
Must-Know Google Search Console Tips for Every Website Owner
Google Search Console is an offering of Google, abbreviated as GSC. This is a free service which empowers the website owner to keep track of the performance of your site in Google. Therefore, you are well aware of how your website appears on Google. This tool helps you correct the problems and increases visibility on the internet. Here are some must know tips on how to use Google Search Console efficiently.
1. Verify Your Website
Before you can use Google Search Console, you need to verify that you own your website. Luckily, GSC offers several verification options, such as adding an HTML file, using a DNS record, or connecting through Google Analytics. Choose the one that is easiest for you. You can't see valuable data about your site until you have verified it.
2. Monitor Search Performance
The "Performance" report allows you to see how your website is performing in Google search. You can see:
- Clicks: Number of times people clicked on your site from Google search results.
- Impressions: Number of times your site appeared in search results.
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of times when people click your link after seeing it.
- Average Position: Your site's average ranking for specific keywords.
Use this data to understand which keywords are driving the most traffic and optimize your content for them.
3. Submit a Sitemap
A sitemap is a file containing all the pages on your website. You submit your sitemap in GSC to help Google understand your site structure and index your pages faster. You can make a sitemap using tools like Yoast SEO for WordPress or online sitemap generators.
How to submit:
- Click on Sitemaps from the left menu.
- Enter your sitemap URL, like yoursite.com/sitemap.xml.
- Click Submit.
4. Indexing Issues
Sometimes, not all your pages appear in Google search. The "Index Coverage" report in GSC shows which pages are indexed and which have issues. Common problems include:
- Pages blocked by robots.txt.
- Errors like "404 Not Found."
- Pages with duplicate content.
Use this report to identify and fix these problems so all important pages are indexed.
5. Track Mobile Usability
Meanwhile, since most users browse using mobile devices, mobile-friendliness is important. The "Mobile Usability" report will explain if your website has any problems like the following:
- Text too small to read.
- Content wider than the screen.
- Clickable elements too close together.
Have these fixed to improve mobile experience and help your website rank higher in search results.
6. Use the URL Inspection Tool
This tool enables you to check a specific page for indexing and other issues. It shows:
- Whether the page is indexed or not.
- Any errors preventing the page from appearing in search results.
- When Google last crawled the page.
If you've made updates to a page, use this tool to request a re-crawl for faster updates in Google search.
7. Analyze Backlinks
The "Links" report in GSC shows the websites linking to yours. Backlinks are important for SEO because they build authority. Use this report to:
- Identify your top referring websites.
- Identify and disavow spammed links that may impact your rankings.
8. Alerts
What GSC does is set you up with alerts for critical issues like traffic dropping or indexing issues. With alerts, you are assured that any problem is taken care of in time before it has an impact on your rankings .
Conclusion
It's a fantastic tool for webmasters. By applying the tips listed above, keep track of the performance of your website, address a few issues, and develop an improved SEO strategy. Your daily check in GSC will make sure that your website is always optimized and noticeable to your audience.
Now apply all these and get what Google Search Console may give you!