Search appearance

Search appearance is a dimension in Search Console’s Performance report that breaks out impressions and clicks by result kind: web result types such as rich results, AMP, videos, Discover and Google News, plus new formats Google adds over time. It appears only when your site has results of more than one kind.

It tells you which enhancements earn clicks. A “Product result” line that grows means your product markup is surfacing. A “Video” line that flatlines means your video pages are not picked up.

You cannot ship every enhancement. This split shows what already works on your traffic and where one tweak might move signups or sales.

• If “Rich results” beats plain “Web” on CTR for “/pricing”, tighten the title and keep the markup. You protect money pages.
• If “Video” shows impressions but no clicks, add a transcript and a clearer thumbnail on “/guides/getting-started”.
• If “Discover” spikes, publish more timely pieces and add high quality images that load fast.

1. 1

   Open Performance and add the split

   In Search Console, open Search results. Click the +New filter, choose Search appearance, then select an appearance or Compare.

2. 2

   Compare appearances over 28 days

   Use the date picker for the last 28 days. Compare, for example, Rich results vs Web. Look at clicks, impressions and CTR, not just one metric.

3. 3

   Drill into pages and queries

   With an appearance selected, switch to the Pages tab to see which URLs earn it. Then switch to Queries to see which searches trigger it.

4. 4

   Spot format gaps

   Filter Pages to a section, like “/product/”. If top queries fit a format you do not own, plan the enhancement for those pages first.

A healthy view: a handful of pages account for most clicks in each appearance, and their queries match intent. For example, “/product/widget” holds Product results on “buy widget”, not generic how-to terms.

• Rich results: validate your schema in Rich Results Test. On “/product/widget”, include price, availability and review markup if you have it.
• Video: give each video a page with the video visible, descriptive title, transcript and VideoObject markup. Link it from your sitemap.
• Discover: publish original, helpful content with large images and clear titles. Avoid thin rewrites. Improve LCP to about 2.5 seconds.
• AMP: if you still serve AMP and it underperforms, check parity with the canonical and decide if you still need AMP.
• News: if you appear in Google News, keep author, date and structured data consistent and avoid aggressive republishing tricks.

Fix one section at a time. Measure the same 28 day window before and after. A fixed page looks like higher CTR for the enhanced line without a drop in the plain web line.

• No split, no report: the dimension shows only if you have more than one result kind.
• AI formats: AI Overviews and AI Mode are not separate here as of 2026. Treat their impact as part of web results.
• Attribution: impressions count when your URL was shown for a result type, not when it was clicked. A carousel tile still counts as an impression.
• Misreads: a higher CTR on one appearance might hide a traffic drop if its impressions fell. Always check clicks and impressions together.