Digital marketing operates across two distinct silos: the “Search” world of SEO and the “Social” world of platform-driven engagement. While these two ecosystems influence each other, measuring that relationship meant jumping between fragmented dashboards and tools.
On December 8, 2025, Google officially bridged that gap. With the recent rollout of Social Channel Data integration within Google Search Console (GSC) Insights, site owners can finally see a unified view of how their brand performs across the entire digital landscape—bringing search and social visibility into a single, more connected reporting experience.
The Convergence of Social and Search
Google has been the undisputed search giant for decades, processing over 5 trillion searches annually. This sheer volume explains why search engine optimization (SEO) remains a core pillar of digital marketing, with tools like Google Search Console (GSC) playing a vital role in helping marketers track key performance indicators (KPIs) to refine strategies.
- The Rise of Social Search
The 2020s introduced a surprising shift in search behavior. Social media platforms and online communities began to rival traditional search engines as preferred destinations for discovery. According to eMarketer, 66.6% of users are using “social search,” the practice of using social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit to find information.
Image from Backlinko
As a result, Google expanded how social content appears in search results. More social profiles and “Short Video” content are now indexed directly within search engine results pages (SERPs). Marketers quickly adapted to this change by crafting campaigns optimized for both search engines and social search behaviors.
- GSC’s Blind Spot in Social Tracking
While Google Search Console (GSC) remains indispensable for SEO analysis, it has historically lacked a dedicated tracker or built-in visibility for social media insights. This gap left marketers piecing together performance data from multiple dashboards, making it harder to measure the full impact of campaigns that straddle search and social channels.
Fortunately, the new Google Search Console Insights update addresses this limitation. By combining SEO metrics with social channel data in a single interface, Google is acknowledging that a brand’s search presence is no longer confined to a single URL.
What is Social Channel Data?
Social Channel Data is an experimental feature that provides a unified view of how Google Search drives traffic to linked social profiles. This new feature shows top-performing content, search queries, and audience locations alongside website data, all within GSC Insights. Social Channel Data helps marketing agency Philippines professionals understand search demand for social content, optimizing web and social strategies from a single reporting platform.
Image from Google Search Central
- How to Access Social Channel Data in GSC
Marketers and site owners who were included in the experimental rollout can access Social Channel Data using the following steps:
- Access GSC Insights – Log in to GSC and click on Search Console Insights.
- Look for Experimental Invite – Since this feature is in the active rollout phase in early 2026, it is currently appearing as an invitation. Look for a prompt or notice to “Add your social channels.”
- Verify Identified Profiles – Google will automatically detect and present a list of social media profiles associated with the website. This may include YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter).
- Confirm and Link – Follow the prompts to confirm the social profiles for linking to GSC and click “Add Insights” to complete the connection.
Image from Google Search Central
- What Marketers Will See in Social Channel Data
After data becomes available, the Google Search Console Insights report will include a dedicated ‘Social Channels” displaying the following:
- Total Reach: Combines clicks and impressions from Google Search related to linked social profiles.
- Content Performance: Reports top social posts appearing in Google Search results, including high-performing pages and trends in discovery patterns across various content formats.
- Search Queries: Shows the top keywords and queries that lead to the brand’s social profiles, as well as changes in interest and shifts in how users explore a brand.
- Audience Location: Identifies which countries drive the most clicks to a brand’s social profiles.
- Additional Traffic Sources: Summarizing total clicks from additional sources, such as Image Search, Video Search, News Search, and Discover.
- Potential Limitations
Since Social Channel Data remains in an experimental phase, users may encounter the following concerns:
- Limited Rollout – Only select site owners can access Social Channel Data for testing and feedback.
- Reporting Delays – Users might experience huge reporting delays that may cause blind spots.
- Manual Profile Addition – For now, users cannot manually add social channels to Social Channel Data.
What this Means for SEOs in 2026
The digital marketing landscape in 2026 is expected to undergo a tremendous transformation in how audiences discover and engage with brands across platforms. The new Social Channel Data update highlights new opportunities to interpret user behavior, track brand discovery paths, and create more effective cross-channel strategies.
1. Better Resource Allocation
Social data in GSC allows marketers to determine which platforms drive the most impressions. For example, if TikTok is outperforming a blog by 5x for specific keywords, teams can reallocate resources toward video production without guesswork.
2. Socials as First-Touch Discovery Asset
By revealing which social profiles appear most often for branded queries, SEOs can ensure those profiles are optimized, updated, and aligned with brand messaging. This visibility is critical as 30% of consumers discover brands through social media advertising.
Image from HubSpot
3. Content “Double-Dipping”
Modern SEO is about owning the SERP. If a website ranks #1 and a YouTube video ranks #3 for the same keyword, competitors are pushed further down the page. Google Search Console Insights now quantifies that combined exposure, helping marketers measure and maximize multi-surface visibility.
4. Emerging Topic Discovery
Trending queries tied to social profiles highlight rising interests and shifts in brand perception. This gives content teams an early signal to adjust their strategies and capture demand early.
5. Cross-Channel Attribution
Unified reporting allows SEO teams to trace how social content supports search discovery. This strengthens budget justification and improves reporting accuracy for campaigns spanning multiple platforms.
Conquer Every Digital Touchpoint With DMP
The walls between social media and search engines are now crumbling. The new Social Channel Data in Google Search Console Insights moves marketers away from narrow SEO metrics and toward a comprehensive digital presence strategy.
Google may provide you with the data, but it takes Digital Marketing Philippines (DMP) to turn insights into impact. With over a decade of proven expertise in multi-channel digital marketing, we transform metrics into momentum and help your brand conquer search, social, and everything in between.
We also offer affordable Social Media VA services to support you in content creation, community engagement, and organic growth initiatives!
Contact us today to start future-proofing your presence across all channels.
References:
https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/12/social-channels-search-console
https://searchengineland.com/google-search-console-insights-integrating-social-channels-465776
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-tests-social-channel-insights-in-search-console/562811
https://www.bluehost.com/blog/google-search-console-social-channels-update
Jomer B. Gregorio is a well-rounded expert when it comes digital marketing. Jomer is also known as a semantic SEO evangelist and practitioner. Check out our Digital Marketing Services today and let us help you in achieving positive and profitable results for your business.