Google Search Console

The Google Search Console (GSC) is a tool for evaluating website’s search engine optimization. This tool helps to collect data on the site’s performance as well as check on numerous indicators. Major objectibes include gathering information about the target audience, doing keyword research, locating unindexed pages, and so on. Google Search Console service is notable for its versatility, but it is quite difficult to master.

Most Important Sections 

The GSC’s navigation menu is divided into the following sections:

  • Overview. This section provides a brief overview of the website. The visitor has access to information on the number of clicks made, the usability of webpages, and so on.
  • Efficiency. This is the main report, which contains a wealth of information such as the amount of clicks, impressions, and CTR. An interactive graph is used to track the settings.
  • Checking the URL. The URL checker allows you to evaluate the indexing quality of a page and request that it be reindexed. Enter the URL of the page to begin the check, and a short report will appear.
  • Coverage. The number of indexed pages and mistakes are displayed in this report. All errors that happened during the connection process are displayed in this section. The “Coverage” section helps you to assess the problem’s essence and potential solutions. There is also a button that may be used to address the issue.
  • Sitemap files. This function assists in sending a site map to the search bot for indexing pages. To check the map, the user must first build it and then transmit it. You can review the attached maps for inaccuracies in this section.
  • Links. External and internal limks are displayed in the report. The report allows you to evaluate which page obtained the most external links and identify sites that need to be linked to.
  • Deletions. This tool may be used to remove information from Google Search rapidly. You can remove a page or a whole folder temporarily.
  • Internet metrics. The study assesses the performance of web pages on PCs and mobile devices. Because Google has developed Core Web Vitals algorithms that impact search ranks, the study is incredibly informative.
  • Mobile usability. This report contains information about the usability of the resource for mobile devices. On tablets, pages containing mistakes are difficult to see (e.g., the font is too small). If there are no issues, the website has been properly optimized for mobile viewing.
  • Security. This section contains a comprehensive report on the site’s security. When viruses or GSC filters are detected, a corresponding notification appears. Errors that have a detrimental impact on search rankings should be eliminated as soon as possible.
  • AMP stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages. The AMP pages that have been indexed are presented here. A diagram and a table are included in the report. The diagram depicts pages with errors, while the tables detail specific issues.
  • Settings. User privileges, GSC access, and console-related services are all displayed in this section. You may need to alter the web address if you switch domains.
  • Manual measures. In this part, you may learn about the Google penalties for using black hat SEO practices (cloaking, hidden text, etc.).

Previous Tools and Reports

The “Previous Tools and Reports” page shows which tools are no longer available in the latest GSC version:

  1. Targeting by country. The report shows errors in the hreflang attribute, which labels pages with the same content, but in different languages. You can check the relation of the site to a particular region.  
  2. Messages. Previously, all messages sent to email were displayed. Now new notifications are in the top right corner.
  3. URL options. This tool allows you to send special URL parameters to Google. The tool should be used by experienced web developers, otherwise the page can fall out of the index.
  4. Crawl frequency. There is an opportunity to reduce the frequency of crawling the site by a search robot. This is necessary if the site is overloaded as a result of frequent crawling.

Features

features

Google Search Console has an extensive list of interesting features:

  • Checking positions. Visit the “Performance” section and mark the “Average Position” option to verify the positions of the site pages by individual keys. You may arrange the results by clicking on the arrow next to the word “Position.”
  • Tracking the dynamics of the indicators. Clicked results are saved for up to 16 months in the “Performance” section. You may see the data for several time periods.
  • Trash pages. Some pages on large sites have a lower chance of being indexed by search engines. These pages may be accessed on the “Pages” tab in the “Performance” report. Pages that aren’t needed are frequently deleted or combined with those that are.
  • Indexation monitoring. You may verify the indexing of the website and notice severe issues in the “Coverage” section (server errors, blocking in robots.txt, etc.).

3D Analysis of GSC Performance

 The 3D analysis feature in Google Search Console shows a number of graphs that depict the general dynamics of search engine results and conversions.

  • Devices. The graph depicts computer and cell phone screens. The mobile version of the site should be given top consideration.
  • The total number of clicks. The graph depicts visitor interest in digging further into the search results. It is preferable to move requests from the TOP-10 to the TOP 1-3, or from the TOP-30 to the TOP-10.
  • Clicks according to the Pareto Principle. The approach helps you to figure out how many queries account for 80% of all clicks. It is vital to guarantee that traffic is distributed evenly among pages and to enhance the number of pages that reach the top ten.
  • Impact. The crawling data is layered with console data. Pages that bring the most traffic should be given more attention.
  • Cannibalization. Several pages on the same site may respond to the same query, which puts them in direct competition. To resolve the issue, you should leave the most helpful page and redirect all others to it.
  • Winners & Losers. You may look at the pages that have had the most hits (winners) as well as the pages that have received the lowest number of hits (losers). The winning pages assist in identifying the most popular key trends on the site.

Tips for Working with the GSC 

tips

When utilizing the Google Service Console, you should follow certain guidelines:

  • It’s important to double-check the indexing of pages. If there is no indexation, it is necessary to eradicate mistakes as soon as possible.
  • Sitemap should be added using the Sitemap tool, which will help with the indexing of the resource.
  • To resolve the most significant issues, it is required to examine the “Performance” report.
  • It’s best to check the report on a mobile device because search engines prioritize traffic from them. Tablets and smartphones should have easier access to the site.
  • If your site is doing poorly in search engine results, go to the “Manual Measures” section.

Conclusion

The Google Search Console service is a useful tool for improving the search engine optimization of a website. The GSC allows you to examine the semantic core, evaluate the most valuable keywords, and calculate the site’s position in search results. The service is completely free and may be used with any web browser. At least once a week, check the GSC for faults and modifications to ensure that the site appears correctly in Google search results.

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    Alexander Tarakhovich

    SEO expert with extensive experience. Helping you understand SEO. He takes the guesswork out of SEO, his advice in optimizations are based on what actually works. Alexander is currently working to make SEO known and accessible worldwide. Read Blog