SEO Glossary: 22 Search Console, GA4 and Reporting Terms

The Recalytics SEO glossary explains the 22 terms that come up most in client SEO reports, grouped into Search Console, Google Analytics 4 and reporting terms. The definitions follow Google's official documentation.

Clients often ask what CTR, anonymized queries or key events mean when they read their first monthly report. The glossary can go with the report as an appendix, so each term only needs explaining once.

Which Search Console terms do you need to know?

Search Console terms describe how Google counts your site's appearances in search results: clicks, impressions, CTR, position and queries. All of those numbers come from the Performance report.

Clicks

A click is counted each time a user opens your page from Google Search results. Two clicks on the same link count as 1 click. The 4 metrics are covered in how to read the Search Console Performance report.

Impressions

An impression is recorded when a link to your site is on a results page a user opens, even if the link was never scrolled into view.

CTR

CTR is clicks divided by impressions. A site with 1,240 clicks from 48,600 impressions has a CTR of 2.55%.

Average position

Average position is your site's highest position for each query, averaged. A lower number means the link sits closer to the top of the results page.

Anonymized queries

Anonymized queries are queries searched very rarely, which Google hides to protect privacy. Anonymized queries still count in the chart totals, but they drop out once a query filter is applied.

Brand queries

Brand queries are queries that contain the brand name, its misspellings or its product names. How to split them out is covered in the guide to Search Console regex.

Domain and URL-prefix properties

A Domain property covers every subdomain and protocol of a domain and is verified through DNS. A URL-prefix property covers only addresses that start with a given URL, such as https://www.example.com/.

Indexing

Indexing is Google storing a page in its index. A page that is not indexed cannot appear in search results, and the reasons are covered in why pages aren't indexed.

Canonical URL

The canonical URL is the version Google picks among several pages with the same content. Search Console assigns most performance data to the canonical URL, not to its duplicates.

Core update

A core update is a significant change to Google's ranking systems, made several times a year. How to check its impact is covered in checking a Google core update.

AI Overviews and AI Mode

AI Overviews and AI Mode are the generative AI features in Google Search. Their impressions show in the Search Console generative AI report, covered in the generative AI report guide.

Which Google Analytics 4 terms appear in SEO reports?

GA4 terms describe what visitors do after they reach the site: sessions, engagement and key events. The numbers come from the Google tag running in the visitor's browser.

Session

A session is one visit to the site. By default, a session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Engaged session

An engaged session lasts longer than 10 seconds, has a key event or includes at least 2 page views.

Engagement rate

Engagement rate is engaged sessions divided by all sessions. Bounce rate in GA4 is the opposite, the share of sessions that were not engaged. The full explanation is in GA4 engagement rate.

Key events

Key events are events marked as actions that matter to the business, such as a form submission or a purchase. How to mark them is covered in GA4 key events.

Organic Search channel

The Organic Search channel groups visits from search sites, including search engines other than Google. As a result, GA4 organic sessions can differ from Search Console clicks.

Landing page

A landing page is the first page a visitor opens in a session. The landing page report shows which pages bring in the most organic visitors.

Which terms come up in client SEO reports?

Reporting terms describe how numbers are compared and read: KPIs, MoM, YoY, seasonality and non-brand queries. Reporting terms appear in the summary and in every section of a monthly report.

SEO KPIs

SEO KPIs are the numbers agreed with the client as the measure of success, such as non-brand clicks or forms from Organic Search. How to choose them is covered in choosing SEO KPIs.

MoM and YoY

MoM (month over month) compares this month with last month. YoY (year over year) compares this month with the same month last year, which shows the effect of seasonality.

Seasonality

Seasonality is a rise and fall in search interest that repeats every year. Google suggests looking at 16 months of data to make sure a drop is not a yearly pattern. How to explain it to clients is covered in seasonality in an SEO report.

Non-brand queries

Non-brand queries are queries that do not contain the client's brand name. Non-brand clicks show people who found the site without searching for the brand first.

Every term above is used in a monthly SEO report for clients. Recalytics turns the Search Console and GA4 data of every client website into a monthly report that uses the same terms.

Frequently asked questions

Is an impression the same as a view?

In Search Console, an impression means a link to your site was on a results page the user opened. It does not mean the user looked at it.

How is bounce rate in GA4 different from Universal Analytics?

GA4 bounce rate is the share of sessions that were not engaged. Universal Analytics counted single-page sessions without interaction.

Can this glossary go with a client report?

Yes. Link to this page or copy the definitions you need into the report's appendix.