SEO Analytics for Beginners: The 5 Numbers That Actually Matter

Average position, impressions, organic CTR: what to look at in Google Search Console to understand how you're doing in search.

To understand how you're doing on Google, Analytics isn't enough: you need Google Search Console, free and essential. Here are the 5 numbers to check weekly.

1. Total clicks

How many users clicked through to your site from search results. Going up = visibility growing. Going down = you have a problem.

2. Impressions

How many times you appeared in results. If impressions go up but clicks don't, you're visible but title and description aren't compelling.

3. Average CTR

Clicks divided by impressions. CTR below 2% on page one = title and meta description need a rewrite.

4. Average position

Where you typically rank in results. Below 10 you're on page two (nobody goes there). Between 4 and 10 there's room to grow. Between 1 and 3 you're winning.

5. Top queries

The searches you appear for most often. You often discover you rank for things you didn't expect: great starting point for new content.

SEO isn't magic: it's improving 1% a week for 12 months. The people who get results are the ones who measure every week and adjust.

Keep reading

Want to go deeper? These related guides build on what you just read: [why your website traffic dropped](/guides/why-website-traffic-dropped), [Google Analytics explained simply](/guides/google-analytics-explained-simply), [where your customers come from](/guides/where-do-customers-come-from).