Ever wonder how your content on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X is being discovered on search?
Soon, you’ll be able to find out.
Google announced July 7 that it is gradually rolling out the ability for publishers to measure clicks and impressions for its verified social media accounts via Google Search Console.
This will allow site owners and creators to get a consolidated view of how their content is being found on Google Search, Google News, and Discover, whether your content is published on your website or social media accounts.
July 29 update: This feature is now available globally in Google Search Console. Learn more.
What Data Will Google SeArch Console Display?
Impressions and click data for social media videos will be defined accordingly:
- Impressions: If your video appears in Google Search results or Discover, it counts as an impression.
- Clicks: Once someone clicks on the video, it counts as a click, even if the video is played within the Google viewer.
Google Search Console will support YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X, and you can view performance by each channel independently, so it won’t be clumped altogether.
Keep in mind that you won’t be able to measure when people view your content on the actual social media platforms. This feature tracks visibility and clicks only when the social media content appears on Google Search and Discover.
Why This Matters To Tech Companies
It’s no secret that video content contributes to search visibility.
We’ve shared how YouTube leads in Google AIO citations (not to mention YouTube’s impact on AI brand visibility), and we’ve mentioned how short-form video is crucial to search.
But aside from correlations, there has never been concrete data showing how many impressions and clicks your social media content receives across Google Search, Discover, etc.
For brands that are developing their video strategies and need to build a case for further investment, this new data from Google Search Console is a crucial piece to the puzzle.
If distribution is the ultimate moat in B2B tech, use this new data to measure your gains and determine how your holistic content strategy influences your top of funnel and pipeline.
How To Set Up Social Media Tracking In Google Search Console
To see if you have access to this feature, visit Google Search Console and click on the Property dropdown on the top left of your screen. Then hit “Add Property” to see your options.
If you don’t yet have access to this feature, you will see this:
If you do have access to this new data, you will see this option:
Once you see this screen listing each of the supported social media platforms, click “Add” next to the channel(s) you want to track, and then follow the prompts.
After you receive a confirmation message indicating your ownership is verified, visit “Go to property” to complete the setup process. Expect a delay of several days before you see data appear in your Google Search Console reports.
Make sure to repeat the process if you manage multiple profiles on a single social media platform. That way you can create a platform property for each one.
To learn more, view instructions and documentation from Google Search Console here.
Other Resources
For more information related to YouTube, video strategy, etc., see below:
- How tech companies can leverage Ask YouTube
- New laws and tools affecting AI-generated content
- Why tech companies need a video strategy
- Begin with a video audit
If you’re struggling on where to start relative to your video strategy, schedule a free consultation with us.
