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Connect Google Search Console

Your AI-visibility strategy starts with real demand. Connect a Google Search Console property and AEO Spotlight's Search Query Intelligence surfaces the queries people are already searching — with impressions but no page of yours ranking — and turns them into content opportunities.

For site ownersFor agencies & SEO teams~5 minute setup

1 · What this integration does

Search Query Intelligence (SQI) imports your Google Search Console query data and classifies it into opportunities:

Suggestion type	What it flags	You can…
`content_gap`	A query with real impressions but no page of yours ranking top ~10.	Create a Content Studio opportunity → write the page that captures it.
`on_page_lift`	An existing page that ranks but could rank higher.	Review the flagged page and improve it.
`ctr_fix`	A page getting impressions but poor click-through.	Review title / description and page intent.

This is the demand-led feed that complements your AI visibility gaps: what people search on Google meets where AI answers leave you out.

2 · Before you start

You must have a property in Google Search Console (a domain property like sc-domain:example.com or a URL-prefix property like https://example.com/) that is verified there.
Sign in with a Google account that has access to that property (Full or Owner permission). AEO Spotlight only requests read access to your Search Console data.
The connect feature must be enabled on your deployment. On some deployments it's turned off (or being rolled out); the app will tell you clearly — see Troubleshooting.

3 · Connect a property

Open the dashboard → Search Intelligence → the Search Query Gaps tab.

If you have no connected property yet, click Connect Google Search Console.

Your browser moves to Google's consent screen. Sign in with the Google account that has access to the Search Console property you want to connect, and approve the read-only access request.

You're returned to the app and a property picker lists the Search Console properties that account can access (with the permission level shown). Choose the property to connect.

The property appears as Connected and is scheduled to import. You can also Run now to trigger the first import immediately.

Security The connection uses Google OAuth (PKCE). Your access token is exchanged for a refresh token that is encrypted server-side — no token ever crosses the browser or our API responses, and only read-only Search Console scope is requested.

4 · What happens after connecting

Imports run automatically on a schedule (and anytime you hit Run now). Each import pulls recent query performance (impressions, clicks, CTR, position).
The classifier stages results into the three suggestion types above, grouped in the review list.
For a content_gap, click Create opportunity. It becomes a Content Studio opportunity — badged “Google query gap” so you can filter for it — and flows through the normal pipeline: brief → AI content → fact-check → publish (webhook / own site) → IndexNow → verify whether AI cites the page.
You can dismiss suggestions you don't want to pursue (a reason is recorded so they don't keep re-appearing).

Agencies Connect one property per client site and review everything from one dashboard. Opportunities created from Search Console are traceable back to the originating query and property.

5 · Disconnecting a property

Disconnect is always available (it works regardless of the connect feature's state). Disconnecting revokes Google's access best-effort and removes the derived query data locally.

6 · Troubleshooting & error codes

Message / code	What it means & what to do
`no_sites`	The Google account you chose doesn't have any Search Console properties. Add/verify a property in Google Search Console first, then connect again.
`access_denied`	You denied the Google authorization. Nothing was connected — start again any time.
`invalid_state`	The connect attempt expired or was reused. Just start a fresh connect.
`missing_refresh_token` / `token_exchange_failed` / `invalid_grant`	Google didn't complete the token exchange (e.g. the grant was revoked or reused). Start the connect again.
`sites_fetch_failed`	Couldn't load your Search Console properties from Google. Try again in a moment.
`connect_disabled`	The connect surface isn't enabled on this deployment (“Connect isn't enabled on this deployment”). Existing connected properties still work; you just can't start new Google connects right now.
Property status `needs_reconnect`	Google revoked the token (or it expired). Use Reconnect to re-authorize.
Property status `revoked` / `error`	The connection was removed or failed. Connect the property again (or remove it).

A property I expect isn't in the picker

The picker only shows properties the signed-in Google account can access. If it's missing, either sign in with a different account that owns/has access, or add the property in Google Search Console and re-run the connect.

Connect is “not enabled on this deployment”

This integration is surfaced only when your deployment has the connect feature switched on (config flag + OAuth client configured). If you see this and expected it to work, contact support — it's a platform configuration toggle, not something on your side.

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