HOW TO USE GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE

Using Google Search Console is like having a backstage pass to how Google sees your website. It helps you track search performance fix errors and improve your rankings. Whether you run a blog an eCommerce site or a business website understanding how to use this tool can make a massive difference to your SEO success.

The first step is setting up Google Search Console. Visit Google Search Console and sign in with your Google account. Click "Add Property" and enter your website URL. Google will then ask you to verify ownership which can be done by adding a small code to your website uploading a file or linking it to Google Analytics. Once verified Google will start collecting data, but it may take a few days before you see reports.

When you log into Search Console the dashboard gives you an overview of your website’s health. This includes performance reports indexing status and any technical issues that might affect your rankings. The most important sections to focus on are Performance Coverage Sitemaps and Mobile Usability.

The Performance Report is where you will spend most of your time. It shows how many people clicked on your site from Google how often your site appeared in search results the percentage of people who clicked after seeing your site and your site’s ranking in Google for specific keywords. This data helps identify which pages perform well and which need improvement. If a page has high impressions but low clicks tweaking the title and meta description can help boost engagement.

The Indexing and Coverage Report highlights any issues that prevent Google from crawling and ranking your site. Google cannot rank your site if it cannot properly index it. This report shows errors like pages that Google could not index due to issues such as 404 errors or blocked pages. It also displays valid pages that are successfully indexed and excluded pages that Google has ignored due to settings like "noindex" or duplicate content. Regularly checking this report ensures that all your important pages are indexed and appearing in search results.

Submitting a sitemap is another crucial step in using Google Search Console effectively. A sitemap helps Google understand your site’s structure and speed up indexing. To submit one go to the Sitemaps section enter your sitemap URL which is usually yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml and click submit. This ensures all your pages are recognised and indexed by Google.

With mobile-first indexing Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites. The Mobile Usability Report highlights issues such as small text buttons that are too close together or content that does not fit on mobile screens. Fixing these problems improves user experience and helps with SEO rankings as mobile performance is a key factor in search visibility.

If your site is flagged for security issues like hacking or spam Search Console will notify you under the Security & Manual Actions section. If Google applies a penalty to your site due to policy violations this is where you will see it. Resolving these issues quickly can prevent a drop in rankings and keep your website safe and trustworthy.

Google Search Console is an essential tool for SEO. It helps improve rankings by identifying pages with high impressions but low clicks allowing you to optimise titles and descriptions. It provides insights into ranking keywords so you can refine your content strategy. Regularly checking for crawl errors ensures that all your important pages are being indexed. Enhancing mobile usability through Google’s recommendations can also give your site an SEO boost.

Google Search Console is a free and powerful tool that provides the insights needed to improve your website’s performance. By regularly checking reports fixing issues and optimising content you can boost your SEO rankings and attract more visitors to your site.