Google Search Console
Connect GSC to track organic search queries, clicks, impressions, CTR, and ranking positions alongside your AI visibility data.
Overview
Connect your Google Search Console property to understand how your organic search performance relates to your AI visibility. Track which search queries drive traffic, monitor ranking positions, and correlate organic data with AI mentions.
What You Get
- Search queries — See which queries show your site in Google results.
- Click and impression data — Understand real search traffic volume for each query.
- Average CTR and position — Track organic ranking performance over time.
- Country and device breakdowns — See how search performance varies by market and device type.
- Daily automated sync — GSC data is refreshed every day at 7AM UTC.
Prerequisites
- A verified Google Search Console property (URL prefix or domain).
- The Google account must have Restricted access or above on the property.
- Your AEO Optima plan must be Pro-SME (legacy: Professional) or Enterprise.
How to Connect
- Navigate to Settings → Integrations.
- Find the Google Search Console card and click Connect Search Console.
- You'll be redirected to Google to authorize access. AEO Optima requests
webmasters.readonlyanduserinfo.emailscopes. - After authorization, you'll be redirected back. Select the GSC site/property you want to track from the dropdown.
- Click Save. Data sync begins automatically — historical data from the past 7 days is imported.
Data Synced
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Clicks | Times users clicked through to your site from Google search |
| Impressions | Times your site appeared in search results |
| CTR | Click-through rate (clicks ÷ impressions) |
| Position | Average ranking position in search results |
| Query | The search term that triggered the result |
| Page | The landing page URL that appeared in results |
| Country | The country where the search was performed |
| Device | Desktop, mobile, or tablet |
Sync Schedule
Data is synced daily at 7AM UTC via the aeo-optima-gsc-sync background job. Google Search Console data has a processing delay of 2-3 days, so the sync window covers days 3 through 10 in the past to ensure complete data.
GSC vs SERP Tracking
| Google Search Console | SERP Tracking | |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | Google's own data via API | Third-party SERP providers (Serper, DataForSEO) |
| What it tracks | Organic Google search results | AI Overviews, AI Mode, Featured Snippets |
| Metrics | Clicks, impressions, CTR, position | Brand mentions, citations, AI visibility |
| Best for | Understanding organic search traffic | Understanding AI answer engine visibility |
| Used together | Correlate organic search with AI visibility for a complete picture |
Disconnecting
To disconnect, go to Settings → Integrations → Google Search Console and click Disconnect. A confirmation dialog will appear. Your existing synced data is preserved — only new syncs stop.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "Please revoke access and try again" | Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions, revoke AEO Optima access, then reconnect |
| No sites listed | Ensure your Google account has access to at least one Search Console property |
| Data not appearing | GSC has a 2-3 day processing delay. Check back after 72 hours |
| Stale data | The sync runs at 7AM UTC daily. Check the "Last Synced" timestamp on the integration card |