Search Console vs Analytics: two free tools, two jobs

Search Console vs Analytics: two free tools, two jobs

Both are free from Google and both involve your site's traffic, so beginners think they're interchangeable. They aren't.

— Google Search Console answers 'how do people find me in Google?' It shows which searches led to your site and flags indexing problems (pages Google can't read).
— Google Analytics answers 'what do people do once they arrive?' It tracks visits, time on page, and which content holds attention.

You want both, because they cover before-the-click and after-the-click.

Start with Search Console first, since fixing how Google sees your site matters most early on.

In plain words: Search Console is how they found you, Analytics is what they did next. Set up Console first.