Hey everyone, I've noticed a significant drop in the number of clicks on my website for the past few days, down to only around 15% of the usual average. I've been monitoring this discrepancy for 4 days now and it's been consistently low. Upon investigation, I discovered that Search Console is reporting 5-6 times more clicks to my website compared to the number registered on Analytics across all sources. This discrepancy seems impossible to me. Can anyone help me identify the cause of this issue?During a 3-day period:
Analytics reported 58 clicks
Search Console reported 336 clicksThank you.
There are several possible explanations for the discrepancy between your Google Analytics and Search Console click data.
- Filtering: Double-check your Analytics filters. If you have any filters in place that exclude specific traffic sources, it could be affecting the reported clicks. Ensure that your filters are properly set up and are not excluding the data you want to analyze.
- Website Configuration: Make sure that your website is correctly set up for both Google Analytics and Search Console. Verify that the tracking code is installed correctly and that the appropriate properties are linked in both platforms.
- Data Sampling: While less likely, Google Analytics may be sampling your data, particularly if you have a lower traffic volume. This means that the platform is analyzing a smaller sample of your data, potentially leading to inaccurate reporting.
- Search Console Data Delay: There’s a known delay in Search Console data reporting, usually a few days. You may be seeing data from a previous period when clicks were higher. However, this delay shouldn’t cause a 5-6 times discrepancy for 4 consecutive days.
- Bot Traffic: Search Console reports all clicks, including those from bots and crawlers. These clicks may not be reflected in your Analytics data if you have filters set to exclude bot traffic.
To resolve this issue, it’s recommended to:
- Check for errors in your website configuration: Ensure that both Google Analytics and Search Console are correctly implemented.
- Review your Analytics filters: Make sure they are not excluding relevant traffic data.
- Analyze the Search Console data: Look for any unusual patterns or spikes in clicks from specific keywords or search queries that might not be captured in Analytics.
- Verify your Google Analytics property ID: Confirm that the correct property ID is implemented on your website and is correctly linked in Search Console.
If you’ve reviewed all these aspects and still haven’t found the cause, reaching out to Google support might be helpful.