Google is updating Search Console with the ability to return fresher data in the Search Performance report – as recent as less than a day old.
That means SEOs and site owners will have access to same-day data in Search Console for the first time. A considerable upgrade over the previous wait time of several days.
Improved data freshness in the Search Performance report was the number one feature request from Search Console users.
Here are some examples of what fresher data can mean for the day-to-day lives of SEOs:
- See a site’s weekend performance on Monday morning, rather than waiting until Wednesday.
- Check on site stats first thing in the morning after, or even during, important days such as holidays, global events, and shopping days.
- Checking whether site traffic has rebounded after fixing technical issues.
It’s important to note that fresh data points will be replaced with final data points after a few days. So it is expected that fresh data might change a bit before being finalized.
One last thing to note about the fresher data update is that it’s not yet supported by the Search Analytics API, nor is it available in the Discover report. Both of these limitations may be addressed in the future.
Other Improvements to the Search Performance Report
In addition to returning fresher data, the Search Performance report has been updated with the following new capabilities:
- Clear communication of the data timezone (which is the Pacific time zone).
- Export performance data over a desired timeframe, making it easier to identity trends and changes.
These updates are rolling out now.
