In the pursuit of higher visibility in Google, it’s not enough to just be able to produce a lot of quality content. You also need to be able to track its performance and know where to optimize.
If you want full insight into how your website is performing in Google’s SEPS, there is one SEO tool you can’t do without.
What is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that provides insight into how your website is performing in organic search results. The tool is used to monitor organic growth, identify technical errors, submit XML sitemaps, and analyze search traffic behavior.
Google Search Console acts as a link between your website and Google. It allows you to understand how the search engine sees your landing pages and content. You can use the knowledge you gain from Google Search Console to optimize your SEO strategy.
What is Google Search Console used for?
Google Search Console is primarily used to:
- Monitor and improve visibility in organic search results
- Analyze search traffic and identify top-performing keywords
- Submit and validate XML sitemaps
- Identify technical errors that prevent indexing in Google.
- Detect security issues like malware and hacking
- Monitor backlinks and internal links
GSC acts as a communication channel between Google and the website owner, allowing them to identify and respond to issues that may impact search rankings.
Key features of Google Search Console
Search Performance
Under the “Performance” tab, you can analyze key metrics such as:
- Clicks (number of clicks from search results)
- Views (number of times your site has been shown in search results)
- CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- Average location
This data can be filtered by date, device type, geographic location, and search queries, helping to provide detailed insight into which keywords and pages are driving organic traffic.
URL Inspection Tool
The URL Inspection tool allows you to examine how a specific page is crawled and indexed by Google.
The function shows:
- The current status of indexing
- The site’s mobile friendliness
- The version used (desktop or mobile)
- Latest crawl date
The tool is particularly effective for troubleshooting and getting new or updated pages re-indexed faster by Google.
Coverage and indexation status
The “Coverage” report provides insight into which pages have been indexed and which have errors or issues that prevent indexing.
Typically, problems such as:
- 404 errors (pages not found)
- 500 error (Server Error)
- Blocked pages via robots.txt
- Non-indexed pages due to noindex tags
This allows for rapid troubleshooting and technical optimization.
Core Web Vitals and Page Experience
Google Search Console collects data on Core Web Vitals, which are important metrics Google uses to assess the user experience on your website.
These metrics focus on:
- Loading time (LCP)
- Interactivity (FID)
- Visual stability (CLS)
The report helps identify speed and user experience issues that potentially affect your SEO performance.
Sitemaps and indexing
Through GSC, you can submit an XML sitemap, which helps Google understand the structure of your website, increasing the chance that new and updated pages will be indexed more quickly.
It is a good practice to combine this with a technical SEO review.
Interaction with other tools
Although Google Search Console is powerful on its own, it works best in combination with tools like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and other third-party solutions like SEMrush or Ahrefs.
The integration between GSC and Google Analytics allows you to connect user behavior with organic search data, creating a more holistic understanding of performance.
Strategic importance for SEO
Google Search Console is an indispensable tool in any SEO strategy, especially when it comes to:
- Ongoing optimization of content based on search queries
- Monitoring technical issues that may affect indexing and ranking
- Identification of low-performing pages
- Prioritizing optimization efforts based on data-driven insights
A properly set up and continuously monitored GSC dashboard can provide clear competitive advantages in search results.
Google Search Console FAQs
What is the difference between Google Search Console and Google Analytics?
Google Search Console and Google Analytics complement each other, but have different focuses. Search Console shows how your website is performing in Google’s organic search results (e.g. keywords, clicks, impressions, and technical errors).
Google Analytics, on the other hand, focuses on post-visit user behavior. This includes where the traffic comes from, how users move around the website, and what actions they take.
How often should you check Google Search Console?
It depends on the purpose, but as a rule of thumb, you should review Search Console at least twice a week to catch technical errors and warnings in time. For more in-depth SEO analysis of performance and search trends, a monthly review is often sufficient.
How to access Google Search Console?
You must have a Google account and verify ownership of your domain via meta tag, DNS record, or Google Analytics account.
What does it mean when a page has ‘Discovered – not indexed’ status?
This means that Google has found the page but has not yet chosen to index it. This may be due to issues with quality, crawl budget, or technical signals.
Can you use GSC to improve your SEO?
Yes, GSC provides data-driven insights into how Google perceives your website, enabling optimizations based on actual performance data.
What do you do if you notice a lot of 404 errors in GSC?
If you notice a lot of 404 errors in Google Search Console, you should first investigate whether they are due to deleted pages or broken internal links. Then, you can fix the links or set up 301 redirects to relevant pages to preserve link value.
It’s also a good idea to monitor errors on an ongoing basis to ensure they don’t harm the user experience or affect the page’s visibility in search results.