The report landed. A screen of numbers, and no idea which line matters. After this guide you know where each block comes from, what it says, and which one turns into the next page to rewrite.
Who writes it, and when
The search traffic analyst joins the team when Google Search Console is connected. It reads the console once a day and writes the search traffic report on the Operate tab, next to the brand analyst’s and the trend analyst’s reports. There is one report per analyst per day; new data updates it in place, so nothing piles up and the one you open is always the latest.
Each sync is announced differently. The first sync and any sync you ask for are briefed in chat by the AI CMO. The daily one is quiet, and it is summarised once a week. To refresh now, say “sync Search Console” in chat.
What is in it
| Block | What it says |
|---|---|
| Overview | clicks, impressions, CTR and average position for the last 28 days, each against the 28 days before |
| Daily trend | clicks and impressions per day across the 28 days |
| Top queries | the search terms that brought the most clicks |
| Top pages | the pages that got the most clicks |
| Branded vs non-branded | searches that contain your name and searches that do not, counted apart |
| Queries ranking 4 to 20 | terms already at the bottom of page one or on page two |
| Your pages | pages you imported and pages published through Sourso, each with its own numbers |
Which line to read first
Start with the queries ranking 4 to 20. Google already ranks you for them; they just sit too low. One rewrite of the matching page is the shortest path up the first page. Pick one and say “have the web writer rework this page” in chat; the scope is that term.
Then the branded against non-branded split. Branded clicks come from people who already knew you. Non-branded clicks are the new ones. Total clicks up but all of it branded means the content is not bringing anyone new yet.
Then the daily trend. Find the day clicks dropped or jumped and put it next to what you published or changed that day. A one-day wobble means nothing; a week of steady decline is worth a cause.
Last, your pages. Two kinds are listed here: pages you handed over in the Assets section of the Brand page, and pages published through Sourso. One row per page, with impressions and position. This block answers the question “did the last one work”. Write a page, publish it, come back to this row next week; that is the shortest loop there is.
The Bing report
With Bing Webmaster Tools connected, the Bing search analyst writes a report with the same shape, bucketed by week rather than by day. Read the two apart; a Google position and a Bing position do not convert into each other.
The indexing specialist’s report
With Bing or the Baidu Search Resource Platform connected, the indexing specialist keeps a record: which pages were submitted, which were accepted, how much quota is left, and which pages have not been submitted yet. A page that is published but cannot be found in search is a reason to read this one first: submit what was never submitted, give an accepted page time, and come back tomorrow if the quota ran out.
Before you start
- Connect Google Search Console in Settings. How is in Real search terms into your keywords.
- Wait for the first sync to be briefed. It pulls 90 days back, and the 28-day comparison needs the 28 days before it.
- Once a week is enough. The daily update is quiet for a reason.
Further reading: Real search terms into your keywords · Ten minutes a week for the boss