How-to steps · Chapter 2, The Compressed Journey

See the words your buyers already use

Last checked 23 September 2026Part of the Search Console guide

You are here for this line in chapter 2 of the book:

☐ Collect buyer phrasing: Search Console Queries, Google autocomplete, People also ask, Related searches; map stages using Journey Stage Locator skill.

Chapter 2, The Compressed Journey

Open Search Console and pick your property.
Go to Performance, then Search results. Set the date range to the last 3 months.
Open the Queries tab. These are the phrases people typed before your site appeared. Sort by impressions to see demand, not just clicks.
Export (top right) to a spreadsheet and tag each query as early (what is this), middle (which option, what does it cost) or late (who do I trust, near me, buy).

For phrasing you do not rank for yet, search your main category term in a private window and read Google's autocomplete, the People also ask box and Related searches. Your sales and support team hear the rest.

You're done when you have a spreadsheet of real queries, each tagged early, middle or late, plus the phrasing you don't rank for yet from autocomplete and People also ask.