How do I connect Google Search Console?

Google Search Console knows how many people clicked through to your website from Google. Connecting it adds those real numbers to Search vs competitors, so you can see your clicks before and after launch.

Before you begin

• You need to be an owner.
• Your website must be added to Google Search Console. If it is not, add your domain at search.google.com/search-console and let your domain's DNS host add the one text record Google asks for.

Steps

1. Open Search vs competitors and scroll to Real clicks from Google (Search Console).
2. Choose how to connect:
   • Sign in with Google. Press Connect Google Search Console and sign in with the Google account that has your website in Search Console. NinjaHQ then reads the last 16 months and keeps them up to date every night. If you have more than one property, pick yours and press Use this property.
   • Let NinjaHQ read it without signing in. In Search Console, open Settings > Users and permissions, add the NinjaHQ address shown on the page as a user (Restricted is enough), then come back and press Check Access.
   • Upload an export. In Search Console open Performance > Search results, set the date to the last 16 months, press Export and download the file. Back on the page, choose the zip file (or the Dates.csv and Queries.csv files) in Search Console Export and press Upload.
3. Once connected, the card shows "Connected" with your property and the time of the last update. Press Update now to refresh it.

What you'll see

A chart of clicks and impressions by month, with a marker for your launch and, once you have enough full months on each side, the average clicks per month before NinjaHQ against the latest months. The searches that brought people lists your top searches. Last 28 days totals show when NinjaHQ reads Search Console directly.

Troubleshooting

The page says connecting directly is almost ready. Until it is, use the upload option.

Google says it cannot find my site. The Google account you signed in with does not have your website in Search Console. Add it, or sign in with the right account.

Only some months have searches. The remaining months arrive over the next nights.