# Content Decay Report: Pages Losing Search Console Clicks

- URL: https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-search-console/content-decay-report
- Published: 2026-10-31
- Updated: 2026-10-31
- Author: David Bressler, Founder (https://betteranalyst.com/authors/david-bressler)

> **Summary:** A content decay report compares each page's Search Console clicks in a recent period with an earlier one and lists the pages losing the most. Splitting each loss into position, impressions and CTR tells you whether the page slipped in rankings, demand fell, or the SERP changed, which decides whether to refresh, consolidate or leave it.

Data source: [Google Search Console](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-search-console)

Find pages losing organic clicks with Google Search Console: compare recent periods, separate ranking drops from demand drops, and prioritise refreshes.

## Who this report is for

Content leads and SEO teams with large blogs or documentation sites who need a refresh queue ranked by clicks lost, not by gut feel.

## What the report includes

*Metrics and dimensions in this report*

| Metric | Source field | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Page | page | The URL being evaluated for decay. |
| Date | date | Used to build two comparable windows, such as the last 3 months versus the previous 3 months. |
| Clicks | clicks | The loss to rank pages by. |
| Impressions | impressions | If impressions fell with clicks, demand or rankings shrank; if not, CTR is the issue. |
| CTR | ctr | Falling CTR at a steady position points to a SERP change or a weaker snippet. |
| Average position | position | A rising number means the page is ranking lower. |

## How to build it in Better Analyst from Google Search Console

1. In Better Analyst, open Connectors, choose Add Connector, then Google Search Console.
2. Click Connect with Google and allow read-only access, using an account with Owner or Full user access to the property.
3. Select the URL-prefix or domain property you want to report on and click Connect.
4. Ask for clicks, impressions, CTR and position by page for two equal windows, for example the last 90 days versus the 90 days before.
5. Have Better Analyst rank pages by clicks lost and label each as a position drop, demand drop or CTR drop based on which metric moved most.

## Questions to ask

- “Which pages lost the most clicks in the last 90 days versus the previous 90 days?”
- “For the top 20 decaying pages, did position, impressions or CTR change most?”
- “Show weekly clicks for /blog/pricing-strategy over the last 12 months.”
- “Which queries did this page lose clicks on?”

## Sample output

Sample data for illustration, not real account data.

*Sample data: largest click losses, last 90 days vs previous 90 days (illustrative)*

| Page | Clicks (prev) | Clicks (last) | Change | Position (prev → last) | Likely cause |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| /blog/excel-dashboard-guide | 14,820 | 9,360 | -36.8% | 3.1 → 6.4 | Ranking drop |
| /blog/kpi-examples | 8,940 | 6,710 | -24.9% | 2.8 → 2.9 | CTR drop |
| /templates/budget | 6,300 | 4,950 | -21.4% | 4.0 → 4.2 | Seasonal demand |

## Charts to use

- **Clicks lost by page** (Horizontal bar chart): The pages with the biggest absolute click losses, colour-coded by likely cause.
- **Page trend** (Line chart): Weekly clicks and average position for a single page to pinpoint when decay began.

## Keep it up to date

A monthly scheduled task can rerun the comparison and post the top decaying pages to Slack. Because Search Console only keeps 16 months, archive page-level rows to a Google Sheet or warehouse table with a Data Flow if you want multi-year decay history.

## Further reading

- [Google Search Console connector](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-search-console)
- [Data Flows](https://betteranalyst.com/product/data-flows)
- [Year-over-year growth formula](https://betteranalyst.com/metrics/year-over-year-growth)
- [Search Console connector docs](https://betteranalyst.com/docs/connectors/google-search-console)

[Try Better Analyst free](https://betteranalyst.com/signup)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I tell content decay from seasonality?

Compare with the same period last year as well as the previous period. Search Console keeps 16 months of data, so a year-over-year comparison is possible for roughly the most recent four months; beyond that you need an archive.

### What should I do with a decaying page?

If position dropped, refresh and expand the content and check for competing pages. If impressions held but CTR fell, rewrite the title and description. If demand fell, it may need no action.

### Why does Search Console data differ from GA4 organic sessions?

Search Console counts clicks on Google results; GA4 counts sessions that loaded its tag, from all search engines, minus visitors who block analytics. Use them as related, not identical, measures.

## Related reports

- [Search Console CTR Opportunity Report: Find Quick SEO Wins](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-search-console/ctr-opportunity-report)
- [GA4 Landing Page Report: Engagement and Conversions by Page](https://betteranalyst.com/data-connectors/google-analytics/landing-page-report)