Impressions in Google Search Console
A search impression is counted when a link to your site appears in the results a searcher loads, such as the first page of results. Results on page two only count if the searcher goes there. Impressions show how often your pages appear for each query, and together with clicks they give your click-through rate (CTR).
Impressions in advertising
- An ad impression is counted each time an ad is shown.
- Display ads also report viewable impressions: at least half of the ad on screen for at least one second, or two seconds for video.
- Campaigns bought on a CPM basis are paid per thousand impressions.
Impressions vs reach
Impressions count every showing, while reach counts the number of different people who saw something. If one person sees an ad three times, that is three impressions and a reach of one. Frequency is impressions divided by reach.
Impressions example
A page appears in the search results 5,000 times a month and gets 150 clicks. Its impressions are 5,000, its clicks 150 and its click-through rate 3%. If the page’s average position is 8, many impressions may be at the bottom of page one, where few people click. Improving the title and description, or moving up a few places, can increase clicks without changing the impressions.
How to read impression data
- Open the Performance report in Search Console.
- Look at impressions with clicks, click-through rate and average position.
- Filter queries that have many impressions and few clicks. They show where you appear but are not chosen.
- Separate branded searches from the rest.
- Be careful with data from rank-tracking tools and
site:searches, which can add impressions that are not real demand.
Impressions mistakes
- Treating impressions as visits.
- Celebrating a spike in impressions with no extra clicks.
- Comparing periods without noting that Google changed how it counts or shows results.
Impressions FAQs
Why did my impressions fall?
Causes include ranking changes, seasonality, fewer rank-tracking requests and changes in Google’s results pages. Check clicks too. See click-through rate and impression share.
What is a viewable impression?
An ad impression where the ad was actually on screen. See CPM.