Google Search Console is testing a simpler way to combine multiple countries or devices in the Performance report. Instead of reviewing one country at a time, eligible users can select several countries and see their combined Google Search performance in one filtered view. The same approach is available for device groups.
This is a small interface change with useful reporting implications. International sites can group priority markets, and teams can analyse more than one device class without exporting and rebuilding the report. Google currently says the feature is visible only to a small percentage of Search Console users for testing and feedback, so availability may differ by account.
What changed in Search Console filters?
The Performance report already allowed teams to combine filters across different dimensions. For example, an analyst could view mobile traffic from one country and one page group. The new option adds multi-selection within the country and device dimensions.
In an eligible property, open the Search results Performance report, choose Add filter, and select Country or Device. Use Filter rather than Compare, then select multiple values. Search Console combines the selected values into one data set for the chart and table.
Google’s official advanced filtering guidance distinguishes this from comparison mode. Filtering combines several selected countries or devices. Comparing places two values side by side and adds a difference column. These answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Teams using SEO services can use combined segments to keep regular reporting aligned with real operating regions, language groups, or device experiences.
Choose a reporting question before building the filter
A combined filter is useful only when the selected values share a clear reason for being grouped. Start with a written question. For example: How is organic visibility changing across the GCC markets we actively serve? How do handheld devices perform compared with desktop? Which landing pages attract demand across our English-speaking markets?
Do not group countries merely to make the total larger. Markets may have different languages, offers, search behaviour, regulations, and competitive conditions. A combined segment should support one decision while preserving the ability to inspect each country separately when performance moves unexpectedly.
The same rule applies to devices. Mobile and tablet may be grouped for a broad handheld view, but this can hide a tablet-specific template issue. Use the combined segment for direction, then investigate individual values when the aggregate changes.
| Reporting question | Suggested filter | Follow-up check |
|---|---|---|
| How are priority GCC markets performing? | Combine the countries in the agreed market group | Review each country if the total changes sharply |
| Which pages work across a region? | Country group plus Page dimension | Check local intent and language fit |
| How does handheld traffic behave? | Combine mobile and tablet | Inspect device-specific usability issues |
| Did a release affect several markets? | Country group plus date comparison | Account for seasonality and rollout timing |
| Where is multimodal demand emerging? | Eligible search type plus selected countries | Review pages, outcomes, and data volume |
Use filters and comparisons for different jobs
Use a multi-select filter when the values should behave as one reporting segment. Use Compare when the difference between two values is the purpose of the analysis. Combining the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar can show regional direction; comparing the UAE with Saudi Arabia can expose how their metrics differ.
Search Console allows comparisons between two values in one grouping dimension, such as two countries, two devices, or two periods. Adding another comparison can replace the existing one, so note the active configuration before interpreting the chart.
A practical sequence is to begin with the combined region, identify the pages or queries driving movement, and then compare the two most relevant individual markets. This moves from overview to diagnosis without creating an unmanageable report.
Build a repeatable multi-market review
First, define stable groups in your reporting notes. Give each group a name, list the included countries or devices, explain the business reason, and record any exclusions. Search Console does not turn your selection into a permanent governance system, so consistent documentation matters.
Second, select a date range long enough for the site and market. Weekly views can be useful for high-volume properties, while smaller sites may need 28 days or three months. Avoid treating preliminary data from the newest period as final.
Third, review clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position together. An impression increase with lower CTR may reflect broader visibility, a search-result change, or weaker relevance. A stable average position can also hide movement across queries and pages.
Fourth, move through the Pages, Queries, Countries, Devices, Search appearance, and Dates dimensions. Keep the active filters visible. If the report is grouped by Page, totals can differ from property-level groupings because Search Console applies different aggregation methods.
Google’s Performance report overview explains the metrics, dimensions, preliminary data, and aggregation behaviour. Use those definitions when building recurring dashboards or explaining differences to stakeholders.
Connect the filter to existing Search Console analysis
Combined country filters can make emerging search types more actionable. If your property receives eligible multimodal data, use the workflow in SEO Shout’s multimodal Search Console guide, then segment the available performance by the markets that matter to the business.
Platform properties need similar care. A profile or social-content property may have a different audience mix from the main website. Review SEO Shout’s platform property guide before combining its results with assumptions drawn from a conventional site property.
Do not use a combined filter to manufacture a single global conclusion. A regional aggregate can guide prioritisation, but local landing pages, languages, search intent, and conversion paths still need individual review.
Watch for privacy, truncation, and aggregation limits
Search Console does not expose every query. Anonymised queries are omitted from the table, and some filtering combinations can affect totals because of data limits and truncation. A filtered query total may therefore differ from the chart total without indicating a tracking error.
Position is also an average of the topmost result for the selected grouping, not a fixed rank observed by every searcher. Results vary by location, device, and search context. Use position to identify patterns, then validate important pages and queries with broader evidence.
When exporting, save the active date range, search type, selected countries or devices, and grouping dimension with the file. A spreadsheet without its filter definition is difficult to reproduce and easy to misinterpret later.
Turn the segment into an SEO decision
A useful report ends with an action. If several priority markets show rising impressions but weak CTR, review titles, snippets, intent alignment, and localisation. If mobile and tablet clicks fall while desktop remains stable, investigate templates, navigation, performance, and conversion steps on handheld devices.
If one country drives most of the combined change, separate it before recommending a region-wide response. If the movement affects every selected market and device, examine site releases, indexing, content changes, seasonality, and confirmed Google Search incidents.
For creator or profile visibility, compare the segment with the measurement approach in SEO Shout’s Google Search profile guide. Keep the reporting purpose explicit so profile insights and website performance are not confused.
The new multi-select option reduces manual work, but the analytical discipline stays the same: define the segment, verify the filters, understand the data limits, and connect each finding to a decision. For help building a repeatable Search Console reporting framework, contact SEO Shout.
FAQs
Can every Search Console user select multiple countries?
Not yet. Google says the multi-country and multi-device filter is currently visible only to a small percentage of users while it is tested and feedback is collected.
What is the difference between Filter and Compare?
Filter combines selected countries or devices into one data set. Compare places two values side by side and shows their differences in the chart and table.
Can I select multiple Search appearances?
No. Google’s current guidance says multi-item filtering is available for countries, devices, pages, and queries, but not for multiple Search appearances.
Why can filtered totals differ from chart totals?
Search Console omits anonymised queries and applies data limits, truncation, and different aggregation methods. These factors can create legitimate differences between tables and chart totals.
Should combined markets replace country-level reporting?
No. Use a combined segment for regional direction, then inspect individual countries when performance shifts or when local language, intent, offers, or user experience differ.