Clusters
The Google Search Console Clusters page groups your searches by topic and compares the sections of your site, so you see which subjects win or lose clicks.
The Clusters page of the Google Search Console module groups your searches by subject. It shows where a topic loses clicks, where it is spread over many pages, and where you have no page at all. A second tab compares the sections of your site, for example the blog or the shop.
Before you start
- Link a Google Search Console property to the domain. See Connect Google Search Console.
- Select Google Search Console > Clusters in the sidebar.
- All members can see the clusters. Only owners and admins can set up, edit or move clusters and site sections.
The page has two tabs: Clusters and Site sections. A banner at the top links to the matching issues in Site Health Monitoring.
Clusters tab
A cluster is a group of searches about one subject. A subject spread over many weak pages may need one strong page.
On the Clusters tab, the dock has a date range (without compare) and these filters:
- Show: All clusters, Needs a look, Scattered or Content gaps.
- Search the clusters: matches the cluster name, its sample searches and its main page.
- Health: Declining, Watch, Healthy or Insufficient data.
- Intent: Navigational, Informational, Transactional, Commercial or Mixed.
Clusters verdict
The verdict counts the clusters that need a look. For example: "4 clusters are losing clicks or spread over several pages". If none does, it says "Your clusters look healthy" and "No cluster is losing clicks and none is split over many pages."
Who sorts the clusters
The header of the Every cluster card says who sorted the searches:
- Automatic clusters: VitalSentinel groups the searches by the words they share.
- Your clusters: Theo groups the searches by subject and you confirm the clusters. The Theo AI label shows the day Theo last sorted them.
Owners and admins can click Set up clusters or Edit clusters. With automatic clusters, owners and admins see the card "Let Theo sort your searches into clusters" with a Group with Theo button. Theo reads your top searches and groups them by subject, for example product, how-to or brand. While Theo works, the page says "Theo is working on your clusters". This usually takes a few minutes. Then Theo sorts your searches into the new clusters, which is usually done within an hour.
Every cluster table
The Every cluster table lists all clusters. By default, the clusters that need a look come first, then the clusters with the most clicks. Click a column header to sort.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Cluster | The name. The icon shows the intent: what searchers want |
| Signals | Chips that show what needs a look |
| Queries | How many different searches are in this cluster |
| Pages | Your pages that are the top result for at least one search in this cluster |
| Clicks | The clicks of the cluster in the period |
| CTR | The share of impressions that became clicks |
| CTR vs typical | How far the CTR is from the typical CTR at its position, in percentage points |
| Position | Where the searches typically rank. Lower is better |
| Main page | The page that gets the most clicks from this cluster's searches |
Many pages for one cluster can mean that they compete. The "?" icon of the card shows how many searches are in a cluster, how many are not, and the period.
Signal chips
| Chip | What it means |
|---|---|
| Declining | Clicks fell over the 90 days up to the end of the range |
| Scattered | The clicks are split across many pages. Even the main page gets less than half of them |
| Content gap | Searches with 50 or more impressions where none of your pages ranks in the top 20 |
| Low CTR | Fewer searchers click than is typical at this cluster's position (more than 2 points below) |
| Not enough data | Too few clicks or impressions to assess the cluster |
A cluster is Watch when its CTR is more than 2 percentage points below what is typical at its position. One stronger page usually lifts a scattered cluster.
Cluster details panel
Click a row to open the cluster details panel. Use the arrows to go to the previous or next cluster. The panel has three tabs:
- Overview: chips for the health, the intent and the signals, then the tiles Clicks, Impressions, CTR and Median position. A Weekly trend chart shows clicks and impressions per week. A Content gap section lists the searches without a page.
- Queries: every search in the cluster with Clicks, Impressions, Position and CTR. The page that Google shows most for each search is under it.
- Pages: your pages that rank for the cluster's searches, with Queries and Clicks.
With Your clusters, owners and admins can move a search to another cluster. In the Queries tab, select Move to… at the end of the row. Select a cluster, or Out of every cluster.
Edit your clusters
Owners and admins can edit the clusters that Theo suggests. Your changes are kept.
