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Tag: Reports

Discover Google’s New Tool for Tracking Invalid Click Credits
Recently, I stumbled upon Google’s new documentation that sheds light on a handy tool called the Invalid Activity Credit Report. It’s designed to give us advertisers a clearer picture of refunds issued for those pesky invalid clicks and interactions.

The big picture. Although it’s not entirely clear if the report itself is brand new, it’s definitely showcasing some metrics we’ve seen before, like the invalid click rate. What’s exciting is that the documentation provides a detailed view of credits issued for invalid traffic in both Search and Performance Max campaigns.

How it works. Google mentions that they use automated systems to detect and filter out invalid traffic before it costs us anything. However, if any invalid activity slips through, these credits come to the rescue post-billing.

In such cases, Google might issue credits to cover the associated spend.

While I’ve seen these credits in billing and transaction histories before, this new report breaks down:
- Credited clicks
- Credited interactions
- Credited spend
- Campaign-level impact
- Adjusted performance metrics after credits are applied
Why we care. Having a transparent view of how much of our campaign budget is being refunded due to invalid activity helps me understand my true performance and costs much better. Plus, this new documentation is a gem for raising awareness about a tool many of us might not have known about.

Google’s goal with this report seems to be providing a better understanding of campaign performance after these adjustments.

They say that it helps us:
- See costs, clicks, and interactions post-credits.
- Reduce the hassle of manually reconciling billing credits with campaign performance.
- Gain insights into how Google’s invalid traffic protections affect each campaign.
How to access it. Finding this report is straightforward through the Report Editor in Google Ads.

Just go to the Template Gallery, and select “Invalid Activity Credit Report: Search & PMax” to generate a report with standard campaign metrics, alongside new columns for credited clicks, interactions, and amounts.

You can even add performance metrics to see how campaigns fare after credits adjustment.

What to watch. The report could soon become invaluable for those of us running large budgets, especially if we’re meticulously examining traffic quality and discrepancies in reported performance versus billing.

As AI-driven campaign automation grows, insights into invalid traffic and refunded spend will likely become critical in our campaign strategies.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
June 2, 2026
Google Search Console Glitch: Why Your Link Data Is Outdated

On a recent Thursday, I logged into Google Search Console expecting the usual link report, only to discover a significant issue—it had broken. For some, it displayed zero links, while others saw their reported links drop by nearly 90% from the previous week.

Google acknowledged the problem and decided to revert to older data temporarily as they worked on a fix. This means the link data you’re seeing might be weeks old.

Google’s Response: John Mueller of Google mentioned, “Thanks for the heads-up, Barry. We’ll take a look to see if there’s anything unexpected happening (given the long weekends, it might take a bit of time).”

By Saturday, the links seemed to reappear, but as Mueller explained, they had merely switched back to previous data as a temporary measure. “They’re working on resolving the actual issue and in the meantime switched back to the data from the week before.”

Old Data: If you check your link report now, it displays old information. This is crucial to keep in mind if you’re using this data for reports to clients or stakeholders.

The Bug’s Impact: Many folks noticed either zero links or a drastic drop exceeding 85%. Here’s a screenshot highlighting the problem:

OK, this takes the cake. Hahaha. Yeah, something is very off with the links reporting in GSC. pic.twitter.com/KIYmFPm1fX— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) May 21, 2026

Why It Matters: For those relying on this link data for generating reports, the inaccuracy can be problematic. Data pulled on that Thursday might not be reliable.

While Google is addressing the issue, be prepared to work with data that’s temporarily outdated.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

May 26, 2026
Master YouTube Analytics with Data Studio for Clear Insights

Have you ever wondered about the performance of your YouTube videos? With the time and resources invested in creating content, it’s crucial to track its success.

While YouTube Studio offers robust analytics, accessing the data can be tricky, especially for sharing with others. Here’s where Google Data Studio (previously Looker Studio) comes in handy, offering an easier way to analyze and share YouTube data.

With Data Studio, I can seamlessly integrate YouTube data, schedule updates for stakeholders, customize dashboards, and monitor performance without needing direct access to the backend.

