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Missing expected Search Queries in Google Search Console

If the anticipated search queries are not appearing in Google Search Console (GSC), an SEO Analyst should respond methodically—balancing technical checks with strategic evaluation. Here's how:
  1. Check for Indexing Issues
    • Use site:yourdomain.com/page-url in Google Search.
    • Check Coverage in GSC → Look for "Excluded" pages (e.g., Discovered – currently not indexed).
    • Submit pages via URL Inspection Tool.
  2. Evaluate Query-Page Alignment
    • Does the page title, H1, and meta description reflect the target query?
    • Is the keyword prominently and naturally used in content?
    • Does the page actually satisfy the intent behind the query (informational, navigational, transactional)?
  3. Check Search Volume
    • Use Google Trends, Ahrefs, or SEMrush:
      • Is the anticipated query truly being searched?
      • Are you targeting a low- or zero-volume keyword?
      • Consider slight variations in phrasing or synonyms that might be performing better.
  4. Investigate Query Match Types
    • GSC only shows queries that generated impressions, even if they had zero clicks:
      • If a query didn’t generate an impression, it won’t appear at all.
      • Confirm whether the page ranks at all (even on page 5+ of results).
      • Use incognito mode or a SERP tracker to test manually.
  5. Ensure Content Recency and Relevance
    • If the content is:
      • Too new, give it time (GSC often takes days to show impressions).
      • Outdated, Google might not consider it relevant anymore.
  6. Examine Internal Linking and Crawl Depth
    • If Google can’t reach the page efficiently:
      • Ensure it’s linked from high-authority pages.
      • Use crawl tools (e.g., Screaming Frog) to verify internal linking structure.
      • Add links to new content from home page or category hubs.
  7. Verify That Search Console Data Is Being Interpreted Correctly
    • GSC truncates data: only 1,000 queries are shown in the UI.
    • Use GSC API or Data Studio to pull more complete datasets.
    • Use "Compare Date Ranges" to detect shifts over time.
  8. Create Supporting Content
    • If you're targeting a competitive or niche query, consider:
      • Creating supporting blog posts or FAQ pages.
      • Building topic clusters to strengthen authority for that query space.
  9. Reconsider Query Selection
    • If the query still isn’t surfacing:
      • Shift focus to queries that are appearing, even if unexpected.
      • Adjust strategy using actual user behavior rather than assumptions.

Sample Response for Reporting: "The anticipated queries have not appeared in GSC likely due to limited impressions. The target pages are indexed and optimized, but either search volume is lower than expected or ranking visibility is minimal. We are monitoring their performance while optimizing internal linking and exploring related high-volume alternatives."

Questions to ask as to why Queries are missing

If you sorted by clicks, and are surprised that certain queries were missing from the list, you might begin investigating why, by asking yourself the following.
  1. How does your site rank and appear for the query?
  2. If not appearing at all, see if your query-relevant pages are indexed through a "cache:" or "inurl:" search.

    The `cache:` and `inurl:` search operators, while still functional to some extent in Google Search itself, are not features or functionalities found within the Google Search Console (GSC).
    Therefore, they haven't been "deprecated" within GSC because they were never a part of its interface or reporting capabilities in the first place.
    Think of it this way:

    • cache: and inurl: are Google Search operators. You use them directly in the Google Search bar to get specific information about Google's indexed version of a page or to find pages containing certain words in their URL.
    • Google Search Console is a webmaster tool. It provides data and insights from Google about your website's performance in search, indexing status, and other technical aspects.

    While using `cache:` and `inurl:` in Google Search can give you clues about indexing, GSC offers more direct and comprehensive tools for this, such as the Coverage report and the URL Inspection tool, as you correctly listed in your initial set of elements. These GSC tools provide more detailed and reliable information about indexing issues than the search operators alone.

  3. If not indexed, check "Crawl Errors" in Search Console and then try "Fetch as Google".
    a) Is the search results display compelling?
    b) How do your competitors look?

Information about improving the title and snippet display in search results can be found at https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35624
Note: The link above is a 6 year old video by Matt Cutts and still contains useful information.
After we have investigated sorting by clicks, the next step is to sort by CTR or Click through rate


Sorting by CTR

Currently CTR is the third check box from the left in Search Analytics.
  1. High CTR means your page has a compelling search result appearance and display for the query
  2. Low CTR: If your website has low CTR (when your site has good ranking) maybe you should investigate search result appearance for improvements [means you want to improve your search results display.]
Take note of which queries are not performing as expected. Investigate how your site appears in the search result for the query.
Is the 1) title and 2) snippet compelling to click on?
Does it show a unique value add to the searcher?
With an understanding of the terms that were previously defined,
  1. query
  2. impressions
  3. average position
  4. click
  5. CTR
  6. Qualified query, qualified traffic

start categorizing your queries using the following criteria.

SEMrush Software 5 SEMrush Banner 5