Dig Deeper in Google Search Console with Regex Filters

Enhance SEO Metrics with Regex Filters in Google Search Console

Digging deeper into your SEO metrics can significantly help improve your strategy. At the Brighton SEO conference, one of the SEO talks recently mentioned Regex filters in Google Search Console (Thanks, Katie Stone, for the insights)! But how can we use these filters to better understand the searcher’s goal? Our digital marketing team is here to walk you through Regex filters to create more targeted content for your users.

Are you looking for SEO services? Contact our digital marketing company today at (858) 333-8950. We’ll set up a free strategy session.

What Are Regex Filters?

Regex, short for regular expressions, is a text-based pattern-matching language that enables advanced filtering. In the context of Google Search Console (GSC), regex filters let you search, segment, and analyze data based on specific patterns or rules you define.

For example:

• You can filter URLs containing specific terms.
• Analyze queries with certain patterns, like questions starting with “how” or “what.”
• Exclude irrelevant pages or keywords that dilute your analysis.

How Regex Filters Can Help SEO

Deep Dive into Search Queries

Regex filters allow you to group and analyze search queries in innovative ways. For example, you can isolate queries with geographical indicators (“near me,” city names) or transactional intent (e.g., queries containing “buy,” “get,” or “price”).

Segment URLs with Precision

Whether you’re managing an e-commerce store, a blog, or a service site, regex lets you filter URLs by subdirectories, file types, or naming conventions. For instance, you could view only blog URLs or product pages to understand their unique performance.

Uncover Hidden Opportunities

Regex helps identify patterns in long-tail keywords or content categories you might otherwise miss. This allows you to optimize for untapped opportunities that align with user intent.

Clean Data for Better Insights

By excluding noise—such as branded queries or internal search terms—you can focus on meaningful data that impacts your SEO strategy.

Setting Up Regex Filters in Google Search Console

Are you ready to start using these filters? Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the Performance Report
   1. Log into your GSC account and select the property you want to analyze.
   2. Go to Performance on the left-hand menu.
2. Apply a Query or Page Filter
   1. In the Performance dashboard, click the + New button at the top.
   2. Choose either Query or Page, depending on what you want to filter.
3. Select the “Custom (regex)” Option
   1. After choosing your filter type, scroll to “Custom (regex)” under the filter options.
4. Enter Your Regex Pattern
   1. Enter the regex expression based on the data you want to filter. For example:
      1. ^buy.* for queries starting with “buy.”
      2. /category\/.* to filter URLs containing “/category/.”

Examples of Regex Filters for SEO Analysis

There are endless options for filtering queries with Regex.

Filter Queries by Intent

• Informational: Use regex ^(how|what|why|where|when) to identify queries starting with informational intent.
• Transactional: Filter queries with \b(buy|discount|cheap|price)\b.

Group Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords

• Branded: \b(yourbrand|your brand)\b
• Non-Branded: ^(?!.*\b(yourbrand|your brand)\b).*

Isolate Specific Content Types

• Blog posts: \/blog\/.*
• Product pages: \/product\/.*

Exclude Internal Search Parameters

• Filter out URLs containing ?s=: ^(?!.*\?s=).*

Focus on Local Intent Queries

• Queries containing “near me” or a city name: (near me|New York|Los Angeles)

Common Regex Syntax

• ^ matches the start of a string.
• $ matches the end of a string.
• .* matches any character zero or more times.
• | represents “or” conditions.
• \b matches a word boundary.

Take Your SEO to the Next Level

Regex filters in Google Search Console can transform how you approach SEO. But mastering regex is just the beginning. At Now Media Group, we specialize in crafting data-driven strategies tailored to your business. Contact our digital marketing team today at (858) 333-8950 for a free consultation, and let’s unlock your website’s true potential.