Google Search Console
What is Google search console?
Google Search Console is a free service that lets users track visitor data, monitor how well specific keywords are doing, identify and resolve technical difficulties, and get site-specific notifications from Google. It tells you how your site is performing in Google’s organic search results and how you may improve its visibility in the search engine’s index.
What is Google Search Console used for?
Google Search Console is a powerful tool that offers several important features to help website owners improve their online presence. Let’s dive into more detail about these features:
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- Monitor Indexing and Crawling: Search Console allows you to see how Google is indexing and crawling your website. It shows you which pages of your website are being included in Google’s search results and if any issues might prevent Google from properly crawling your site. This information is crucial to ensure that your website is properly recognized and displayed in search results.
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- Identify and Fix Errors: Search Console helps you identify any errors or issues that might be affecting your website’s performance in search results. It provides detailed reports on broken links, server errors, or pages needing to be indexed. You can improve your website’s visibility and user experience by fixing these errors.
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- Overview of Search Performance: Search Console gives you insights into how your website is performing in Google searches. You can see data such as the number of impressions (how many times your website appeared in search results), clicks (how many times people actually clicked on your website), and the average position of your website in search results. This information helps you understand how well your website attracts visitors from search engines.
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- Request Indexing of Updated Pages: If you make changes or updates to your website, you can use Search Console to request Google to re-crawl and re-index those specific pages. This ensures that the latest version of your content is reflected in search results in a timely manner.
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- Review Internal and External Links: Search Console allows you to analyze your website’s internal and external links. Internal links are the links that connect different pages within your own website, while external links are the links from other websites that point to your site. Understanding the linking patterns and quality of these links can help you improve your website’s overall structure and authority.
How to start using Google Search Console for my website?
Here are the steps to follow if you want to get started with Google Search Console:
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- Verify site ownership: The first step is to verify that you are the rightful owner of the website. This gives you access to all the valuable information and features that Search Console provides. You can find detailed instructions on how to verify your site ownership within the Search Console platform.
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- Ensure Google can find and read your pages: The Index coverage report in Search Console provides an overview of all the pages on your website that Google has indexed or attempted to index. Identify any page errors or warnings. Addressing these issues ensures that Google can properly find and understand your website’s content.
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- Review mobile usability errors: The Mobile usability report in Search Console specifically focuses on any issues that may affect the user experience of visitors browsing your website on mobile devices. This report highlights potential problems, such as text that needs to be bigger to read or buttons that are difficult to tap on mobile screens. Reviewing and fixing these mobile usability errors is important to provide a smooth and user-friendly experience for mobile users.
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- Consider submitting a sitemap: While Google can discover pages on your site without a sitemap, submitting a sitemap through Search Console can expedite the process of Google finding and understanding your site’s structure. If you choose to submit a sitemap, you can also monitor information related to it through the Sitemaps report in Search Console.
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- Monitor your site’s performance: The Search performance report in Search Console is a valuable tool for understanding how much traffic your website is receiving from Google Search.
Benefits of using Google Search Console over SEO tools
Using Google Search Console offers several benefits over relying solely on SEO tools. Here are some advantages of using Google Search Console:
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- Alignment with Google’s Guidelines: Google Search Console ensures that you stay within Google’s guidelines and best practices. It provides you with important information about issues or errors on your website that might negatively impact its visibility in search results. By addressing these issues, you improve your chances of ranking higher and attracting more organic traffic.
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- Official Communication from Google: Google Search Console serves as a direct communication channel between website owners and Google. It allows you to receive important notifications and messages from Google regarding your website, such as indexing issues, manual penalties, or security concerns. This ensures you stay informed about any critical updates or actions required for your site’s performance.
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- Manual Actions and Link Disavowal: If your website violates Google’s webmaster guidelines and receives a manual action penalty, Google Search Console provides information about the penalty and the specific issues to address. Additionally, the tool allows you to submit a disavow file to inform Google about any low-quality or spammy backlinks pointing to your site. This helps protect your website’s reputation and ensure compliance with Google’s guidelines.
