Since the beginning of the month, many site managers have noticed an increasingly visible traffic gap between Google Search Console and GA4. Clicks displayed in Search Console are increasing or remaining stable, while sessions from Google in GA4 are declining, sometimes drastically. For some sites, the difference now exceeds 20%, 30%, or even more.
This discrepancy is not new, but its recent magnitude is striking. The figures no longer seem simply “different”: they sometimes tell two opposing stories. This situation mainly concerns editorial sites, informational content, and pages heavily exposed on mobile.
Two tools that do not measure the same reality
Search Console and GA4 have never counted traffic in the same way. Search Console measures clicks from Google results, while GA4 measures sessions actually loaded with an active script.
A click counted in Search Console means that the user clicked on a Google result. This does not guarantee that the page has fully loaded, nor that GA4 had time to record the session.
According to Google, a gap of 5 to 15% is considered normal. Since the beginning of the month, many sites have far exceeded this threshold, indicating an accumulation of aggravating factors.
Searches without actual page loading
One of the main drivers of this gap is the evolution of Google results pages. More and more information is displayed directly, reducing real interaction with sites.
In some cases, the user clicks, immediately goes back, or closes the tab before GA4 triggers. The click is counted in Search Console, but no session appears in GA4.
According to SparkToro, more than 58% of Google searches now end without lasting interaction with a site. On mobile, this figure often exceeds 65%. This trend mechanically accentuates the gap between clicks and sessions.
GA4 stricter on session validation
GA4 applies stricter rules than the old Universal Analytics. A session is only counted if certain conditions are met
script loading
acceptance of necessary parameters
minimum activity duration
If the user leaves the page too quickly, GA4 may not record anything.
Since several discreet updates of GA4, the minimum duration before validating a session seems to have lengthened on some sites. SEO agencies observe an average drop of 8 to 12% in GA4 sessions with constant traffic.
Search Console, on the other hand, does not take these criteria into account. The click is recorded instantly.
Consent and more blocking banners
The generalization of consent-related rules strongly accentuates the gaps. If the user refuses or ignores the banner, GA4 may be partially or completely blocked.
Search Console continues to count clicks because it does not depend on consent. GA4, however, may lose a significant portion of visits.
According to a study conducted by Didomi, between 25 and 40% of European users do not immediately validate analytical trackers. On some sites, this is enough to explain a sharp drop in GA4 sessions without a real decrease in visibility.
A very marked mobile effect since the beginning of the month
The majority of the gaps recently observed concern mobile traffic. On smartphones, behaviors are faster:
– immediate returns
– tab closure
– navigation via Google Discover
– background opening
According to StatCounter, more than 63% of Google searches are now conducted on mobile. On these devices, GA4 has more difficulty triggering a complete session before the user exits.
Result
Search Console shows an increase or stability
GA4 shows a decrease or stagnation
The differential is particularly visible on informational pages.
Core Update and enriched results display
The recent Core Updates have strengthened the display of content directly in Google. Long snippets, synthetic answers, expandable blocks… The user sometimes clicks to verify information, then leaves immediately.
In this scenario, Search Console counts the click. GA4, however, records nothing if the page is not loaded long enough.
According to Sistrix, pages exposed under enriched snippets see their actual click rate decrease, but their impressions and raw clicks increase. This dissociation amplifies statistical gaps.
Deferred loading of the GA4 script
On many sites, GA4 is triggered with a slight delay to improve perceived speed or comply with consent. This delay becomes problematic when the user leaves the page quickly.
Technical analyses show that
• beyond 1.5 seconds of delay, up to 20% of sessions may never be recorded
• this figure increases on mobile and unstable networks
Search Console, again, remains insensitive to these parameters.
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Pages visible on more queries without equivalent traffic
Since the beginning of the month, some sites have observed an increase in Search Console impressions and clicks on expanded queries. These clicks sometimes come from very peripheral queries, with low intent.
The user clicks out of curiosity, does not immediately find what they are looking for, then leaves. The click is counted, the session is not.
SEO audits show an average increase of +18% in Search Console clicks on long queries, without an equivalent increase in GA4 sessions.