True to their word, Google has officially released the new Search Analytics API for the Search Console early Wednesday morning, after it was pushed from the initial launch a day prior. The new API will allow webmasters to – in Google’s words – bake search performance data into apps and tools.
The Long-Awaited API
The search engine decided to release this API because of the positive feedback received from the Search Analytics feature on the Google Search Console. According to sources within Google, the API is immediately available to all, and doesn’t require a whitelist to use.
The reviews for the new API from beta-testers are generally good so far, as sources explain that the new features exceeds the ones present in old APIs. In fact, the news is being greeted with cautious enthusiasm within the industry as it’s been waiting for this type of functionality for the longest time.
What the Data Looks Like
The method Google used as an example are queries; they’ve provided several examples on the kind of data people should expect to see when utilizing the API. Users can query their search data using a collection of filters and parameters that they can define with the API. The system then returns rows of data grouped into dimensions that are set within a fixed number of days.
The API takes the preferences of the users into account as it omits days within the data range where it couldn’t find the information that the user is searching for. Results are also arranged in a descending click count order, allowing users a quick snapshot of when a site is getting the most attention. In the very unlikely event that two results have the same number of clicks, the API will arrange the data arbitrarily. These are all very good tools for any SEO software to provide as part of their featured capabilities.
Anyone who is familiar with any of Google’s other APIs will be familiar with the new system. Google was sure to provide several resources to help webmasters navigate the API, and use it to its full potential.