- On the Clusters tab, click Edit clusters (or Set up clusters).
- In Your clusters, select a cluster to rename it or change its Intent.
- To join clusters, click Merge, pick two or more clusters, then click Merge selected. The first cluster you pick keeps its name.
- To add a cluster, enter a name in New cluster.
- To move searches, select them, then use Move the selected searches or Remove from cluster.
- Click Save clusters.
Two clusters cannot have the same name. Other searches holds the searches that fit no cluster. Not sorted yet holds searches that Theo has not placed yet. If you close the editor with changes, the app asks "Discard your changes?". To ask Theo again, click Suggest again with Theo.
Pages shared by several clusters
Under the table, the Pages shared by several clusters card lists pages that show up for searches in more than one cluster.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Page | The page |
| Clusters | The clusters whose searches this page ranks for. Click one to open it |
| Cluster count | How many clusters this page serves |
| Queries | The searches, counted once per cluster, that this page ranks for |
| Clicks | Clicks this page earns across all the clusters it serves |
Site sections tab
The Site sections tab shows how each part of your site does in Google search. A section groups pages by folder, for example everything under /blog/. Each page is compared with the other pages in its own section. A section whose pages get no clicks needs work.
The tab has no dock. It uses its own fixed period. Paginated pages such as /page/2/ are left out.
The verdict says, for example, "2 of 9 site sections have most pages with no clicks" or "Most pages in every section get clicks". Pages that get no clicks are usually thin, hard to find, or not what searchers want.
Group sections by
Use the Group sections by list to change how pages are grouped. A change calculates the sections again.
| Option | How pages are grouped |
|---|---|
| Your sections | By the sections you set up for the site. Other pages go to Other pages |
| Auto – best path depth | By the URL depth that covers the most pages |
| Path – 1 segment | By the top-level folder, for example /blog/ |
| Path – 2 segments | By the first two folders, for example /blog/2024/ |
| Path – 3 segments | By the first three folders |
| Pattern – slug-aware | Unique slugs and IDs collapse to placeholders |
If you have no site sections, each row is a folder of your site. Owners and admins can click Set up site sections or Edit site sections to open the domain settings. See Domain settings.
Sections table
The Sections table lists the sections, most clicks first. Use Search the sections to find one.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Section | A folder of your site |
| Pages with clicks | How many of the section's pages got at least one click, out of all its pages |
| Impressions | The impressions of the section |
| Clicks | Total clicks on all pages in the section |
| CTR | Total clicks divided by total impressions across the section |
| Position | Where the section's pages typically rank |
Pages behind or ahead of their section
The second card compares single pages with their section. Use Behind and Ahead to switch. Use the section list and Search the pages to narrow it.
- Pages behind their section: pages with fewer clicks, a lower CTR or a lower position than the others in their section, most impressions first. The Behind on column shows Clicks, CTR, Position or Several.
- Pages ahead of their section: pages that beat the others in their section, most clicks first.
A page is behind on clicks or position when 90% of its section peers do better. It is behind on CTR when its CTR is in the bottom 10% of its section. Improve the pages that lag.
Troubleshooting
Why does Clusters say "No clusters formed"?
The period has too few searches to group. Select a longer date range in the dock.
Why are the cluster names odd words?
Automatic clusters are named after the words their searches share. For names by subject, ask Theo to group your searches with Group with Theo, then rename the clusters.
Why does the Site sections tab show folders and not my sections?
No site sections are set up yet, so each row is a folder of your site. Ask an owner or admin to set up site sections in the domain settings.
Why does Clusters show no numbers while Theo sorts?
The first sort places the searches. Until it ends, the numbers are partial, so the page shows none. The page fills in by itself.
Related
- Opportunities - competing pages for one search
- Content changes - uses your site sections to find similar pages
- Domain settings - set up your site sections
- Overview - the Google Search Console KPIs
Opportunities
The Google Search Console Opportunities page finds searches where a small change can win more clicks, including competing pages (cannibalization) and AI answers.
Internationalization
The Google Search Console Internationalization page shows if searchers abroad land on a page in their language, which markets grow and where rankings drift.
