The Search Console audit tool connects directly to Google Search Console and analyses a site’s real search data in seven ways, from pages losing clicks to searches sitting just off page one. It reads far more data than the Search Console screen shows, and turns it into a prioritised list of opportunities.
Built in-house. It is my own tooling rather than a reseller’s dashboard, which is why it checks the things I act on rather than everything a generic tool can measure.
What it does
The Search Console audit tool pulls performance data for a website straight from Google Search Console through a direct connection, then runs seven analyses across pages, searches, devices and time periods. Each one finds a different kind of opportunity or problem, and the results are combined into recommendations ranked by likely impact.
The seven analyses
| Analysis | What it finds | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Click-through optimisation | Pages ranking well but earning fewer clicks than expected for their position | Often fixed with better titles and descriptions, without needing new rankings |
| Content decay | Pages losing visibility compared with an earlier period | Shows which content needs refreshing first |
| Quick wins | Searches where pages rank around positions 11 to 20 | Google already sees the page as relevant, so small improvements can reach page one |
| Cannibalisation | Several pages competing for the same search | Consolidating or differentiating pages concentrates their strength |
| Mobile and desktop gaps | Pages performing very differently by device | Points to device-specific problems |
| Dead pages | Pages that dropped to zero clicks | Catches accidental noindex tags, deletions and broken redirects |
| Brand and non-brand | How much traffic depends on people already searching for the business | Shows how much search is really bringing in new customers |
How it works
- Connect to the site’s Search Console property with read access.
- Configure brand terms, the period to analyse and any high-value pages, such as pricing or booking pages, where clicks matter more.
- Collect performance data by page, search, device and date, through the API rather than the capped on-screen export.
- Analyse each of the seven areas and estimate the clicks available where the data supports it.
- Prioritise by business impact, weighting high-value pages.
Example output
CLICK-THROUGH: The pricing page ranks at position 3 for its main search but earns about half the clicks expected at that position. The live result shows a title with no price or offer. DEAD PAGE: A service page earned steady clicks until March and none since. URL inspection shows it was set to noindex during a site update. QUICK WIN: 18 searches rank between positions 11 and 20 for the same guide. Adding a section on the most common question could move it onto page one.
The example above is illustrative.
What I review
Search Console data is reliable, but reading it takes care. Before recommending anything I:
- inspect dead pages individually, since a drop to zero can have several causes
- check the live search result before blaming a title for low clicks, because an AI Overview or new features may be taking the click
- confirm cannibalisation is real by looking at the pages, not just the shared searches
- compare matching periods, so seasonal businesses aren’t misled by normal dips
Limitations
- Anonymised queries. Google leaves some low-volume searches out of query-level data, so query totals are always lower than site totals.
- Averaged positions. Average position is averaged across every appearance, so it’s a guide rather than an exact rank.
- Recent data. The last two or three days are still being finalised by Google and are treated with care.
- About 16 months of history. Search Console doesn’t keep data beyond that, so older comparisons aren’t possible.
Services it powers
This tool powers the Search Console audit, monthly SEO and AI search reporting and migration traffic recovery. It found the 29 declining posts behind the refresh programme in the condoms.uk case study. See the rest of the tools on the tech stack page.
FAQ
Does the Search Console audit tool change anything in my account?
No. The tool only reads data. It connects to Search Console with read access, pulls performance data for your property and analyses it outside Search Console. Nothing in your account or on your website is changed, and a restricted user permission is enough for it to work.
How far back can Search Console data go?
Google Search Console keeps about 16 months of performance data. The audit usually compares matching periods within that window, such as the last three or six months against the same months a year earlier, so seasonal businesses aren’t misled by normal ups and downs.
What is keyword cannibalisation?
Keyword cannibalisation is when two or more pages on the same site compete for the same search, so Google switches between them or ranks neither as well as one strong page would. The Search Console audit finds it by spotting searches where several of your pages share the impressions.