How to find keyword opportunities in a Search Console export

Start with a consistent report

Open the verified Search Console property for your website and its Search results Performance report. Choose a period long enough to reflect your normal business activity. Record the dates, search type, country, device and any query or page filters. When comparing later results, use the same settings. A change from mobile traffic in one country to all devices worldwide can change the figures without any change to your page.

Export the Queries table

Select Queries and export the report. Use the Queries CSV with English headings such as Top queries, Clicks, Impressions, CTR and Position. Our analyzer accepts Query or Keyword as alternatives for the query column. Keep the original file so you can return to its context. If the export contains several files, choose the query-level table rather than a page, date or country table.

Load it into the free Keyword Ranking Analyser

Upload the CSV or paste its contents into our tool. The file is processed in your browser and the upload limit is 2 MB. The analyser reports valid query rows, clicks, impressions, CTR, position groups and an impression-weighted average position for the supplied rows. It also flags skipped invalid rows. Its totals describe this file; do not assume a query export is identical to every total in the original property report.

Review positions 4–20 with meaningful impressions

The tool lists queries with an average position above 3 and up to 20, sorted by impressions. Treat that as a research shortlist. Read the query, find the page that appeared for it in Search Console, and check whether the page answers the likely question. A phrase with many impressions deserves investigation, but its value still depends on your audience and what you can help them do.

Match an action to a specific finding

For a query whose page is hard to understand, review its title, introduction and headings. If the snippet describes something the page does not offer, bring the wording and content into agreement. Use our Meta Tag Checker and SERP Snippet Preview to inspect and draft those changes. If the destination is already useful and relevant, research suitable publishers in the marketplace as part of a broader campaign rather than treating a position range as an automatic buying instruction.

Keep a change log and compare fairly

Record the query, destination page, observation, change and publication date. Export another report after a comparable period and review changes in clicks, impressions and enquiries. Average position is an aggregate, not a fixed rank for every searcher or a live SERP lookup. Look at the relevant query and page together, and investigate shifts in country, device or search demand before drawing a conclusion.

Use the free tools in this guide