Webmaster Tools: Google Search Console Data Without the Search Console UI
Table of Contents
- Key takeaways
- What is Google Search Console data?
- How Webmaster Tools works
- 1. Connect Google Search Console
- 2. Check the Search Report Summary
- 3. See which keywords and pages drive traffic
- 4. Dig deeper with performance, detailed and graphical reports
- 5. Run a live check
- 6. Monitor your sitemaps
- What to check first
- Webmaster Tools vs. other My PR Manager tools
- Who Webmaster Tools is for
- Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a Google Search Console account?
- Why don't I see today's data?
- How is this different from rank tracking?
- Can I see data by country or device?
- What does the sitemap report tell me?
- Start using your Search Console data
Google Search Console is the only place to get Google's own data about how your website performs in search: how many people saw your pages in the results, how many clicked, and for which searches. It's free and accurate, but its interface isn't built for quick reporting, and comparing this month with last month, or finding the keywords that need attention, takes a lot of clicking and filtering. Webmaster Tools in My PR Manager connects to Search Console and puts that data into clear reports. See clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position compared with an earlier period, break them down by keyword, page, country and device, and keep an eye on your sitemaps, all alongside your other SEO tools.
Key takeaways
- Connect Google Search Console once and see your search data inside My PR Manager.
- Compare clicks, impressions, CTR and average position with the previous week, month, quarter, half year or year.
- See your top keywords and pages, plus breakdowns by country, device and search appearance.
- Filter performance reports to top clicks, top impressions or top 10 positions.
- Monitor your sitemaps for errors and warnings reported by Google.
What is Google Search Console data?
Google Search Console reports four key numbers for your website: clicks (how many times people clicked through to your site from Google), impressions (how many times your pages appeared in results), CTR (clicks divided by impressions) and average position (where your pages typically appeared). It shows these for each search query, page, country and device.
Unlike third-party tools that estimate traffic, this is Google's own data, which makes it the most reliable measure of your organic search performance. Note that Google provides it with a delay of about two days.
How Webmaster Tools works
1. Connect Google Search Console
Connect your Google account once through Google's standard sign-in and permission screen. My PR Manager then pulls Search Console data for your verified websites automatically, so there's no need to export spreadsheets. See our guide to connecting Google Analytics and Search Console for step-by-step help.
2. Check the Search Report Summary
The Search Report Summary shows total clicks, impressions, CTR and average position for the current period, with the percentage change from the previous one. Choose to compare with 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year earlier. Below the totals, charts show clicks and impressions over time.
3. See which keywords and pages drive traffic
The same page lists your Top Searched Keywords and Top Search Pages, each with previous and current clicks, impressions and average position, plus the change. Further down, you'll find search by location on a map, by device and by search appearance.
4. Dig deeper with performance, detailed and graphical reports
Performance Reports let you filter to Top Clicks, Top Impressions, Top 10 Positions or all results, grouped by keyword, page, country, device or search appearance, over 1 week to 1 year. Detailed Reports show the day-by-day history for a single keyword, page, country or device, and Graphical Reports chart it.
5. Run a live check
Live Result Checker fetches fresh Search Console data for one of your connected websites. Choose a date range and a dimension (query, page, country, device or search appearance) to answer a specific question quickly.
6. Monitor your sitemaps
Google Sitemaps lists the sitemaps submitted for your website, with total links, errors, warnings and pending status as reported by Google. Click Sync Sitemaps to refresh, view the details of each sitemap, or download it.
| Report | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Report Summary | Totals and change for clicks, impressions, CTR and position, top keywords and pages, locations, devices and search appearance. |
| Performance Reports | Top clicks, top impressions or top 10 positions by keyword, page, country, device or appearance. |
| Detailed Reports | Day-by-day data for one keyword, page, country or device. |
| Graphical Reports | Charts of the same history. |
| Live Result Checker | Fresh data for a chosen website, date range and dimension. |
| Google Sitemaps | Submitted sitemaps with links, errors, warnings and pending status. |
What to check first
- Keywords with high impressions but low CTR. You're being seen but not clicked. Improving the page title and meta description is often the quickest win.
- Keywords in positions 8 to 20. These are close to page one or near the top of it, and small improvements can bring a big jump in clicks.
- Pages that lost clicks. Compare periods in Top Search Pages to find pages that need refreshing or have technical problems.
- Device differences. If mobile performs much worse than desktop, check your mobile page speed and layout.
- Sitemap errors and warnings. Fix anything that stops Google from reading your sitemap, so new pages are discovered quickly.
Webmaster Tools vs. other My PR Manager tools
| Tool | Main job | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Webmaster Tools | Show Google's own clicks, impressions, CTR and position data. | You want real search performance data, by keyword and page. |
| Keyword Position Checker | Track daily ranking positions for chosen keywords. | You need up-to-date positions without Search Console's 2-day delay. |
| SEO Dashboard | Summarise all your SEO, social and reputation data in one place. | You want the big picture at a glance. |
| Page URL Indexer | Ask search engines to discover new pages faster. | New pages aren't showing up in your reports yet. |
Who Webmaster Tools is for
- Small business owners who want to understand how people find their website on Google, without learning Search Console.
- SEO consultants and agencies who report search performance to clients alongside rankings and backlinks.
- Content marketers who want to know which articles bring in search traffic and which need updating.
- Anyone managing several websites who wants all their Search Console data in one dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Google Search Console account?
Yes. Your website must be verified in Google Search Console, and you connect your Google account to My PR Manager once to give it access to that data.
Why don't I see today's data?
Google provides Search Console data with a delay of about two days. For up-to-date rankings, add the keyword to Keyword Position Checker.
How is this different from rank tracking?
Search Console shows average positions and real clicks for every query people used to find you. A rank tracker checks the exact position for keywords you choose, every day. They work best together.
Can I see data by country or device?
Yes. Reports can be broken down by query, page, country, device and search appearance.
What does the sitemap report tell me?
It shows each submitted sitemap with the number of links, plus any errors, warnings or pending status reported by Google, so you can fix problems that might stop pages being discovered.
Start using your Search Console data
Your Search Console data shows exactly how people find you on Google. Sign in to My PR Manager, connect Google Search Console, and see which keywords and pages are working, and which need attention, in a few clicks.
Related guides: Connecting Google Analytics & Search Console · Keyword Position Checker · SEO Dashboard · Page URL Indexer
