What are impressions in Search Console?

An impression in Google Search Console is counted when a link to your site appears in a search result a user views. It measures how often you were seen, not clicked. Impressions are the denominator of CTR: clicks divided by impressions.

When does Google count an impression?

Generally, when your result is on the page of results the user loaded, even if they never scrolled down to it. Results on page 2 count only if the user goes to page 2. Some elements count only when they are actually shown, for example a result inside a carousel that has to be scrolled into view, or a result inside an expandable section that the user opens.

How are impressions counted by page and by site?

By site (property), several results from your site in one search count as one impression. By page, each of your URLs shown counts its own impression. That is why page totals can add up to more than the site total.

Why did my impressions jump or drop?

• You started or stopped ranking for a high-volume query, often deep in results where nobody clicks.
• Seasonal demand changed.
• Google changed the layout, such as how many results load per page.
• Your pages left the index; check the Page indexing report.

Example

A bakery’s page shows up at position 6 for “sourdough bread near me” 2,000 times a month and gets 60 clicks. That is 2,000 impressions and a 3% CTR. Rising impressions with flat clicks often means rankings are improving but not yet high enough to win clicks, a classic sign of striking distance keywords.