Intro
Isolate how-to searches in GSC so you can track practical instructional demand separately from broader informational queries.
Use this regex to focus on step-by-step queries that usually need practical content, walkthroughs, and clear answers in Search Console.
The Regex
How This Regex Works (Explained Simply)
.*
Dot-star means any characters can appear here. In GSC it is commonly used when you want to allow extra words before or after a core phrase.
^
The caret anchors the regex to the start of the query. Use it when you want to match terms only if they appear first in GSC.
\b
Backslash-b marks a word boundary. It helps stop short terms from matching inside longer words in GSC queries.
GSC regex is case-insensitive by default, so capital letters do not need separate variants. GSC also uses partial matching by default, so the regex can match part of a longer query unless you anchor it with ^ or $.
What This Regex Does
- Matches queries that start with the phrase how to.
- Keeps the segment narrow enough for instructional content analysis.
- Helps you separate tutorial demand from general awareness traffic.
What it does not match
- guide to search intent - Contains educational intent, but it does not start with how to.
- what is a branded query - This is a question query, not a how-to query.
Edge Cases
- This excludes queries such as how can i or how does, which may need their own variation.
- The start anchor keeps the segment clean, so how to appearing later in a query will not match.
Example Matches Table
| Query | Match | Why |
|---|---|---|
| how to segment branded queries | Match | Starts with how to, so it matches immediately. |
| how to use gsc regex | Match | Begins with the exact phrase used in the regex. |
| guide to search intent | No | Contains educational intent, but it does not start with how to. |
| what is a branded query | No | This is a question query, not a how-to query. |
How to Use This in Google Search Console
- Open Performance and go to Search results.
- Click Add filter and choose Query.
- Select Custom (regex).
- Paste the regex and click Apply.
When to Use This
- Measure how well your help content captures practical SEO problems.
- Find instructional topics that deserve clearer walkthroughs.
- Compare how-to CTR against other informational formats.
Pro Tips
- Add how do i as a variation if your audience uses first-person phrasing.
- Compare date ranges after publishing tutorials to see whether the segment grows.
- Pair this with a page filter to see which guides actually absorb how-to demand.
- Export the matched set and group it by recurring jobs to be done.
Variations
Include first-person phrasing
Expands the segment to include conversational how-do-I searches.
Related Regex Recipes
Regex for Question Keywords
Use this regex to isolate question keywords in GSC and see how well your content captures query-led informational demand.
Regex for "Tutorial" Queries
Use this regex to isolate tutorial searches in GSC when you want to find instructional content demand framed explicitly as a tutorial.
CTA
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