Google Search Console impressions count every instance your site's URL appears in a search result that a user could see. If your page ranks on position 5 and a user scrolls past it without clicking, that's still an impression. If it shows up on page 2 and nobody scrolls that far, it doesn't count because Google only registers impressions when the link enters the user's viewport or is within scrolling range. Impressions tell you your visibility footprint. A page with 10,000 impressions and 200 clicks has a 2% click-through rate, which is useful context when deciding whether to rewrite titles or meta descriptions. High impressions with low clicks usually mean you're ranking for the wrong terms, your snippet isn't compelling, or you're stuck in positions 8–20 where almost nobody clicks. Important nuances: impressions aggregate across all queries that triggered your URL. One user searching "Ottawa web design" might see your homepage and your services page, generating two impressions from one search. Image results, video carousels, and featured snippets all generate impressions separately from standard blue links. If you rank in multiple SERP features for the same query, you can rack up several impressions per search. At Ottawa SEO, we use impression data to spot opportunity gaps. A page with 5,000+ impressions but an average position of 12 is often one solid content refresh away from breaking into the top 5 and tripling traffic. We also watch impression trends over time. A sharp drop usually means you lost rankings or Google stopped showing that result type. A spike with flat clicks means you're ranking for broader, lower-intent terms. Don't obsess over raw impression counts. A local locksmith with 800 impressions for "emergency locksmith Ottawa" and a 15% CTR is doing far better than a blog with 50,000 impressions for vague informational queries and 0.3% CTR. Context and conversion potential matter more than volume.