Google Search Console Keyword Tracking - A Practical How-To Guide

Introduction

In today’s online landscape, simply owning a website isn’t enough. You also need to understand what people are searching for—and how they’re ending up on your site. That’s where Google Search Console proves invaluable. This free and powerful tool from Google reveals which keywords are driving traffic to your site through search results.

In this easy-to-follow guide, we’ll walk you through how to track keywords step by step using Google Search Console, what insights to focus on, and how to turn that data into real SEO improvements.

About Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a no-cost tool presented by Google that provides valuable insights into your website’s performance in Google Search. It’s designed to help website owners, marketers, and SEO professionals monitor how their pages appear in search results and identify opportunities for better visibility.

With Google Search Console, you can:

• See what keywords (search queries) your site ranks for
• Track clicks, impressions, CTR (click-through rate), and average position
• Monitor site errors, mobile usability issues, and indexing problems
• Submit your sitemap and request indexing
• Understand which pages are getting traffic from Google

In this article, we’ll focus on keyword tracking, which is one of the most useful features in GSC for SEO growth.

What Are Keywords in Google Search Console?

In GSC, keywords are called search queries. These are the words or phrases that people type into Google Search, which lead them to your website.

For example, if someone searches for “best laptops under 100k in Pakistan” and clicks your website, that phrase will show up in your keyword data.

Tracking these queries helps you answer questions like:

• What are people searching for when they find my site?
• Which keywords are bringing the most traffic?
• Which ones have low CTR but high impressions?
• How can I improve rankings for certain keywords?

Step-by-Step: How to Track Keywords in Google Search Console

Step 1: Log In to Google Search Console

Go to https://search.google.com/search-console and log in with your Google account.

If you haven’t added your site yet:

1. Click “Add Property”
2. Choose either Domain or URL Prefix (Domain is more complete)
3. Verify ownership using DNS, HTML file, or other methods

Once your website is added and verified, Google will start collecting data (usually within a day or two).

Step 2: Open the Performance Report

After logging in:

• Select your site from the left-hand menu
• Click on “Performance” or “Search results”

This opens the Performance Report, which shows:

• Total Clicks: How many people clicked on your site
• Total Impressions: How many times your site appeared in search results
• Average CTR: Click-through rate = clicks ÷ impressions
• Average Position: Your average rank in Google for your keywords

Step 3: View Keywords (Search Queries)

Scroll down to the table below the graph. By default, you’ll see the “Queries” tab.

This shows a list of keywords that people searched on Google which triggered your website in search results.

You’ll see data like:

• Query: The keyword people typed
• Clicks: How many clicks you got from it
• Impressions: How many times your page appeared for that keyword
• CTR: Clicks divided by impressions, shown as a %
• Position: Average Google ranking for that keyword

Step 4: Filter the Data (Optional)

You can filter keyword data by:

• Date: Choose from the last 7 days, 28 days, 3 months, etc.
• Country: See how keywords perform in specific countries
• Device: Compare mobile, desktop, and tablet users
• Search type: Web, Image, Video, or News search

Example: Want to see what keywords are ranking in Pakistan only?

• Click the “+ New” button above the table
• Choose Country → Pakistan

This helps you better understand local SEO performance.

Step 5: Analyze Keyword Metrics

Let’s break down what each keyword metric tells you:

1. Impressions

This is how often your site shows up in Google for a keyword—even if no one clicks.

If you see a keyword with high impressions but low clicks, it means you’re visible but not attracting users. You may need:

• Better title/meta descriptions
• More relevant content
• Rich snippets (FAQ, reviews, etc.)

2. Clicks

Clicks are direct traffic from search to your site.

A high number of clicks means your content is doing well. Try to find patterns in what topics or keywords bring the most clicks, then create more content like that.

3. CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR is the percentage of people who saw your site in results and clicked.

Low CTR? Your title or meta description might be weak or not matching search intent.

High CTR? That means your listing stands out well—great job!

4. Average Position

This is your average rank for a keyword in search results.

• Position 1-3: Top of Google (great)
• Position 4-10: Bottom of first page
• Position 11+: Page 2 or beyond

To improve rankings:

• Add internal links
• Update and optimize the content
• Get backlinks from other sites

See Keywords for a Specific Page

Want to know which keywords a certain blog post or page is ranking for?

