Clicks and impressions
Clicks count visits from a Google Search result to a property. Impressions count how often a link to the property was seen in search results under Google’s reporting rules.
Plain-language metric definitions · reviewed August 4, 2026
Google Search Console portfolio metrics glossary
Definitions for clicks, impressions, CTR, average position, properties, dimensions, content decay, and portfolio comparisons used throughout RankPortfolio.
Click-through rate (CTR)
CTR is clicks divided by impressions. A useful comparison controls for position, query intent, brand demand, device, and search appearance instead of applying one universal benchmark.
Average position
Average position is the average topmost position of a property or page in search results across the reported impressions. It is an aggregate, not a fixed rank observed by every searcher.
Property and dimension
A Search Console property is a verified site or URL-prefix resource. Dimensions such as query, page, country, device, date, and search appearance break performance into analyzable groups.
Portfolio comparison
A portfolio comparison evaluates multiple included properties over the same complete date window and baseline. It preserves absolute movement alongside percentage change so small baselines do not dominate priorities.
Content decay and opportunity
Content decay is a persistent, material decline that warrants page- and query-level investigation. A CTR opportunity is meaningful visibility with lower-than-comparable click-through performance—not simply any low percentage.
Primary sources
Documentation behind these definitions
Continue exploring