Google Search Console vs. Google Analytics: What’s the Difference and How to Set Up Both for Free
When it comes to monitoring your website’s performance, Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA) are two essential tools. While they may seem similar at first glance, they serve different purposes.
If you want to improve your search engine rankings, Google Search Console provides insights into how your site appears in Google Search and identifies technical SEO issues. On the other hand, Google Analytics helps you understand user behavior once they make it to your site, traffic sources, and overall website performance.
In this article, we’ll break down the key differences between these tools and provide step-by-step instructions on how to set up free accounts for both.
Google Search Console vs. Google Analytics: Key Differences
Both tools are valuable and complement each other. For a complete picture of your website’s performance, it’s best to use both Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
How to Create a Free Google Search Console Account
- Go to Google Search Console
- Visit Google Search Console and click Start Now.
- Sign in with Your Google Account
- Use a Google account (Gmail) to log in. If you don’t have one, create it first.
- Add Your Website (Property)
- You’ll see two options:
- Domain Property: Covers all URLs (recommended for most users).
- URL Prefix: Tracks only a specific URL (useful for subdomains or specific folders).
- Enter your website URL and click Continue.
- You’ll see two options:
- Verify Ownership - Google needs to verify that you own the website. Choose one of these methods:
- DNS Verification (recommended for domain property): Add a TXT record in your domain provider (GoDaddy, Bluehost, etc.).
- HTML File Upload: Upload a Google-provided file to your site’s root directory.
- HTML Meta Tag: Add a meta tag in the
<head>section of your homepage. - Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager: If you have GA or GTM installed, you can verify through them.
- Submit Your Sitemap (Optional but recommended)
- In the left sidebar, go to Sitemaps and enter your XML sitemap (e.g.,
https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml). - Click Submit to help Google crawl your pages efficiently.
- In the left sidebar, go to Sitemaps and enter your XML sitemap (e.g.,
- Start Monitoring Your Website
- It may take a few days for Google to collect data. Once processed, you’ll see insights about search queries, page performance, indexing issues, and more.
How to Create a Free Google Analytics Account
- Go to Google Analytics
- Visit Google Analytics and click Start for free.
- Sign in with Your Google Account
- Use your Google account to log in.
- Set Up an Account
- Click Admin (bottom-left corner) > Create Account.
- Give your account a name (e.g., “My Business Website”).
- Create a Property (Your Website)
- Click Create Property and enter details:
- Property Name (e.g., "My Business Site")
- Time Zone (Set your local time zone)
- Currency (Choose your preferred currency)
- Click Next and provide business details.
- Click Create Property and enter details:
- Set Up Data Streams
- Choose Web (for websites) and enter:
- Website URL
- Stream Name (e.g., “My Website Data”)
- Click Create Stream to generate a Measurement ID (looks like
G-XXXXXXXXXX).
- Choose Web (for websites) and enter:
- Add the Google Analytics Tracking Code to Your Website
- For WordPress Users:
- Use a plugin like Site Kit by Google or GA4 Google Analytics to add the tracking code.
- For HTML Websites:
- Copy the provided Global Site Tag (gtag.js) code.
- Paste it into the
<head>section of every page on your site.
- For WordPress Users:
- Verify Data is Being Collected
- Go to Reports > Realtime to check if live data is showing up.
- Set Up Key Metrics
- Configure Goals & Conversions (for tracking leads, sign-ups, sales, etc.).
- Link GA with Google Search Console (Admin > Property Settings > Adjust Search Console Link).
Which One Should You Use?
The short answer: both.
If you're serious about SEO and search engine performance, you need Google Search Console. If you want to analyze user behavior, measure conversions, and improve website engagement, Google Analytics is essential.
Since both tools offer unique insights, the best approach is to use them together for a complete understanding of how your website performs in search engines and how visitors interact with it once they find you.
Final Tip: Integrate both
After setting up both tools, integrate Google Search Console with Google Analytics for seamless insights. This allows you to analyze search data alongside user behavior, providing a more comprehensive view of your website’s performance.
