How to Find Organic Keywords in Google Analytics

Trying to see which organic keywords send people to your site in Google Analytics 4 can feel like searching for something that isn't really there. If you've looked at your traffic reports, you've probably seen that the most common “keyword” listed is "(not provided)."

The good news is that you can get this valuable data directly inside GA4 - it just isn't there by default. This article will walk you through exactly how to set up the official Google integration and what to do with the powerful data you unlock.

Why Your Keywords Aren't in GA4 by Default

For years, Google has moved toward greater user privacy, and one of the biggest changes was encrypting search queries. This meant that the specific keywords people typed into the search bar were no longer passed directly to analytics platforms like Google Analytics. In the old Universal Analytics, this resulted in the vast majority of your organic keyword traffic being lumped under one unhelpful label: "(not provided)."

In Google Analytics 4, this became the standard. The data isn't missing because your setup is broken, it's by design. Google still tracks and uses this data, they just keep it within their own ecosystem. Luckily, they provide a free tool dedicated to search performance analytics: Google Search Console (GSC). The magic happens when you connect these two platforms, pulling GSC's keyword data directly into your GA4 reports where you can analyze it alongside your other website metrics.

The Solution: Connect Google Search Console to GA4

The only official and reliable way to view organic keyword data within GA4 is to link it with your Google Search Console account. The process is straightforward, but it has a couple of small prerequisites.

Step-by-Step: Linking Your Accounts

First, you'll need the correct permissions. You must have at least an "Editor" role on your Google Analytics 4 property and be a "verified owner" of the matching Google Search Console property. A common snag is trying to complete this process when you are logged into different Google accounts, so ensure you’re using the same Google user for both platforms.

Once you've got that sorted, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Admin Panel in GA4: From the bottom-left corner of your GA4 dashboard, click the gear icon labeled "Admin."
2. Find Product Links: In the middle "Property" column, scroll down to the section "Product Links." Click on Search Console Links.
3. Start the Link: At the top right of the next screen, click the blue "Link" button. This will start the setup wizard.
4. Choose Your GSC Property: A panel will slide out showing GSC properties linked to your Google account. Click "Choose accounts" and select the Search Console property that matches the website for your GA4 property. If you don't see it, it means you're not a verified owner. Once selected, click "Confirm."
5. Select Your Web Stream: On the next screen, you'll need to choose the web data stream for your website. Most setups will only have one option. Click "Select" and choose it, then hit "Next."
6. Review and Submit: The final screen shows a summary of your selections. Verify that you've chosen the correct GA4 web stream and the right GSC property. If everything looks good, click "Submit."

That's it! You've successfully linked the two platforms. However, you're not done just yet. The data connection exists, but you need to enable the specific reports in GA4's main navigation so you can actually see it.

Where to Find Your Keyword Data in GA4

After linking your accounts, GA4 will start pulling in data. It can take 24-48 hours for new reports to become visible, so don't worry if you don't see anything right away. Unlike in Universal Analytics, GA4 does not automatically add the new GSC reports to your reporting panel. You have to manually "publish" them from the Library.

Add the Search Console Reports to Your Library

The Library in GA4 is where you can manage and customize your collection of reports. To make your new SEO reports visible, follow these steps:

1. Click the Reports icon (looks like a folder) in the left-hand navigation.
2. At the very bottom of the report navigation list, click Library.
3. You will see a section called "Collections." Below that is another called "Reports." In the "Collections" section, you should see a card for Search Console that is likely marked "unpublished."
4. Click the three vertical dots on the Search Console card and select Publish.

Once published, a new "Search Console" section will appear in the Reports -> Acquisition section. Now you can finally start analyzing your keyword performance.

Understanding Your New SEO Reports

Your new Search Console reporting section contains two powerful reports: one focused on the keywords people search (Queries) and the other focused on your website's landing pages (Google Organic Search Traffic).

The ‘Queries’ Report: Your Keyword Goldmine

This is the report you've been looking for. It shows you the actual search terms people typed into Google right before they visited your site. Here, you'll find metrics pulled directly from GSC:

• Google Organic Search Query: The specific keyword phrase a user searched for.
• Impressions: The number of times your website appeared in the search results for that query.
• Clicks: The number of times someone clicked on your search result for that query.
• Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that resulted in a click (Clicks / Impressions).
• Average position: Your website's average ranking in the search results for that query.

How to Analyze the Queries Report:

This data is incredibly valuable for spotting SEO opportunities.

• Identify Your "Workhorse" Keywords: Sort the report by Clicks to see which keywords are currently driving the most traffic. These are your strongest performing terms.
• Find "Easy Win" Keywords: Sort by Impressions, then look for keywords with high impressions but a low CTR and an Average position between 8 and 20. This indicates your page is showing up in search results often (Google sees it as relevant), but it's not compelling enough to earn the click. Improving your page title or meta description could quickly turn these high-visibility keywords into traffic drivers.
• Spot Keywords on the Cusp of P1: Filter the report to only show an Average position greater than 10. These are "striking-distance" keywords. They are on the second and third pages for terms where a little on-page SEO or a few internal links could push them onto the valuable first page.

The 'Google Organic Search Traffic' Report: The Landing Page View

The second report links organic performance to your actual landing pages. This is where the true power of the integration shines through, as it blends GSC-specific metrics (Clicks, Impressions) with GA's behavioral and conversion metrics (Users, Engaged sessions, Revenue, Conversions). This tells you not just how many people arrived, but what they did afterwards.

How to Analyze the Organic Traffic Report:

This report is crucial for understanding the true business impact of your SEO efforts.

• Connect Traffic to Outcomes: Sort the report by Conversions or Revenue to see which of your landing pages are driving your most valuable traffic. Double down on the SEO efforts for these pages, and use the conversion templates for other pages.
• Spot Page Content Mismatches: Look for landing pages with high CTR and visitors but low Engaged sessions or conversion rates. This can indicate that search intent is disconnected from the page content. Some may be searching for informational terms (e.g., "best hiking boots") and land on a very generic sales page without guidance on where to go next. This is a great opportunity to refine your content to better meet the needs of the users.

Both of these reports give you a high-level view of the most important SEO data you’ll get once the connection is set. You'll be able to see which keywords are driving traffic and how those people engage with your site.

Final Thoughts

Getting insights from organic search traffic in GA4's reports can feel restricting at first, but it’s a highly valuable element once you know how to configure it. The key is connecting Google Search Console to your GA4 property. This doesn't only provide more relevant reports that show how users are driven to your site and how they engage with it, but also helps improve your performance across other channels – Google Ads, Facebook ads, or Shopify, to name a few. Once you connect these, you can analyze performance, and optimize your strategy for each platform, using comprehensive analytics provided within the GA4 dashboard.