Google Search Console Can Now Track Your Social Media: What Small Businesses Need to Know
By Jemima Heath, Account Manager, Sauce Communications and Sauce Foundations
Google has rolled out a new Search Console feature and, if you're regularly creating social media content for your business, this is one we think is actually worth paying attention to.
And no, you don't need to be an SEO expert.
In fact, you don't even need a website.
Google Search Console's new Platform Properties allow you to connect supported Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube accounts directly to Search Console and see how people are discovering your social media content through Google.
Basically, Google is giving you another little window into what your audience is searching for, and, which of your social media posts are answering those searches.
And that's where we think things get interesting.
First things first: what is Google Search Console?
If you've never heard of it before, Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that helps you understand how your content is performing in Google Search.
Traditionally, it's mostly been associated with websites.
You'd connect your website and use Search Console to understand things like what people searched before clicking through to you, how often your pages appeared in Google and which pages were generating traffic.
Very useful. But admittedly, a little on the techy side.
Google has now expanded this functionality with Platform Properties, allowing supported social media and video accounts to be added as properties in their own right.
At launch, that includes:
Instagram
TikTok
X (Twitter)
YouTube
And here's the particularly interesting part for small businesses and creators:
You don't need a website to set one up.
What can you actually see?
Once you've connected an eligible social account, Search Console can give you another perspective on how your content is performing outside the social platform itself.
Depending on the reporting available to your account, this can include:
Clicks and impressions your social content receives through Google
Search queries leading people to your social profile or content
Your top-performing social content in Google
Content that's trending up or down
Where the people clicking through from Google are located
In other words, instead of only knowing how your Reel performed inside Instagram, you can start understanding whether that same piece of content is also helping someone discover your business through Google.
Why should small businesses care?
We've been banging on for a while now about the fact that social media isn't just social media anymore.
People use Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to search for businesses, products, recommendations, how-to information and answers to everyday questions.
At the same time, social content is increasingly appearing within Google Search itself.
That means the Reel you made answering a common customer question isn't necessarily finished working for you when it disappears down your Instagram feed.
Someone could potentially discover it later while searching Google for that exact problem.
Search Console gives you a better way to see when that's happening.
And we love data when it actually tells you what to do next.
This is where it becomes useful for your content strategy
This is probably the bit we care about most.
Let's say you own a beauty salon and discover people are finding your content after searching:
"How long does a lash lift last?"
That's useful information.
Instead of filing it away as an interesting statistic, you can use it.
You could:
Create another Reel answering common lash lift questions
Include relevant language naturally in future captions
Create a carousel explaining lash lift aftercare
Answer related questions customers might search next
Update an existing piece of content with clearer information around the topic
Or perhaps you run a farm machinery business and discover a particular how-to video is consistently appearing in Google.
That's a pretty strong hint that people want that information.
Make more of it.
The point isn't to stuff every caption with keywords or suddenly turn your Instagram account into an SEO project.
It's to stop guessing.
If Google is showing you the questions and topics already helping people discover your business, use that information to make smarter decisions about what you create next.
Does connecting Search Console improve your Google ranking?
Important distinction here.
And the answer is, No.
Simply connecting your Instagram or TikTok account to Google Search Console isn't an SEO hack that's suddenly going to push your content to the top of Google.
Think of Search Console as the dashboard, not the engine.
The value comes from being able to see what's happening and then using those insights to improve what you're doing.
It's the same reason we're always telling businesses to look at their Instagram and Facebook Insights.
Data isn't particularly useful if you look at it, say "oh, that's interesting" and then continue doing exactly the same thing.
Use it to make decisions.
Do you need to become obsessed with social SEO now?
The answer is also no. In fact, please don't!
This is where it's very easy for small business marketing to become unnecessarily complicated.
You've already got Instagram Insights.
Facebook Insights.
Google Analytics.
Website analytics.
Email analytics.
And probably 14 other dashboards somewhere telling you something.
You absolutely do not need to check Google Search Console every morning with your coffee.
For most small businesses, we'd recommend giving it enough time to collect meaningful data and then checking in periodically. Probably when you are sitting down to plan your upcoming social content. Not planning your content in advance? Well, that is a WHOLE other topic for another day. In the meantime, you may benefit from checking out our Social Strategy Reset.
Back to Google Search Console. Look for patterns.
What questions keep appearing?
Which topics are generating visibility?
Which posts continue being discovered?
Is there something your audience clearly wants more information about?
Those insights are far more useful than obsessing over tiny movements in individual metrics.
Finally, how to connect your social media account to Google Search Console
Thankfully, this part is relatively straightforward.
Step 1: Open Google Search Console
Head to Google Search Console and sign in using your Google account.
Step 2: Open the property selector
You'll find this in the top-left corner of Search Console.
Select + Add property.
Step 3: Choose your platform
Select the social media or video platform you want to connect.
Platform Properties currently support Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.
Step 4: Verify your account
Follow Google's on-screen instructions to authorise the connection and verify that you own or manage the account.
The exact verification process may vary depending on which platform you're connecting, so follow the prompts Google provides rather than overthinking it.
Step 5: Let it collect some data
Don't connect your account and panic when there isn't suddenly a beautiful dashboard filled with information. Give Google some time to collect data (usually 48 hours or more).
Then come back and start looking at what's actually driving visibility.
Note: Platform Properties have been progressively rolling out, so if you don't see the option available in your Search Console account, don't panic. Check back again later.
What should you look at first?
Once you've got enough data, we wouldn't try to analyse absolutely everything.
Start simple.
Search queries
What are people actually typing into Google before finding your social content?
These can be absolute gold for future content ideas.
Your top content
Which posts and videos are generating visibility or clicks?
Look at the topic as much as the format.
If one educational Reel performs particularly well, don't just conclude that you need more Reels.
Ask why people were interested in that specific subject.
Clicks and impressions
Impressions tell you how often your content appeared in Google Search.
Clicks tell you when someone actually clicked through.
A post with plenty of impressions but very few clicks could be an opportunity to look at whether the content clearly answers what people are searching for.
Trends
One result doesn't necessarily tell you much.
Patterns do.
Over time, look for topics, questions and types of content that consistently help people discover you.
Our take?
We like this update.
Not because we think every small business now needs another analytics platform to obsess over.
Quite the opposite.
We like it because it can give businesses better information to create content people actually want.
One of the hardest parts of social media for small business owners is constantly wondering:
"What am I supposed to post?"
Your customers are already telling you.
They're asking questions.
They're searching for solutions.
They're looking for businesses that can help.
The more insight you have into those searches, the easier it becomes to create useful content around them.
And useful content will beat posting for the sake of posting every time.
If you're regularly creating Instagram Reels, TikToks, YouTube videos or content on X, Platform Properties are worth setting up. It's free, relatively simple and could give you another genuinely useful source of content ideas.
Just remember – connecting the account isn't the strategy.
What you do with the information is.
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Thanks for reading!
Jemima Heath is an Account Manager at Sauce Communications, Australia’s most awarded regional communications agency. Based in Leeton, NSW, they recently launched Sauce Foundations for small business and BrandSafe AI, a practical program designed to help regional businesses use AI responsibly and with confidence.