Let me guide you on integrating YouTube analytics into a Data Studio report.

Using a template or starting from scratch

Setting up a report in Data Studio offers two paths. Google’s YouTube Analytics template is a quick start, presenting a clean report with foundational metrics. But be prepared to fix some common issues, which I’ll help you navigate. Alternatively, if you’re up for a challenge, creating a report from scratch can deepen your understanding of Data Studio.

This guide covers both options.

If you’re not the YouTube account owner

For those creating a report without owning the YouTube account, you may find the account isn’t showing as a source in Data Studio. Don’t worry; there’s a workaround. First, access YouTube Studio settings, navigate to Permissions, and grant Manager permissions to the email associated with your Data Studio. Then, obtain the Channel ID from the YouTube URL, add a YouTube connector in Data Studio, and paste the Channel ID under Advanced settings to access the account.

Using the Data Studio YouTube Analytics template

Getting started is simple. On the Data Studio home page, click on Templates followed by Template Gallery. Select YouTube Analytics from the dropdown menu. This template comes preloaded with sample data, which you can replace with your own by clicking “Use my own data.”

During setup, you’ll need to authorize your data by choosing the connected Google Account. Your YouTube channels will then be selectable from a dropdown menu. Note: the dropdown controls settings, not the charts. To update the charts, use the Edit and Share button, which allows you to adjust data sources and metrics.

Copying a template into an existing report

While Data Studio doesn’t directly support importing templates into existing reports, copying a page is an option. After setting up a report with the template, you can transfer it by selecting everything, copying, and then pasting into an existing report’s new page. Although the initial imported charts might show errors, you can reassign the correct data sources using the Properties sidebar.

Customizing your report

The YouTube template offers a solid starting point, but Data Studio allows for extensive customization. While some metrics like revenue and specific audience insights aren’t available, there’s plenty to explore. Adding new charts involves expanding the canvas and leveraging a variety of metrics and dimensions to tailor reports to specific needs.

By following these steps, we’ve crafted a report that’s both functional and informative, ready for sharing performance insights. Automating report exports as PDFs ensures easy distribution, facilitating informed decisions for all stakeholders.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

April 21, 2026
Crafting Year-End PPC Reports that Captivate Leadership

As the new year arrives, it’s my job to present an end-of-year (EOY) PPC report that truly reflects our performance.

EOY reports are not merely extended versions of our monthly check-ins. Instead, they cater to a different audience—mainly the leadership team, who need a broader narrative.

Executed well, these reports set the stage for the upcoming strategies, garnering buy-in and positioning me as a strategic ally rather than just a campaign overseer.

Here’s my approach for creating an impactful EOY PPC report that engages leadership and sets us on a successful path for the new year.

1. Understanding My Audience’s Priorities

Launching a new campaign without defined goals and target audiences is unheard of, and the same goes for my EOY report.

This year, my clients include diverse leadership teams—from those new to me wanting concise summary reports, to detail-oriented CEOs desiring a rich narrative.

Instead of a generic template, I tailor each report to fit the unique needs of each audience, avoiding confusion and maximizing satisfaction.

If you’re unsure of your audience, engage your primary contact to better understand the report’s recipients, their focal points, and decision-making goals.

2. Building a Clear Executive Summary

My executive summary’s role is to quickly provide leadership with an understanding of our PPC performance.

It’s the gateway that frames everything that follows, and though taught to write it last, I start with it to shape the report’s flow.

Focusing on Key KPIs

I prioritize metrics vital to my audience—be it revenue, leads, or conversions—ensuring these are front and center in my summary.

Providing Context with Benchmarks

By leveraging year-over-year performance, target achievements, and industry benchmarks, I ensure leadership comprehends our standing without needing to guess.

These benchmarks provide busy executives with an immediate grasp of our performance, priming them for deeper insights and actions to follow.

3. Diving into Performance Details

Here, I delve into the ‘why’ behind our performance, illuminating the strategies and decisions driving key outcomes.

