Sushil Mishra, REALTOR®, Co-founder Catch The Key Inc | Last updated: July 11, 2026
On July 7, 2026, Google added Platform Properties to Search Console, letting you connect an Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or X account and see which Google searches led people to that content. For Realtors, it closes a gap: you could always measure your website in Search Console and your social stats inside each app — but not how Google itself was sending people to your Reels and videos.
Google Search Console Now Tracks Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube (2026)
What is a Platform Property in Google Search Console?
A Platform Property is a new Search Console asset type that represents a social account instead of a website. Where a website property (like catchthekey.ca) reports on pages, a Platform Property reports on how one Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or X account performs specifically when its content shows up in Google Search, Discover or Google News. Each account needs its own property — Catch The Key's Instagram and Catch The Key's YouTube would be set up and measured separately.
What can a Realtor actually see inside a Platform Property?
Three reports matter most: Performance (impressions, clicks, click-through rate, average position, and the exact search terms tied to each post), Insights (a faster summary of what's trending and how people are discovering the account), and Achievements (click milestones — informational, not the main value). The Performance report is where the useful decisions get made, because it shows which searches are already surfacing your content.
How is this different from Instagram Insights or YouTube Studio?
Platform Properties measure one slice of the picture: discovery through Google. YouTube Studio might show a video got 2,000 total views, while Search Console shows only 150 of those came from a Google search — the rest came from YouTube recommendations, subscribers, or other apps. Neither number is wrong; they answer different questions. YouTube Studio answers "how is my content performing across YouTube." Search Console answers "how is my content performing on Google specifically."
How do you connect Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or X to Search Console?
The rollout is gradual, so not every account has access yet. Where it's available, the steps are:
Sign in to Search Console with the Google account tied to your existing website property.
Click the property name at the top of the sidebar to open the property selector.
Scroll down and select + Add property.
Look for the Platform Properties section and click Add beside Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube.
Sign in and confirm you're authorizing the correct account — double-check username and profile photo before you connect, since a personal account and a business account are easy to mix up.
Complete ownership verification (Google may do this through your linked website property or a direct platform login).
Wait a few days. New Platform Properties often start empty and fill in gradually as Google collects data.
Repeat this for every account you actually want data on. Catch The Key's Instagram and YouTube should be set up separately from The Real Tech's, since the two serve different audiences and the combined data would be harder to read.
How should a real estate business use this data?
Three checks are worth doing monthly rather than daily:
High impressions, low clicks — Google is showing the content but few people are clicking. Usually a title problem. "Toronto Real Estate Update" is too broad; "Etobicoke Condo Prices in July 2026: What Buyers Should Know" tells both the reader and Google exactly what's inside.
Unexpected search queries — Search Console often surfaces questions you didn't plan for, like "what documents do I need to rent in Toronto." Each one is a real, already-existing demand signal for your next post, video or Reel.
Local relevance over raw volume — 100 impressions for "Etobicoke Realtor" is worth more than 10,000 impressions from outside your service area. Prioritize content tied to the neighbourhoods you actually work: Etobicoke, Mimico, Humber Bay Shores, Mississauga, Vaughan, and similar GTA-west markets.
The citable asset - The One-Question, Three-Format Method
Instead of publishing one isolated social post per topic, run every strong topic through three formats and compare what Search Console reports for each:
Format | Best for | What to check in Search Console |
|---|---|---|
Website article | Detailed research questions | Impressions, clicks and queries on the existing site property |
YouTube video | Comparisons and walkthroughs | Video-specific queries, average position, CTR |
Instagram Reel | Short, location-based questions | Whether the Reel appears at all, and which queries trigger it |
One question — for example, "what documents do Toronto tenants need to rent?" — becomes an article, a video and a Reel. After a few weeks, Search Console shows which format Google is actually surfacing for that topic, which tells you where to invest the next round of content instead of guessing.
FAQ
Does connecting Instagram improve my Google rankings? No. Adding a Platform Property gives you reporting access only — it doesn't change how the content ranks or gets promoted.
Can I connect more than one Instagram or YouTube account? Yes. Each account is added as its own separate Platform Property.
Can I connect Facebook or LinkedIn? Not currently. As of this feature's July 2026 launch, Google supports Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube only.
Why is my report empty right after I connect an account? New Platform Properties can take a few days to start showing data, and early reports may cover only activity from the connection date forward.
Does this show everything happening on my Instagram or YouTube? No. It only shows how that content performs when discovered through Google — not total in-app views, likes or follower activity.
Want help setting this up for your own listings and social accounts? Book a free 30-minute call →
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Sushil Mishra is a REALTOR® and co-founder of Catch The Key Inc. (RE/MAX West Realty Inc.), and founder of The Real Tech, where he tests every AI and SEO workflow on his own listings before teaching it to other Ontario agents.