If you're anything like me, you constantly hunt for growth opportunities that aren't obvious on the surface. One of my favourite micro-hunts is combining Google Search Console (GSC) with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to fish out keywords that get visibility but aren't yet driving conversions—then turning them into reliable revenue drivers. In this post I’ll share a repeatable process I use to discover five untapped keywords that convert, with practical steps and examples you can follow today.

Why pair Google Search Console and GA4?

GSC and GA4 each show part of the search-to-conversion journey. GSC tells you what search queries bring impressions and clicks to your site, while GA4 reveals what users actually do once they land. Alone, each is useful; together, they reveal opportunities: keywords with search demand (impressions) that may send engaged users to pages that don't yet convert well. Identifying those keywords means low-hanging fruit—quick wins for content tweaks, internal linking, or targeted paid support.

Before you start: quick setup checklist

Make sure you have these basics in place. If anything is missing, set it up first—otherwise your analysis will be incomplete.

  • GSC property verified for your domain (preferably domain property).
  • GA4 properly installed with the same domain, and events for key conversions configured (form_submit, purchase, lead, signup, etc.).
  • Optional but helpful: GA4 linked to GSC (Admin > Product Links > Search Console) so you can see Search Console data inside GA4 reports.
  • Optional: BigQuery export for GA4 if you need row-level joins between GSC and GA4 data.

    • Step 1 — Pull the right GSC data

    Start in GSC Performance > Search results. Set the date range to the last 3 months (90 days) to balance seasonality and sample size. Export the query report with metrics: Queries, Pages, Impressions, Clicks, CTR, and Average Position.

    Why 90 days? It gives you patterns without too much noise. Export as CSV so you can filter locally (Excel/Google Sheets) or import into a BI tool.

    Step 2 — Filter for candidate keywords

    Now apply filters to find queries worth investigating. My usual filters:

  • Impressions: > 500 (or scale this based on your site size).
  • Clicks: low-to-moderate, e.g. < 50 clicks or CTR below expected for position.
  • Position: between 5 and 20 (pages ranking on page 1 lower positions and page 2 are prime opportunities).

    • This yields queries that have visibility but aren't converting yet—either because meta/title need work, landing page doesn't match intent, or traffic is low quality.

    Step 3 — Map queries to landing pages

    Using the GSC export, group queries by landing page. The goal is to find pages that receive impressions from multiple related queries. These pages are the conversion funnels you'll test and optimize.

    Tip: If a page has several queries with decent impressions but low clicks/CTR, it suggests a mismatch between what searchers expect and what your title/description/heading deliver.

    Step 4 — Check GA4 behavior and conversion data for those pages

    Now switch to GA4. Open Reports > Engagement > Pages and screens (or use a custom exploration). Filter by the landing pages you identified. Look for metrics over the same date range:

  • Sessions (or Engaged Sessions)
  • Bounce / Engagement Rate
  • Average engagement time
  • Conversion events (the specific events you've set up)

    • If conversions are low despite decent engagement, that’s a clue your page can be optimized to convert. If engagement is low, content likely doesn't match intent.

    Step 5 — Create query-to-conversion pairing

    To confidently attribute conversions to those search queries you found in GSC, you need to connect the dots. There are three practical ways:

  • GSC link in GA4: If you’ve linked GSC to GA4, use the Acquisition > Search Console reports. These include queries and landing pages alongside GA4 engagement and conversions—useful for a quick check.
  • Landing page segmentation: Create segments in GA4 for sessions whose landing page equals the URL. Then analyze conversions per segment to see which landing pages and their incoming organic traffic convert.
  • BigQuery join (advanced): Export GA4 to BigQuery and import GSC CSVs. Join by page URL and date to create row-level associations between query impressions/clicks and session-level conversions. This is the most accurate if you need granular attribution.

    • Step 6 — Prioritize five untapped keywords

    From the combined analysis, prioritize keywords based on:

  • Search demand (impressions) — you want volume to scale.
  • Conversion potential — landing pages receiving those queries have measurable conversions or good engagement.
  • Feasibility — the effort to optimize (content rewrite, metadata update, new CTA) must be reasonable.

    • Choose five keywords that meet these criteria. I usually pick 3 “low-effort” wins and 2 “content plays” that require more work but have higher upside.

    Optimization playbook for each keyword

    For each selected keyword, run this micro-playbook:

  • Meta + SERP optimization: Update title tag and meta description to match search intent and include the keyword naturally. Use power words and a clear CTA (e.g., “Get a sample,” “Free guide”).
  • On-page intent alignment: Adjust H1 and opening paragraph to match the query intent. If the query is informational, add a clear path to a conversion (lead magnet, related product, demo).
  • Content expansion: Add an FAQ block that targets long-tail variations you saw in GSC. Structured content often improves snippets and long-term CTR.
  • Internal linking: Add contextual internal links from high-authority pages to boost the landing page’s ranking potential for the target query.
  • A/B test CTA and above-the-fold layout: Use GA4 event tracking to measure which CTA drives conversions.

    • Track results and iterate

    Create a simple tracking table to monitor impact week-over-week. Here’s a quick example you can paste into a sheet:

    KeywordImpressions (GSC)Clicks (GSC)Sessions (GA4)Conversions (GA4)Action taken
    example keyword 12,300451202Title + CTA change
    example keyword 21,10015700Content expansion + FAQ

    Monitor CTR in GSC and conversions in GA4. Expect to wait 2–6 weeks for meaningful ranking and behaviour changes. If CTR goes up but conversions don’t, focus on the landing page funnel. If rankings improve but CTR lags, iterate on SERP copy.

    Common pitfalls to avoid

    From my experiments, watch out for these mistakes:

  • Relying solely on impressions—volume without intent is useless.
  • Chasing keywords with no matching landing page—always map query to page.
  • Ignoring GA4 event hygiene—if conversion events are misconfigured, your decisions will be based on bad data.

    • Use the combined power of GSC and GA4 as a continuous discovery engine: find queries with potential, map them to pages, measure actual on-site behaviour, and iterate quickly. Do this consistently and you’ll uncover keywords that not only bring traffic, but actually convert—often with small, high-impact changes.