Whether limited to pivotal insights or an in-depth analysis, my focus remains on information supporting the summary and informing our future direction.

Highlighting Best Performers and Resource Allocation

By showcasing top-performing assets and how we distributed efforts, I help leadership see where we’ve excelled and intelligently invested resources.

Reflecting on Tests and Trends

Sharing tests and trends that have shaped our year helps leadership understand the evolution of our strategy and sets the stage for potential opportunities.

4. Considering External Influences

It’s crucial to frame our performance within the wider environment, highlighting external factors that influenced results either positively or negatively.

An Analysis of Digital and Economic Factors

From shifts in digital marketing channels to broader macroeconomic trends, I contextualize performance against external events, explaining both impacts and non-impacts.

5. Planning for What’s Next

Looking ahead, I focus not on pre-determined paths, but on our decision-making framework, assuring leadership of a structured plan for adapting to future changes.

Outlining Next Steps and Innovations

By sharing strategic moves tied to last year’s data, as well as exploratory initiatives and adaptation strategies, I foster confidence and excitement for the year to come.

Finalizing with a Leadership Lens

Before submitting, I ensure all data is clearly sourced, negatives are addressed up front, and all stakeholder queries have been thoroughly answered.

This reflective practice not only strengthens my relationship with stakeholders but also lays the foundation for seamless reporting in the years ahead.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

January 6, 2026
Google Resolves Page Indexing Report Delay for Instant Insights

I just discovered that Google Search Console has finally addressed the month-long delay in their page indexing report. It felt like a stroke of relief when I saw the report now displays data as recent as just a few days ago. This is the usual schedule for updates and I’m thrilled to have this crucial tool back on track.

Another piece of good news: emails notifying about indexing issues have resumed, so we site owners can stay informed directly through our inboxes once again.

Page Indexing Report. This indispensable tool helps me understand which pages on my site Google can find and index, along with highlighting any potential problems. It also allows me to submit any fixes and see if they’ve been successfully implemented. Previously, when the report was delayed, we couldn’t verify our fixes or check the indexing status of new and existing pages, which was quite frustrating.

Fixed Issues. Here’s a screenshot of the updated report, showcasing a more current date—December 14th—instead of the long-stagnant November 21st:

Besides, Google has also resolved the delays in performance reports just yesterday! It’s a relief to know that most significant reports are now functioning smoothly, though it’s always wise to stay prepared for potential future hiccups.

Why It Matters to Us. Over the past month, many of us struggled to provide up-to-date reporting to our SEO clients and stakeholders. With the recent fixes, we now have access to the latest data for both page indexing and performance reports.

This means we can get back to speed with our reporting tasks, just in time before the holiday season sets in.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 17, 2025
Unlock the Power of Google’s PMax Channel Report

For years, I’ve been fascinated by how PPC advertisers navigate the complexities of Google’s campaigns, especially Performance Max (PMax).

While the automation behind PMax is impressive, the lack of transparency has often been a source of frustration for me and many others.

Thankfully, Google has finally started to address some of these concerns with the introduction of the new Channel Performance report.

This guide is designed to help you understand the report, its benefits, and how you can leverage it effectively.

The Channel Performance report represents a major shift in how we can view and assess campaign performance.

Located under Campaigns > Insights and Reports > Channel Performance (beta), it’s a pre-built network report offering tabular and flow diagram data.

It’s currently exclusive to Performance Max campaigns but could potentially expand to other types in the future, hinting at a broader applicability.

Previously, getting insights into channel performance required tedious manual reports, or at best, third-party tools with limited capabilities.

Now, the Channel Performance report provides a direct, Google-native solution to this problem.

The report has two primary components: an account-level view and a campaign-level view, complete with a data table and a Sankey diagram.

The account-level view offers a new perspective with a convenient table displaying campaign and channel metrics, making it easier to analyze at a glance.

This view allows for sorting by different metrics, which is a handy way to compare and prioritize campaigns.

My favorite feature is the ability to switch segments, offering insights into ‘ads using product data’ versus ‘ads not using product data’, which was a significant challenge in understanding PMax campaigns.

