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Module 15 / Lesson 78 · Read, apply, check
Create a search-performance worksheet whose filters, definitions and comparisons another analyst can reproduce.
Choose a decision such as which service page needs investigation. Define the property, search type, dates and relevant segment before exporting. Exporting every available field without a question creates a large file but does not establish which comparisons will be meaningful.
A page, query, country or device is a grouping dimension; clicks and impressions are measures. Changing the grouping changes the question being answered. Record whether a row describes one page, one query or a combination so totals are not combined as though all exports share the same grain.
For a combined click-through rate, divide total clicks by total impressions. Do not take an unweighted average of percentages from groups with very different impression counts. Retain the raw counts so another person can inspect the calculation and the contribution of each segment.
Search reports have privacy, aggregation and export limits. A query table need not explain every click in a top-level total. Preserve the report context and state what was excluded instead of manufacturing missing rows or presenting an exported sample as a complete record of every search.
1 ÷ 10 = 10%.
100 ÷ 10,000 = 1%.
(10% + 1%) ÷ 2 = 5.5%, which ignores unequal exposure.
101 ÷ 10,010 ≈ 1.009% across the compatible groups.
Hypothetical exercise: two service-page rows contain 90 clicks from 900 impressions and 10 clicks from 100 impressions. Their combined rate is 100 divided by 1,000, or ten percent. A third row has one click from ten impressions but belongs to a different country filter and should not be silently appended. The analyst records the property, dates, device and country in the worksheet header, then compares only like-for-like rows. When the query export does not reconcile exactly with the report total, she notes reporting limitations and retains both values. She does not invent queries to force a perfect sum. The result is a reproducible analysis rather than a polished but ambiguous spreadsheet.
Another report averages a ten percent rate from ten impressions with a one percent rate from ten thousand impressions and announces a combined rate of 5.5 percent. That gives the tiny group the same weight as the large one. The appropriate aggregate uses raw clicks and impressions for the same scope. The error can materially change which page appears to deserve attention and therefore distort prioritization.
Misconception: every exported table must reconcile exactly to every dashboard total. Differences in grouping, filters and reporting limits can matter. Investigate the definitions and coverage before calling a mismatch a tracking failure.
This worksheet supports a bounded decision, not a complete reconstruction of all search activity. If export limits matter to the project, assess a suitable authorized data-access method and record its coverage rather than quietly expanding the claim.
Do this today · 25 minutes
Create a search-performance worksheet whose filters, definitions and comparisons another analyst can reproduce.
Search Console read access and a spreadsheet, or the sample counts in this lesson.
Segment A: 1 click/10 impressions. Segment B: 100 clicks/10,000 impressions. Both use the same dates and filters.
Before: Unweighted average of 10% and 1% = 5.5%.
After: 101 clicks ÷ 10,010 impressions ≈ 1.009%.
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Recreate the report at the next review using the same definitions; explain any deliberate filter changes before comparing results.
Before you move on
An analyst combines two compatible Search Console segments: one click from ten impressions and one hundred clicks from ten thousand impressions. They average the two CTR percentages and report 5.5 percent overall. What should the reviewer require before using that report to prioritize work?
Next lesson →Search Console performance report
Lesson edition 1 · References reviewed 15 October 2026 · Practical exercise reviewed 15 October 2026. Examples are illustrative teaching scenarios.
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