Impressions

Google counts an impression when a link to your site is on the page of results someone is looking at, even if they never scroll down to it. A few details change the count:

• A result on page 2 is not counted if the person stays on page 1.
• In a row of results that scrolls sideways, or a block that opens with a click, your link has to be scrolled into view or opened.
• Going back to the same results during one search doesn't add a second impression.
• Links in AI Overviews and AI Mode follow the same rules.

1. In Search Console, open the Performance report for Search results. The default view covers the last three months.
2. Click Total impressions above the chart to show its line next to Total clicks.
3. Open the Queries tab to see the searches that showed your site, then the Pages tab to see which pages appeared.
4. Look for searches with many impressions and few clicks. Our guide on how long a blog post should be explains what to change when a post is shown but rarely chosen.

The chart counts by site: if two of your pages appear in the same search, that is one impression. The Pages tab counts by page, so the same search gives each page its own impression, and the table can add up to more than the chart.

More impressions are not the goal on their own. Google's advice is to aim for meaningful ones: being seen by people who find your page useful.