If you’re like me and regularly dig through the Google Search Console to figure out what’s working (or not working) on your site, you’re going to love this new feature — Insights.
I noticed it recently inside Search Console and spent some time exploring it. Here’s a simple breakdown of what it is, why it’s useful, and how you can make the most of it — even if you’re not a hardcore SEO pro.
What is Google Search Console Insights?
It’s basically a quick summary of how your website is performing in Google Search. Not the usual overwhelming dashboard full of graphs — this is more like a simple progress card.
It tells you:
- Which content is getting more attention (and which isn’t)
- What search terms people are using to find your site
- Where your audience is coming from (countries)
- What content is trending up or down
- And even shows traffic from Google Images, News, Discover, etc.
All in one place. No filters, no advanced settings.
Why is this helpful?
As someone who manages multiple websites (including my own), I usually don’t have time to check every page or query every day.
This Insights report makes it super easy to:
- Spot content that’s losing traffic (before it’s too late)
- Find out what blog or page is suddenly doing well
- Identify new keyword opportunities without deep digging
- See if your audience is shifting from one country to another
- Track traffic beyond just Web Search — like Discover or Image Search
Think of it as a mini performance dashboard that saves time and gives clarity.
What’s inside the Insights report?
Here’s a quick look at the sections:
1. Clicks and Impressions
Basic, but important. Tells you how often your site appeared in search results and how many people clicked — compared to the previous period.
2. Your Content (Pages)
Shows which pages are:
- Performing well (Top content)
- Gaining momentum (Trending up)
- Losing traction (Trending down)
It’s a great way to decide what to update, promote, or maybe even retire.
3. Queries Leading to Your Site
The actual search terms people are typing in. Again, sorted into top, trending up, and trending down.
This is gold. Especially for content planning or spotting new keywords to target.
4. Top Countries
Simple geo insights. Helpful if you’re targeting a particular location — or just want to see where your traffic is coming from.
5. Additional Traffic Sources
Tells you if people are finding your content through Google Discover, Images, or other surfaces. Not something many people track regularly, but definitely useful.
What does “Trending Up” or “Trending Down” mean?
It’s based on number of clicks, not percentage.
So, if a blog post got 200 more clicks this week compared to last week, it’ll show up in “Trending Up.”
If another page lost 100 clicks, it’ll be in “Trending Down.”
This helps you act fast — either to double down on what’s working or to fix what’s dropping.
How to Use It in Your Workflow
Here’s how I’m planning to use it (and maybe you should too):
- Weekly check-ins: Quick scan to spot any major movement in content or queries.
- Client reporting: Easy way to explain performance without diving into complex reports.
- Content planning: Use trending queries and top content to plan the next blog or page.
- Quick wins: Promote or update pages that are trending up. Refresh pages that are slipping.
How to Access It?
Just go to your Google Search Console, and if it’s available for you, you’ll see “Insights” as a tab on the top menu.
(If not, it might be rolling out slowly — so keep checking.)
Final Thoughts
Google Search Console Insights may not replace the full Performance report, but for most of us, it’s a great starting point. It simplifies what matters and shows you what to pay attention to — without making you feel like you need to be an SEO expert.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, give it a go. And if you find something interesting inside, I’d love to hear about it.