Google Search Console Guide for SEO Pros

Google Search Console delivers data that is only accessible via Search Console to analyze website performance in search and optimize search rankings.

This makes it essential for internet businesses and publications that want to optimize content for their success.

Using free tools and reports makes it easy to take control of your search presence.

What Exactly Is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is a free online tool maintained by Google that allows publishers and search marketing experts to monitor the overall health and performance of their sites in relation to Google search.

It provides a summary of information relating to search performance and user experience to assist publishers in improving their sites and increasing traffic.

Google Search Console also allows Google to inform when it detects security risks (such as hacking vulnerabilities) or when the search quality team imposes a human action penalty.

Important characteristics include:

Keep track of indexing and crawling.
Identify and correct mistakes.
A summary of search performance.
Request that updated pages be indexed.
Examine both internal and external relationships.

How Do I Begin?

The first step in utilizing Search Console is to confirm that you own the site.

Google offers numerous methods for site verification, depending on whether you’re confirming a website, a domain, a Google site, or a Blogger-hosted site.

Domains registered with Google are validated immediately by adding them to Search Console.

The majority of users will use one of four techniques to validate their sites:

Upload an HTML file.
Meta description
Tracking code for Google Analytics
Tag Manager by Google
Some website hosting systems restrict what may be posted and need a unique method of verifying site owners.

However, this is becoming less of a concern since many hosted site providers include a simple authentication method, which will be discussed more below.

How to Confirm Site Ownership

With a conventional website, such as a basic WordPress site, there are two common methods to authenticate site ownership.

Upload an HTML file.
Meta description.
You will choose the URL prefix properties procedure when evaluating a site using one of these two techniques.

Let us pause here to admit that the term “URL-prefix attributes” means nothing to anybody other than the Googler who coined it.

Don’t let it give you the impression that you’re going to enter a maze blindfolded. It is simple to verify a website using Google.

Using GSC to Troubleshoot

Google’s capacity to crawl and index websites determine ranking in search results.

The Search Console URL Inspection Tool detects crawling and indexing errors before they become a serious issue and cause sites to disappear from search results.