---
title: Improving SEO with a Search Console bubble chart
description: "## **📊 What is the Bubble Chart in Search Console (via Looker Studio)?** - A visualization that maps: - **X-axis** → Click-Through Rate (CTR) - **Y-axis** → Average Position (1 at the top) - **Bubble Size** → Click volume -…"
url: "https://fsidm.in/knowledge/seo/search-console-bubble-chart-seo/"
updated: "2025-10-15"
category: SEO
---

# Improving SEO with a Search Console bubble chart

## **📊 What is the Bubble Chart in Search Console (via Looker Studio)?**

- A visualization that maps:

  - **X-axis** → Click-Through Rate (CTR)
  - **Y-axis** → Average Position (1 at the top)
  - **Bubble Size** → Click volume
  - **Bubble Color** → Device category (mobile, desktop, etc.)
- Helps identify **SEO opportunities** by showing which queries are performing well and which need attention.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfZMC8CirrphxNGiMZ-qtBwC5xjJpACkqFMAGvwaiPactmfJQ6tEytQThRgIE1YIewwuj5NjrrlFQjPEv99bV6cxESoHnrb5hMnuBdTR2Ncu1wkoz9DiJQokb-RA4oQhMvYy9JMJA?key=c-5U_ap9UoAfh7JwcgQ6uw)

## **🔍 How to Read the Quadrants**

Imagine your chart split into 4 sections by average lines:

1️⃣ **Top Position + High CTR (Best Performers)**

- No major action needed.
- Keep monitoring to maintain rankings.

2️⃣ **Low Position + High CTR (Big SEO Opportunity)**

- Queries are relevant and attract clicks even from lower positions.
- **Action:**
  - Create or optimize a dedicated page.
  - Add richer content, FAQs, or visuals.
  - Strengthen internal linking.

3️⃣ **Low Position + Low CTR (Selective Effort Needed)**

- Often long-tail or irrelevant queries.
- **Action:**
  - Prioritize only related queries that matter to your audience.
  - Ignore irrelevant or off-topic queries.

4️⃣ **Top Position + Low CTR (CTR Issue)**

- Possible causes:

  - Competitors have better snippets (rich results, star ratings, etc.)
  - Title/meta doesn’t entice clicks.
  - Query intent doesn’t match your page.
- **Action:**
  - Improve titles, descriptions, and structured data.
  - Check search appearance in SERPs.

## **📈 Step-by-Step Process to Improve SEO**

1. **Connect Search Console to Looker Studio**
   - Use Site Impression table → build Bubble Chart.
2. **Apply Filters**
   - By date (last 28 days)
   - By device
   - By queries (exclude branded if needed)
3. **Identify Queries by Quadrant**
4. **For Each Query:**
   - Check related URLs in Search Console.
   - Optimize page with:

     - Better **title + meta description** (clear & click-worthy)
     - Improved **headings** (H1, H2) with related keywords
     - Updated **content** with synonyms, FAQs, examples
     - **Rich snippets** (schema markup where relevant)

## **📌 Why Use Both Together?**

- **Search Console** → Focuses on what happens **before a user lands on your site** (impressions, clicks, CTR, search queries).
- **Google Analytics** → Focuses on what happens **after a user lands on your site** (sessions, engagement, conversions).
  👉 Using both helps you see **end-to-end performance** — from search visibility to user actions.

## **🔍 What Each Tool Tracks**

| **Tool** | **Measures** | **Stage of Journey** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Search Console | Clicks, impressions, CTR, average position | Before visit |
| Google Analytics | Sessions, engagement rate, returning users, conversions | During visit |

## **⚡ How to Combine Them in Looker Studio**

1. **Connect both accounts** (Search Console: *URL Impression table*, GA: property).
2. **Apply consistent filters**:

   - Source = Google
   - Medium = Organic
   - Same date range (usually last 28 days).
3. **Key metrics to track in one dashboard**:

   - Sessions (GA)
   - Engagement Rate (GA)
   - Returning Users (GA)
   - Clicks (SC)
   - CTR (SC)

## **📊 How to Use the Combined Dashboard**

- **Monitor Trends**:

  - Clicks (SC) + Sessions (GA) should follow similar patterns.
  - A big drop in clicks → check rankings & queries in SC.
  - A drop in sessions but clicks stable → check GA tag, tracking, or engagement.
- **Spot Content Gaps**:

  - Pages with **high clicks but low engagement** → improve on-page content.
  - Pages with **low clicks but high engagement** → optimize titles & snippets for better CTR.
- **Segment by Device & Country**:

  - Use filters to compare mobile vs desktop CTR.
  - Check performance in key geographies.

## **⚠ Common Reasons for Data Differences**

- **Timezone mismatch** (GA uses your set timezone, SC fixed to PST).
- **Cookie consent** (GA may undercount if users decline tracking).
- **Bot filtering** (GA filters known bots; SC doesn’t).
- **Canonical URLs** (SC reports canonical URL, GA reports all tracked URLs).
  👉 *Small differences are normal; large gaps need investigation.*