Growth economics · 6 min read
Impressions first, clicks second: how to read an SEO year honestly
Organic growth rarely arrives as a clean rise in clicks. It tends to arrive in a sequence: more queries, better positions, more impressions, then clicks. Reporting only the last step makes good work look like nothing.
The sequence
A page starts to rank for more queries. Its average position improves. Impressions rise. Clicks follow when the position is high enough to earn them. Each stage is measurable in Google Search Console.
What it looked like for clients
Year-on-year comparisons from Search Console, 2025 against 2024, show the pattern:
- Magellan Group: impressions 1.12M to 2.89M (+158%) while clicks held at about 41K.
- Five Sense Education: impressions 3.74M to 5.73M (+53%), clicks +5%, average position 13.5 to 12.7.
- Montbell Outdoor: clicks 29.1K to 40.6K (+40%) and impressions +70%.
Source: Google Search Console, 2025 vs 2024, via Webqem.
Three rules for honest reporting
Report impressions, position and clicks together. If only clicks rose, say so. If only impressions rose, say that clicks are the next test.
Separate brand from non-brand queries. Brand clicks grow with the business, not with SEO.
Compare the same period, year on year, so seasonality does not do the talking.
When impressions rise and clicks do not
It means you are being seen but not chosen. Look at titles, descriptions and rich results. Sometimes it means the new queries are informational and will convert later. Either way, the right response is a test, not a verdict.
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