Here’s how:

1. In the Performance Report, click the “Pages” tab
2. Click the URL of the page you want to analyze
3. Now click the “Queries” tab again

You’ll now see only the keywords that lead users to that specific page.

This is extremely useful for optimizing content. If you see a keyword that’s not mentioned much in your content but bringing impressions, consider adding it more prominently.

How to Use Keyword Data to Improve SEO

Find Low-Hanging Fruit Keywords

Look for keywords with:

• Position 6–20
• High impressions
• Low to average CTR

These keywords are already ranking but not on the first page or not getting enough clicks.

To improve them:

• Optimize content around those keywords
• Add FAQs using the same phrases
• Improve title and meta description
• Add internal links with keyword-rich anchor text

Identify Content Gaps

If your page is ranking for keywords, you never targeted, that’s a clue!

Use those “surprise” keywords to:

• Expand existing content
• Write a new article targeting that keyword
• Add those phrases naturally into the post

Create Content Based on What’s Working

Check your top 10 performing keywords. They reveal:

• Topics your audience cares about
• Search intent that matches your content
• Ideas for future posts or pages

If “how to start freelancing in Pakistan” brings clicks, maybe your next post can be “Top 10 Freelancing Websites in Pakistan”.

Monitor Changes Over Time

Check keyword data regularly (every week or month):

• Did your position improve or drop?
• Is CTR rising or falling?
• Are new keywords showing up?

This helps you see the impact of your SEO efforts. If you updated a blog post, check after 1–2 weeks to see if rankings improved.

Export and Track Keywords in Excel/Google Sheets

You can also export your keyword data:

• In the Performance Report, click the “Export” button (top right)
• Choose CSV, Excel, or Google Sheets
• Create your own reports or charts for easier tracking

This is great for SEO agencies, content teams, or blog owners who want a weekly or monthly overview.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Obsessing Over One Keyword

Focus on overall keyword themes, not just one keyword. Google ranks based on topic relevance, not keyword stuffing.

Ignoring Low-CTR Keywords

Sometimes a keyword has many impressions but low clicks. Don’t ignore it. Instead, ask:

• Is the title catchy enough?
• Does the description match the search intent?
• Is the page outdated?

A few small tweaks can improve CTR.

Forgetting Long-Tail Keywords

Don’t just track big keywords like “SEO tools”. Look for long-tail keywords like “best free SEO tools for bloggers 2025”.

These are easier to rank for and more specific to what people are searching.

Example Scenario: A Blog Owner Uses GSC for Keyword Growth

Let’s say you run a blog about fitness.

After checking GSC, you find:

• The keyword “home workout for beginners” has 4,000 impressions, CTR 1%, position 10
• Your post is ranking on the bottom of page 1, but not many people are clicking

Here’s what you can do:

• Update the title to: “Home Workout for Beginners – 10 Easy Moves to Get Fit Fast”
• Add a clear meta description: “Looking to start working out at home? Try these 10 beginner-friendly exercises with no equipment needed!”
• Add an FAQ section using that exact phrase
• Share and get some backlinks

Next time you check, you might see higher CTR and better ranking.

Tools to Combine with Google Search Console

GSC is powerful alone, but works even better with other SEO tools:

1. Google Analytics

Track user behavior after they land on your site. GSC tells you how they got there, Analytics tells you what they did next.

2. Google Keyword Planner

Find new keyword ideas and their search volume.

3. Ahrefs / SEMrush / Ubersuggest

Get more detailed SEO and backlink analysis.

4. Rank Math / Yoast SEO (for WordPress)

Optimize content on your website using suggestions based on keyword focus.

Final Thoughts

Google Search Console is one of the most underrated and powerful SEO tools out there. Best of all? It’s completely free.

By tracking keywords:

• You see exactly what your audience is searching for
• You learn which content performs well
• You discover hidden opportunities to grow your traffic

Whether you’re a blogger, small business owner, or digital marketer, keyword tracking with GSC should be part of your regular SEO routine.

It takes just a few minutes a week, but the insights you gain can drive months of traffic growth.