How to Find Top Search Terms in Google Analytics

Looking for the organic keyword report in Google Analytics 4 can feel like searching for a ghost. If you migrated from Universal Analytics, you’re probably used to a simple report that showed you exactly which search terms people used to find your site. In GA4, that report is gone, leaving many marketers wondering how to track their SEO performance. This article will show you exactly how to find your top search terms by connecting a free tool you already have, unlocking the keyword data you need to make better decisions.

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First, Why Can’t I Just See Keywords in GA4?

The immediate answer is privacy. Over the years, Google has been steadily restricting the amount of individual user query data passed into analytics platforms. Most of the keywords you used to see in Universal Analytics were already bucketed into "(not provided)" for this very reason.

To give webmasters the data they need to optimize their sites while protecting user privacy, Google has designated Google Search Console (GSC) as the official source for search query performance data. Think of it this way:

• Google Search Console tells you what happens before someone clicks to your site. It measures impressions, clicks, click-through rates (CTR), and average search positions for your keywords in Google Search.
• Google Analytics 4 tells you what happens after someone clicks to your site. It measures sessions, user engagement, events, conversions, and revenue.

By themselves, they are powerful. But when you connect them, you get a much fuller picture of your customer journey, from search query to conversion, all within the GA4 interface.

The Complete Guide: Connecting Google Search Console to Google Analytics 4

The good news is that linking these two platforms is a straightforward, one-time setup. Once connected, GA4 will automatically pull in keyword data from GSC, giving you two new reports dedicated to your organic search performance.

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• Administrator access to your Google Analytics 4 property.
• Verified Owner access to the corresponding Google Search Console property. Your GSC property must be for the exact same website URL you are tracking in GA4.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Log in to Google Analytics 4 Navigate to your GA4 property.
2. Go to the Admin Panel Click the gear icon labeled "Admin" in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar.
3. Find Product Links In the "Property" column (the middle one), scroll down until you see the "Product Links" section. Click on "Search Console Links."
4. Create a New Link You'll see a list of any existing Search Console links. If the list is empty or your property isn't there, click the blue "Link" button in the top right.
5. Choose your Search Console Property A new panel will appear. Click "Choose accounts." You will see a list of all GSC properties for which you are a verified owner. Select the checkbox next to the GSC property that matches your GA4 property and click "Confirm."
6. Select Your Web Stream On the next screen, click "Select" to choose the GA4 Web data stream associated with your website. This is what connects the GSC data (your site) to the GA4 data (traffic to that same site). Select your stream and click "Next."
7. Review and Submit The final screen shows a summary of the connection you are about to create. It will show the Search Console property and the GA4 data stream. If everything looks correct, click "Submit."

That's it! You’ve successfully linked the two platforms. Important: It may take up to 48 hours for the data to begin populating in your GA4 reports, so don’t worry if you don’t see it immediately.

How to Find and Analyze Your Top Search Terms in GA4

Once the data starts flowing, two new reports will automatically be added to your Reporting library. Here’s how to find them.

1. Navigate to the Acquisition Reports

In the left-hand navigation menu of GA4, click on Reports > Acquisition > Acquisition overview.

2. Look for the Google Search Console Card

Scroll down your Acquisition overview dashboard. You should now see a new card titled "Google organic search traffic." This card provides a high-level summary of your SEO performance. To see the details, click the "View Google organic search traffic" link at the bottom of the card.

This will take you to your GSC reports. By default, it opens the Google organic search traffic report, which shows performance by landing page. To see keywords, simply click on the Queries report.

3. Explore the "Queries" Report

The "Queries" report is your new home for reviewing organic keyword performance inside GA4. It shows you the exact search queries people typed into Google to find your website. This report includes four key metrics directly from Google Search Console:

• Google Organic Search Clicks: The number of times users clicked your link in the search results for that specific query.
• Google Organic Search Impressions: The number of times your website appeared in the search results for that query, even if no one clicked.
• Average Position: Your average ranking in Google Search for that keyword. A smaller number is better (e.g., a position of 3.5 means you typically rank between 3rd and 4th place).
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that resulted in a click (Clicks ÷ Impressions).

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Going Deeper: Creating Custom Reports with Search Queries

The standard Queries report is fantastic, but its true power is realized when you combine GSC dimensions with standard GA4 metrics in a custom report. This allows you to connect a search term directly to on-site behavior like engagement and conversions.

For example, you can create a report that shows you which search queries lead to the most newsletter sign-ups or product purchases.

Here’s how to create a simple custom report using the Explore feature:

1. Navigate to Explore in the left-hand sidebar and click "Blank report."
2. In the Variables column on the left, click the "+" sign next to Dimensions.
3. Search for and import the dimension: Session Google organic search query. This is the official name for the user's search term in the GA4 explorations.
4. Next, click the "+" sign next to Metrics.
5. Search for and import helpful metrics like Sessions, Conversions, and Engaged sessions.
6. Drag the Session Google organic search query dimension from the Variables panel into the Rows box in the Tab Settings panel.
7. Drag the metrics you imported (Sessions and Conversions) into the Values box right below it.

Instantly, you’ll have a custom table that shows exactly which organic search queries are driving sessions and conversions on your website. This is an incredibly powerful view that wasn't possible so easily in Universal Analytics.

3 Ways to Turn Your Search Terms into Action

Finding your search terms is just the first step. The real value comes from using this data to improve your marketing and content strategy.

1. Find New Content Opportunities

Sort your Queries report by impressions. Look for queries where you have high impressions but a low average position (e.g., position 11-20). This means people are seeing your site on the second page of Google, but not clicking. These keywords are "striking distance" topics and perfect candidates for a new blog post or a dedicated landing page. Creating high-quality, targeted content can push these terms onto the first page and dramatically increase traffic.

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2. Optimize Underperforming Pages

Filter your report to find keywords with tons of impressions but a low CTR. This often means your page title and meta description aren't compelling enough to earn the click, even if Google thinks your content is relevant. Try rewriting page titles to be more attention-grabbing and meta descriptions to better align with the user's search intent. A small improvement in CTR for a high-impression keyword can make a huge impact.

3. Double Down on What Works

Use your custom Explore report to identify the queries that drive the most conversions. These are your money keywords. Ask yourself how you can get even more value from them. Can you optimize the landing page for a better conversion rate? Can you write more related content to establish topical authority around that theme? Or maybe run Google Ads targeting those same terms to capture even more of the traffic?

Final Thoughts

Connecting Google Analytics 4 to Search Console opens the door to understanding the exact search queries driving organic traffic to your site. This simple, one-time integration elevates your reporting from guesswork to data-driven strategy by blending pre-click performance with post-click user behavior.

At Graphed, we believe getting these kinds of answers shouldn't require so much clicking and manual setup. We built our platform to help you unify your marketing and sales data from tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, Shopify, and your CRM in one place. Instead of spending time building reports, you can just ask questions in plain English, like "What were my top 10 search queries last month that led to conversions?" and instantly get a live, shareable dashboard. It’s the fastest way to get from data to decision without the analytics headache.