date
10. If you want to, add another nested dimension.
    

    

11. On the right, click Metrics.
12. Scroll down until you see Google Search Console and click the drop-down.
    

    

13. Pick metrics that you want to use in the report. You can use four Google Search Console metrics:
    • Clicks (search engine)
    • Impressions (search engine)
    • CTR (search engine)
    • Average position (search engine)

    Note: These metrics are all marked with a side note (search engine). This way you can distinguish them from analytics metrics.

14. Pick analytical metrics that you want to use in the report.
    

    

15. Add a filter to the report  source/medium is google/organic. It’s a good idea to add this filter because then you will see data for analytics metrics narrowed down to only the ones that come from the Google search.
    

    

16. When you’re done, click Create report.
17. View the report.