Google has recently rolled out major enhancements to Search Console Insights, alongside starting to test a long‑requested annotation feature in Performance reports. These updates to the Search Console tool aim to make SEO workflows more intuitive and actionable.
Unified Search Console Insights Report
On June 30, 2025, Google officially launched the redesigned Search Console Insights report, which is now fully integrated into the main Search Console interface and replaces the standalone beta version. The new layout offers a consistent user experience and deeper linkages with Performance reports:
Content creators, bloggers and site owners can now access key metrics more efficiently as the update introduces intuitive dashboards such as:
- Clicks & Impressions: Compare against prior periods to detect trend shifts.
- Top Pages: Easily locate high‑traffic pages, plus identify rising and declining content for optimisation.
- Trending Queries: See which search queries are gaining or losing steam—ideal for generating new topic ideas
The beloved “milestones” feature remains, allowing users to celebrate achievement, like surpassing click thresholds in the past 28 days, via notifications and email links. A sidebar link is being added soon for quicker access.
This update streamlines data access and empowers less technical users to leverage Search Console insights without external tools or spreadsheet juggling.
Annotation Feature in Performance Reports
Starting in mid‑May 2025, Google began testing a native annotation tool within the Performance report, enabling users to add custom notes directly onto the chart.
Though still in limited experimental rollout, the feature signals a shift toward improving data context and historical tracking.
Key functionalities include:
- Add annotation link in the top‑right of the performance chart, or via right‑click on any date.
- Annotate key events like algorithm updates, site changes, or campaigns.
- Annotations appear as timeline markers beneath the chart, then hovering displays your note which can be clicked to edit or delete
Additional features include toggles to display both Google core update markers and your own notes simultaneously. A new “Annotation” tab consolidates all saved notes in a summary list for easy review.
This native note‑taking solution removes the need for external tools and helps teams maintain better documentation of SEO changes and outcomes over time.
How These Updates Work Together
It’s now possible to link Insights dashboards with Performance metrics to quickly spot content trends. If there’s a spike or drop, the annotation tool can be used to record an explanation directly in the interface.
This hybrid observability (visual trends plus in‑context notes) boosts transparency in SEO workflows and fosters collaboration among teams or clients.
Key Benefits
- Streamlined insights: No more toggling between tools as everything that’s needed now lives in the central Search Console.
- Stronger documentation: Annotations help to track changes, link them to traffic shifts and provide clarity for future audits.
- Improved collaboration: Notes are visible to all users with access, making reporting and decision‑making smoother.
Both updates are still rolling out from June 2025. Once available, these features are poised to make Search Console a more powerful, intuitive platform for content performance monitoring and SEO storytelling.
You can read more about the new Search Console Insights report and annotation feature for SEO reports.
If you want to know how the use of the new Google Search Console Enhancements can improve the documentation, workflows and collaboration of your business’s SEO, please get in touch.