Connect Linkilo to Google Search Console to pull in real keyword data, indexing status, and URL inspection. Powers smarter AI suggestions and richer reports.
What this is
Connecting GSC lets Linkilo read (READ ONLY — never write) data from your Search Console property. Specifically:
- Top keywords your posts already rank for
- Real keyword data for the AI suggestion engine
- URL Inspection for indexing diagnostics (used by Index Coverage and the Crawler Analyzer too)
- Impression, click, position data per page
Optional. Most Linkilo features work without GSC — but the AI suggestion engine gets noticeably smarter when it has access to real search-query data, and reports such as Keyword Cannibalization and Index Coverage need it.
Connect
In Linkilo 3.0 the Google connection is one button and one sign-in. There is no client ID, no client secret, nothing to add to wp-config.php, and no code to copy and paste.
- Go to Linkilo → Manage → Settings.
- In the Settings sidebar, click Google Search Console (under the Integrations group).
- Click Connect Google Search Console & Analytics.
- A Google sign-in window opens. Sign in with the account that owns your GSC property.
- On Google's permission screen, tick Search Console. Tick Analytics as well if you also want Google Analytics 4 data in Linkilo — one consent covers both. Linkilo only requests read-only access.
- You're sent straight back to Linkilo. The page shows Search Console Connected, loads the properties your account can see, and selects the one that matches this website.
If Linkilo couldn't match a property automatically, click Fetch Sites, pick the right property from the Select Site list and click Select Site.
If you ticked Analytics, the page also shows Google Analytics connected on the same sign-in with a link to choose your GA4 property. See How to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in Linkilo.
Configure
Once a property is selected, a few more rows appear:
- Set limit for google search console keywords — how many top keywords (1–10) Linkilo stores per post when it imports Search Console keywords.
- GSC Data Refresh Frequency — Daily / Weekly / Monthly / Manual Only. Weekly is the default; a manual sync is always available.
- Minimum GSC Impressions — only use keywords with at least this many impressions. Default 10; 0 means all.
- GSC Position Filter (Max Rank) — only use keywords ranking this position or better (1–100). Default 100.
From the settings page: "Connect to Google Search Console using the controls below. The connection feeds the focus-keywords and reporting tools no matter what. The AI-specific filters near the bottom (impression thresholds, position cutoff, refresh frequency) only matter if you also use AI Suggestions — non-AI users can leave them at defaults."
Click Save Settings.
Run a sync
Click Sync GSC Data Now to pull the latest data. The page shows the time of the last automatic sync underneath.
First sync can take a few minutes for large sites. After syncing, GSC data appears in:
- Each post's AI Link Suggestions box (the Keywords source)
- The Focus Keyword report
- The Anchor Report, Orphan Pages and Link Priorities
- The Keyword Cannibalization report (this report ONLY works with GSC connected)
- Index Coverage and the Crawler Analyzer's GSC Inspect buttons
Linkilo keeps a local copy of the Search Console keyword rows it needs. Rows older than 180 days are removed in small batches by default.
Common Questions
Linkilo says the connection expired or needs reconnecting
Click Refresh Token if the button is shown, or simply click Connect Google Search Console & Analytics again. Linkilo refreshes Google's tokens automatically, but if something hiccups you'll need to sign in again. Your selected property is kept when you reconnect.
Common causes:
- You changed your Google password
- You revoked Linkilo's access from your Google account
- You opened an old Google sign-in link — Linkilo shows "That Google sign-in expired or was opened from an old link. Click Connect to start again."
Google is connected but Linkilo says Search Console access was not ticked
You approved the sign-in but left the Search Console box unticked on Google's permission screen. Click Connect Google Search Console & Analytics again and tick Search Console this time.
Why connect GSC if I already use AI Suggestions?
GSC keyword data is real-world: it shows exactly which queries bring visitors to your posts. The AI uses these queries to find smarter link suggestions — for example, suggesting links between posts that share real search queries even if they don't share obvious keywords.
Optional but makes the AI noticeably smarter.
Can Linkilo modify my GSC settings?
No. Linkilo only READS data. It can't:
- Submit pages for indexing
- Request re-crawl
- Modify any GSC property settings
- Set up sitemaps
- Anything else that would write to GSC
This is intentional — Linkilo is a read-only consumer of your GSC data.
What if I have multiple sites in GSC?
Each Linkilo install connects to ONE GSC property. Linkilo picks the property that matches the site automatically; if you need a different one, use Fetch Sites and Select Site.
For multiple WordPress sites all connecting to the same Google account, each site signs in independently — they don't share tokens. That's normal.
Do I need to paste an authorization code?
No. Older versions sometimes asked for a code; Linkilo 3.0 completes the connection as soon as Google sends you back. If the return page says the sign-in expired, click Connect and go through the Google screen again.
How do I disconnect?
Click Deactivate on the Google Search Console settings page. This removes the Google connection, the selected property and Linkilo's local Search Console cache.
Does this cost money?
No. Google Search Console is free, and Linkilo's read access uses your existing GSC API quota (which is generous — way more than typical WordPress sites need).
What happens to my GSC data if I uninstall Linkilo?
Linkilo's local cache of GSC data is wiped when you uninstall. Your actual GSC data on Google's side is untouched — Linkilo never wrote to it in the first place.
Can I limit which GSC data Linkilo pulls?
Yes — the Minimum GSC Impressions and GSC Position Filter settings control what's considered a "real" ranking. Set them high to only pull strong-performing keywords, low to pull everything.
Default is impressions ≥ 10 and position ≤ 100. That filters out one-off random queries.
Why is the keyword limit per post important?
GSC can return hundreds of keywords per page. Linkilo only needs the top ones for keyword targeting and suggestion scoring. A higher limit means more data and slightly slower processing.
Last reviewed for Linkilo 3.0.0 (October 2026).