Explanation on why Search Console and Analytics differ in terms of Discover reporting

John Mueller of Google finally came up with the answer about the discrepancy between GSC and Google Analytics in terms of Discover reporting. Muller has explained the reason why this happens, and the reporting for Analytics Discover is different.

The difference between the Search Console and Analytics is something that has the power to baffle search marketers. It seems that the reporting should be similar. However, that is not always the case. Especially to discover, there is a difference.

One person asked a question regarding the performance measurement of Google Discover. The person has clients whose site has been up for 7 or 8 years with their great content. He sees for a particular day and a particular page if Search Console is showing 100 clicks; in analytics, it shows a discrepancy. It shows at around 20 sessions in analytics. Hence, he had asked, what is the good way to measure the Discover performance of Google.

John Mueller has responded that the Search Console is more accurate than Analytics for the tracking of Google discover traffic. He said that the only way to measure it is in the search console. In Analytics, the traffic from Discover gets folded into Google Search. Then it becomes difficult to separate that. Hence, only the Search Console can show you the bigger picture.

The person further asked why Analytics tracked Discover in such a way that does not separate it from Google Search. The content in Google Discover is not the direct result of any search. It only shows up. Some of the topics that get revealed through search history surface in Google discover.

Hence, it might be a reason why it folds discover traffic into Google Search traffic and then does not differentiate in two of them. Mueller did not go into details. In discovery, they see a part of Google Search. Hence they do not separate it. Google has further acknowledged that there is a difference in how the Analytics and Search Console tracks discover traffic.