What’s the Difference Between Google Analytics and Google Search Console?

Did you know they’re different?

Google Analytics and Google Search Console are both necessary tools for businesses to utilize when pursuing an ongoing marketing strategy. While they both play a vital role in the analysis of ongoing efforts, what few know is the difference between their roles. 

We’ll be the first to admit that there was once a day that we too were unaware of the exact differences between these two tools. But luckily, that day has come and gone so now we’re sharing the secret sauce so that you too can wave goodbye to the unknown differences between Google tools. 

Google Analytics 

The overall goal of Google Analytics is to provide users with insights on the traffic of their websites. The tool includes statistics including total site visits, page views, bounce rate, time on page, etc. The provided information gives users an understanding of how often their sites are visited, at what times, for how long, and which pages are viewed. 

Google Analytics (GA) offers seamless charts and graphs to display and track information in a way that users can easily understand. The resulting outcome of this tool is the ease of interpretation and trend analysis. As marketers are able to review trends over time, they are able to draw conclusions about the successes and challenges of ongoing efforts, campaigns, launches, and content. 

While it is the case that GA provides users insight into the traffic brought to their site, there is no direct correlation between the statistics reported and site SEO. For this reason, marketers are not able to confidently expand SEO (search engine optimization) strategies based on the use of Google Analytics alone. 

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) supports users in analyzing search result success. Primarily focusing on impressions, it enables users to review search queries, internal and external linking, HTML errors, and click-through rates. 

There is often a misconception that GSC provides insight into who is visiting your site. Rather it provides a deeper understanding of how your site appears to those searching for related keywords. As a result, it tends to be a widely utilized tool by SEO specialists. 

Whereas Google Analytics provides users with objective data that can be manipulated and adjusted easily to meet users’ needs, Search Console offers users suggestions for improvement based on existing statistics. This is the reasoning behind its popularity with most SEO specialists. Unlike GA, GSC provides more specific insight for how best to adjust and retarget site content and data to improve performance over time. 

There isn’t necessarily one tool that’s better than the other. In fact, overall, the two are not mutually exclusive of one another. They perform significantly different functions, both of which are helpful resources for marketing professionals to utilize in the assessment of their site performance and optimization.

If you’re not sure what reporting is best for your business or where to start, we’re here to help. Not only does Digital Storyteller offer custom website design and ongoing organic digital marketing strategies, but we also provide all of our clients with monthly reporting and analytics. We do the heavy lifting and analysis so you don’t have to.

We’re exceptionally confident in our abilities to surprise and delight our clients with our expertise. Give us a call today to get started or schedule a Brand Storytelling Session!