“Why does Google Search Console say X number of clicks but then shows only a fraction of those clicks when checking for the keywords?”
The main reason is filtering. Google Search Console filters out some keyword queries to protect user privacy. For example, it may exclude clicks from queries that occur very infrequently or contain personal or sensitive information. As a result, the total clicks reported may be higher than the clicks attributed to individual keywords.
Why Are Some Queries Filtered?
A search query might be considered private or contain sensitive information for several reasons:
- Personal Information: Queries including names, addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses are often omitted to protect privacy.
- Medical or Health-Related Queries: Searches related to specific medical conditions or treatments are usually considered sensitive and may be excluded.
- Financial Data: Queries about banking or financial info are often filtered out to protect sensitive data.
- Explicit Content or Adult Keywords: Searches involving explicit or adult content are sometimes omitted to maintain a family-friendly environment.
- Legal and Security Concerns: Queries related to legal matters, law enforcement, or national security may be excluded to protect ongoing investigations or sensitive info.
- General Privacy Concerns: Google withholds data when a query could potentially identify a specific user.
Google’s privacy policies and criteria for filtering keywords can change over time as they continually update protections for user information. While these queries are omitted from keyword data, they still contribute to your website’s traffic – you just won’t see them individually in your reports.
What Should You Do?
If you notice a significant number of omitted queries, focus on optimizing for the keywords that are provided. Deliver valuable, high-quality content that meets user intent and helps grow your site’s traffic and engagement.
Related: How to Optimize Your Website for Both Search Engines and Users
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