Google Search Console Adds Query Groups: What It Means for Your Online Marketing Strategy

In the fast-moving world of search and discovery, every new feature that gives greater clarity into user behaviour is a win for marketers and agencies. Recently, Google rolled out a new capability in Search Console Insights called Query Groups, which promises to help site owners and digital marketing teams move from overly granular keyword lists to higher-level “intent clusters.”

For business owners and agencies offering SEO services Montreal, web marketing services, or online marketing Montreal, this update is well worth understanding. Here’s a deep dive into what Query Groups are, why they matter, and how you can leverage them to strengthen your SEO- and content-driven strategies.

What are Query Groups?

At its core, Query Groups is a feature inside Google’s Search Console Insights dashboard that automatically clusters similar search queries under a shared user-intent umbrella. Instead of seeing dozens or hundreds of slight variations (“seo service,” “seo services for small business,” “seo agencies,” etc.), you’ll see higher-level groups that reflect the topics or intents driving traffic.

Here are the key characteristics:

• The grouping is done using machine-learning/AI. Google explains that the clusters may evolve as new data flows in.

• The card displays:

  1. The group performance (total clicks from all queries in the cluster).

  2. The top individual queries inside that group, arranged by click volume.

  3. Drill-down capability: you can click into a group to view its constituent queries and detailed performance.

• The groups are flagged as “Top”, “Trending Up” or “Trending Down” so you can spot which clusters are gaining traction or losing ground.

• Importantly: “These groups are computed for convenience and do not affect your search ranking.”

• Availability: Rolling out over coming weeks; initially for properties with large query volumes (sites with fewer queries may not see this yet).

Why this matters for SEO / Online Marketing

For agencies and business owners offering web marketing services or online marketing in Montréal, Google’s new Query Groups feature offers clear advantages:

Deeper insight into user intent: Instead of endless keyword lists, Query Groups show which topics drive traffic—helping focus on intent and content themes rather than single phrases.

Simplified reporting: You can present clients (like those using SEO services Montreal) with concise, high-level trends instead of overwhelming data tables.

Smarter content strategy: Spot growing or declining query clusters to update or create content that matches current user interests—like targeting a rising “online marketing Montreal” cluster.

Competitive edge: Show clients you use advanced Google tools to deliver data-driven results, setting your web marketing services apart from smaller agencies.

Clearer ROI: Linking optimizations to topic clusters makes it easier to demonstrate how SEO improvements translate into tangible business outcomes.

How to Use Query Groups in Practice

Let’s walk through a practical workflow for using Query Groups within your online marketing strategy:

Step 1: Access Search Console Insights
Ensure your site property is registered in Google Search Console and you have access to the Insights interface. (Google announced that the Insights tab is now integrated into the main dashboard as of mid-2025. )
In the “Queries leading to your site” card, locate the new Query Groups section.

Step 2: Review Top Groups / Trending Up / Trending Down
Look at which groups have the highest total click volume (“Top”) and which are growing (“Trending Up”) or fading (“Trending Down”). Make notes of any unexpected clusters—ones you didn’t anticipate or that are performing differently than expected.

Step 3: Drill-down into high-opportunity groups
Select a cluster that’s trending up or has substantial volume. Review the individual queries in that group. Ask:

• Are these queries well served by your current content?

• Are there opportunities to create new pages or update existing content matching that cluster’s intent?

• Are there queries in the list that suggest a new angle or audience you hadn’t targeted?

Step 4: Align your content / optimisation plan
For each high-opportunity cluster (especially pertinent if you’re offering online marketing Montreal or web marketing services), map out actions:

• Optimise existing pages (meta tags, content update, internal links) to better serve that cluster.

• Create new content (blog posts, FAQs, pillar pages) targeted at this cluster’s core intent.

• Consider supporting content—internal links, blog series, multimedia—for clusters that show potential but are under-served.

Step 5: Monitor & report on cluster performance
Over the next 4-8 weeks, measure how the cluster’s performance changes (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position). For your clients in Montreal or elsewhere, use this as a dashboard metric: “Cluster X grew by Y % after optimisation.” This reinforces your value in the SEO services Montreal space.

Step 6: Feed into broader web-marketing strategy
Query clusters often reflect broader themes users are interested in. Use them to inform other channels: social posts, email campaigns, even paid advertising keywords. For example: if the “digital marketing for small business Montreal” cluster is growing, you might run a targeted ad campaign or create a local landing page to capture that interest.

Action Plan for Your Agency or Business

Here’s a 30-day action checklist for a business or agency offering SEO services Montreal / web marketing services to harness Query Groups effectively:

Week 1

• Log into Google Search Console for each high-volume property and locate the Query Groups card.

• Export the list of query groups: note clicks, trending status, group theme.

• Identify top 3–5 clusters with high click volume or positive trending growth.

Week 2

• For each selected cluster, drill into constituent queries. Assess whether existing content/pages map to that cluster’s intent.

• Map gaps: Which clusters do you have content for? Which are underserved? Which may warrant new content?

• Prioritise clusters that align with your business/services (e.g., “web marketing services”, “online marketing Montreal”, “SEO services Montreal”).

• Draft a content plan: For each cluster you want to target, assign page updates or new content pieces (blogs, landing pages, FAQs, case studies).

Week 3

• Implement content updates and new pages. Ensure alignment with intent: use query variants in headings, naturally in content, and support with internal links.

• Optimise meta data (titles, descriptions) to reflect cluster themes rather than single keywords.

• For local-targeted clusters (Montreal/QC), include localisation elements: e.g., “web marketing services Montreal area”, “SEO services Montreal small business”.

Week 4

• Monitor performance: after ~30 days, check the same clusters in Query Groups. Look for changes in clicks, impressions, CTR, trending status.

• Report results to clients or stakeholders: “Cluster ‘online marketing Montreal’ grew by X % and is now ranked in top Y; we launched two new content pieces and saw improved visibility.”

• Feedback into strategy: For clusters that didn’t improve, revisit content; for clusters that did, consider build-out (e.g., pillar pages, outreach, links).

Final Thoughts

As search evolves, tools that help synthesise large volumes of data into actionable insights become increasingly valuable. With Query Groups, Google gives marketers a streamlined way to see what people are really searching for, grouped by intent rather than lost among dozens of near-duplicate queries.

For those of us focused on SEO services Montreal, web marketing services, or online marketing Montreal, embracing this feature enables smarter strategy, clearer reporting, and a competitive edge.