One question we hear a lot from website owners is:
“Can I see how long users stay on my site in Google Search Console?”
The short answer: No.
Google Search Console is designed to show your site’s search performance – things like how often your site appears in Google results (impressions), how many people click through, and where your site ranks (average position).
If you want to understand user behavior – like how long people stay on your site, what pages they visit, and how they interact with your content – you’ll need to use Google Analytics.
What Does Google Search Console Actually Show?
- Impressions: How many times your site appears in search results.
- Clicks: How many people clicked on your site.
- Click-through rate (CTR): Clicks divided by impressions.
- Average position: Your site’s ranking for specific keywords or queries.
- Mobile usability and Core Web Vitals: Technical SEO insights that affect performance.
What Should You Use to Track Time on Site by Visitors?
Use Google Analytics (GA4) for:
- Average engagement time
- Bounce rates
- Session duration
- Path analysis (user flow through your pages)
Related: What Your Website Visitors Are Secretly Telling You (Through Their Clicks & Bounces)
How to Keep Bounce Rate in Check? Tips for a Successful Website
UltimateWB Tip:
If you want to understand how your search presence drives traffic, start with Google Search Console. To understand what users do after they land, use Google Analytics.
UltimateWB makes it easy to integrate both. Check out our set up guides:
How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for Your Website: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Set Up Google Search Console for Your Website: A Step-by-Step Guide
Related: Why We Don’t Use Google Analytics on Our Website
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