Your First SEO Analysis
A step-by-step walkthrough of connecting your data, asking the right questions, and acting on what the AI finds.
What You Need Before Starting
Brass-SEO requires two Google services to work. Both are free and most websites already have them set up.
Google Search Console (GSC)
GSC shows how your site appears in Google search results: which queries bring up your pages, how many people see them (impressions), how many click through, and your average ranking position for each query. This is the foundation of any SEO analysis.
If you do not have GSC set up yet, follow Google's official setup guide. It is free and takes about 5 minutes. GSC starts collecting data immediately, but you will need a few days of accumulated data before analysis is meaningful.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
GA4 shows what users do after they arrive on your site: sessions, bounce rate, engagement time, and traffic sources. When combined with GSC data, this reveals patterns that neither tool shows alone. For example, a page might rank well but have a high bounce rate, suggesting the content does not match what searchers expect.
For a deeper introduction to GSC, see our Google Search Console guide for small businesses.
Connecting Your Accounts
Connecting your Google accounts to Brass-SEO takes approximately two minutes using secure OAuth authentication, which provides read-only access without sharing your password. Our setup guide walks through every step including prerequisites and troubleshooting.
Click Connect GSC on your dashboard. You will be redirected to Google.
Sign in with the Google account that owns your GSC property and approve the permissions.
Repeat for GA4 by clicking Connect GA4.
Read-only access. Brass-SEO can view your GSC and GA4 data but cannot modify anything in your Google accounts.
Disconnect anytime. You can revoke access from your Brass-SEO dashboard or directly from your Google account security settings.
We never see your Google password. OAuth handles authentication directly with Google.
What to Ask First
Once connected, you interact with an AI chat that has direct access to your GSC and GA4 data. Here are good starting questions and what the AI does with each one.
| Question | What the AI Does |
|---|---|
| "What are my top SEO opportunities?" | Checks GSC for striking-distance keywords (positions 4-20) with high impressions |
| "Audit my homepage" | Crawls the page to check title tag, meta description, headings, links, and images |
| "Why did my traffic change last month?" | Compares GSC data across date ranges to find which pages and queries shifted |
| "Is my /pricing page indexed?" | Checks Google's URL Inspection API for indexing status, crawl time, and canonical URL |
| "Which pages have low click-through rates?" | Finds pages with high impressions but few clicks relative to their position |
You can also use the sidebar action buttons for common analyses. These send pre-built questions to the AI, so you can get results with a single click. For a walkthrough of what each button does, see One-Click SEO Reports Explained.
Understanding the Results
The AI responds with findings based on your actual data, not generic SEO advice.
- Specific findings. It tells you which pages, which queries, and what the numbers are. Instead of "improve your title tags," it tells you which title tag on which page needs changing, and suggests a replacement.
- Prioritized by impact. The highest-impact items appear first. A page with 10,000 impressions and a poor click-through rate gets attention before a page with 50 impressions.
- Follow-up questions welcome. You can ask the AI to explain a finding in more detail, look at a different time range, or dig into a specific page. The conversation remembers context from earlier in the chat.
- Cross-referenced insights. When both GSC and GA4 are connected, the AI can spot patterns that neither data source reveals alone. For example, a page ranking in position 5 with a high bounce rate suggests the content may not match what searchers expect.
For more context on what SEO audits reveal, read getting started with SEO analysis.
What to Do Next
The most effective first steps after a Brass-SEO analysis include rewriting title tags for high-impression pages and optimizing content for "striking-distance" keywords ranking in positions 4–20.
- Rewriting title tags on your most visible pages. If a page gets thousands of impressions but few clicks, a better title tag can make an immediate difference.
- Optimizing for striking-distance keywords. Pages ranking in positions 4-20 are close to the first page. Small improvements to content or on-page elements can push them higher.
- Fixing indexing issues. If important pages are not indexed, they cannot appear in search results at all. The indexing check guide covers this in detail.
For a broader list of high-impact fixes, see SEO quick wins any business can make. You can also explore specific analysis types with our page audit guide and SEO opportunities guide.
How Often to Check
A weekly SEO check-in of 15–20 minutes allows you to monitor performance changes while accounting for the standard 2–3 day data delay in Google Search Console.
- Review changes since your last session. Ask the AI to compare recent performance to the previous period.
- GSC data has a 2-3 day delay. This is a Google limitation, not a tool limitation. Data you see today reflects search activity from 2-3 days ago. Do not expect to see the impact of changes you made yesterday.
- Seasonal patterns take months to understand. Traffic fluctuations are normal. A single week of lower traffic does not necessarily indicate a problem. The AI can help you distinguish between seasonal dips and actual ranking losses.
- Allow 2-8 weeks after making changes. After updating a title tag or restructuring content, Google needs time to recrawl the page and recalculate rankings. Checking daily will not speed this up. Check back after a few weeks to measure the impact.
Going Deeper: Advanced Queries
Advanced Brass-SEO analysis uses pre-built dashboard buttons and custom queries to identify unexpected ranking shifts and prioritize monthly tasks based on data-driven insights.
10 Questions to Ask Your SEO Data
Copy-paste questions to type into Brass-SEO for instant analysis.
What Brass-SEO Found on My Site
Real surprises from a first analysis: unexpected rankings, hidden problems, and quick wins.
From Data to Action
Turn your SEO report into a prioritized to-do list you can work through.
Monthly SEO Check-In
A 5-minute routine with 5 questions that keeps your SEO on track.
Dashboard Buttons Guide
What each of the 11 one-click buttons does, with first-person walkthroughs.
Industry SEO Playbooks
Different industries reward different page types. These playbooks cover the specific page structures that win clients or customers in each vertical.
SEO for Law Firms: 3 Pages That Win Clients
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SEO for Trades: Local + Service Pages Win
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SEO for Coaches and Course Creators in 2026
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Real Estate SEO: What MLS Sites Won't Do
Neighborhood pages, market updates, agent profiles, and the IDX strategy that actually works.
FAQ
Do I need both GSC and GA4 connected?
Yes, both are required. GSC provides search ranking data — which queries bring traffic, your positions, and click-through rates. GA4 provides engagement data — bounce rate, session duration, and what visitors do after arriving. Brass-SEO cross-references both data sources to give you actionable recommendations.
How much data do I need before running an analysis?
GSC starts collecting data immediately after setup, but you will get more meaningful results with at least 2-4 weeks of accumulated data. The AI can work with whatever data is available, but patterns become clearer with more history.
Can Brass-SEO make changes to my website?
No. Brass-SEO has read-only access to your GSC and GA4 data and cannot modify anything on your website or in your Google accounts. The AI provides recommendations that you implement yourself.
Why does GSC data have a 2-3 day delay?
This is a Google limitation, not a Brass-SEO limitation. Google processes search data in batches, so the most recent data in GSC is typically 2-3 days old. This applies to all tools that use GSC data.
What if I manage multiple websites?
If your Google account has access to multiple GSC properties, Brass-SEO will show all of them. You can select which property to analyze using the property selector on your dashboard.
Ready to Start?
Connect your Google accounts and run your first analysis. The 3-day free trial includes full access to all features.
Start Your Analysis