Google Uses AI To Group Queries In Search Console Data

Google announced Query groups, a new Search Console Insights feature that uses AI to group similar search queries.

When you look at search performance data, you often see dozens of slightly different versions of the same question. That volume can make it hard to understand what people want and plan content around it. Query groups is meant to solve that.

Google says the groups may change over time as new data comes in, and are intended to give you a higher-level view of what people search for.

What’s New

Query groups clusters similar queries automatically. The AI-computed groups display the main search interests driving traffic to a site rather than long lists of individual query variations.

The new “Queries leading to your site” card displays three types of data:

1. Group performance: Total clicks for each query cluster show overall group performance.
2. Queries list: Individual queries within each group appear ordered by clicks, with the highest-performing query listed first.
3. Drill-down capability: Users can click any group to access the performance report and view all individual queries in that cluster.

How Trending Data Works

The card organizes query groups into three categories:

1. Top groups show clusters with the highest click volume.
2. Trending up displays groups where clicks increased most compared to the previous period.
3. Trending down shows groups with the largest click decreases.

See an example of the query groups interface in the image below:

Image Credit: Google

Availability

Query groups will appear as a new card in the Search Console Insights report and will roll out gradually over the coming weeks.

Google confirmed query groups are available only to properties with large query volumes, as grouping provides less value for sites with fewer queries.

The groups may evolve and change over time as the AI processes new data. Google stated the feature is designed for high-level query analysis and does not affect ranking.

See also:Find Keyword Cannibalization Using OpenAI’s Text Embeddings With Examples

Looking Ahead

Google encourages users to provide feedback through the thumbs up and down buttons in the cards or via the Submit feedback option. Users can also share comments on LinkedIn or in the Google Search Central Community.

Featured Image: Mijansk786/Shutterstock