Upon switching to the campaign-level view, you’ll notice a striking Sankey diagram that visualizes user interactions from impressions to conversions.

Though visually impressive, the data table below is more reliable for detailed analysis, showing performance metrics by channel and ad type.

For a deeper dive, I recommend exporting the data and using it in spreadsheets for comprehensive analysis.

However, the report has some drawbacks, like the misleading proportions in the Sankey diagram and lack of ratios in the data table.

Despite this, it offers valuable insights into which channels are genuinely delivering results, enabling you to maximize asset and traffic quality.

Utilizing placement data for quality control and customizing reports through Google Sheets can enhance your strategy.

Google has promised future features like API access, which will expand the report’s utility significantly.

As we continue to explore these insights, the challenge lies in accurately interpreting the data to make informed decisions.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 17, 2025
Google Search Console Performance Reports: Delay Resolved
After enduring weeks of delays, I’m relieved to see that the performance reports in Google Search Console are finally back to normal. These reports had been set back by over 50 hours, creating quite the challenge for anyone relying on timely data.

Latest Status: If you access the search performance report now, you’ll notice the data delay is significantly reduced to just 2 to 6 hours, which is fairly typical. Compare this to the over 70-hour delays we experienced recently!

This is exactly what I observe:

The delays started a few weeks back and it took about three weeks for Google to resolve the issue, clearing the backlog in the process.

Page Indexing Update: Unfortunately, the page indexing report delay we mentioned earlier is still not resolved. It’s frustrating to note that this delay has stretched to nearly a month, with Google acknowledging the issue in a notice:

“Due to internal issues, this report has not been updated to reflect recent data”

Why This Matters: If you depend on Search Console for analytics and reporting to clients, these delays can be incredibly frustrating. While it’s a relief that performance reports are up-to-date, the ongoing delay in the indexing report can still disrupt reporting processes.

Meanwhile, Google has rolled out several exciting new features recently, including:
- AI-powered configuration for search performance reports
- Social channels integration in insights reports
- Weekly and monthly smoothing in performance reports
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 16, 2025
Unleashing AI in Google Search Console for Dynamic Reporting

Imagine being able to simply type what data you want in a report, and, voilà, Google creates it for you on the spot. That’s exactly what’s happening with Google’s new experimental feature in Search Console!

Recently, I learned about Google’s exciting “AI-powered configuration” update within the Search Console Performance report. This experimental feature allows you to request a specific report, and Google will instantly configure it for you. Not everyone can access it just yet, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

I immediately thought of the AI-powered advisors Google offers for Ads and Analytics. Now, similar technology is being harnessed for Search Console. According to Google, this AI-powered configuration lets you describe the analysis you want in everyday language. Your description is then transformed into appropriate filters and settings, configuring the report instantly!

Curious about how it looks? There’s a GIF demonstration that perfectly showcases how it generates reports based on your questions, making the process seem almost magical.

The cool part is that this feature streamlines your analysis by handling several key elements. First, it automatically selects metrics like Clicks, Impressions, Average CTR, and Average Position based on your query.

It also applies filters to narrow down data by different factors such as query, page, country, device, search appearance, or date range. Additionally, you can set up complex comparisons without having to fiddle with manual setup.

Although the rollout is currently slow, Google plans to expand this feature over time. But, being early days, the feature does have some limitations. It’s solely meant for configuration tasks and doesn’t perform actions like sorting tables or exporting data.

The feature currently only supports the Performance report for Search results and isn’t available for Discover or News reports. Also, since the AI might occasionally misinterpret requests, I recommend reviewing the suggested filters to make sure they align with your needs before diving into data analysis.

Honestly, I’m excited about this tool because it could potentially unveil insights in reports that were otherwise challenging to discover using standard filters. While most of us still need to wait for this feature to be accessible, it’s worth a try once available to explore new data insights.

If you’re looking for more information, head over to the Google help documentation. There’s plenty to learn and get familiar with!

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 4, 2025