Google Search Console: Web Tools for beginners

Google Search Console provides Webmasters with invaluable information to enhance your website's performance and visibility.

Before diving into the SEO tools in Google Search Console (GSC), it's crucial to get a good grasp of the basics. Logging in to GSC while you read the following SEO tip is highly recommended. This tool used to be called Google Webmaster Tools.

[Coming Soon] - Before you start, you will want to connect your website to Google Search Console. Here is a step by step guide [Coming Soon]

Page Experience Report

The Page Experience Report in Google Search Console is essential for boosting user engagement and satisfaction by pinpointing potential issues on your site.

By analysing page behaviour, layout, and content, this report provides actionable insights to improve overall page performance and user interaction.

• Desktop Experience: Evaluates how users interact with your site on desktop computers. It assesses factors like page placement, loading times, and visual presentation to optimise user experience and ad effectiveness.
• Mobile Experience: Analyses how ads affect user engagement and site usability on mobile devices. It examines issues like responsive design, mobile loading speed, and adherence to mobile-friendly practices to ensure seamless experiences across all devices.

Testing Tools

Google Search Console offers a suite of advanced tools to test your website's performance and visibility in search results.

They are used to test the structured data (format for providing Google with your pages information and the page's content) of your website and HTML email.

• Rich Results Test: Replaces the Structured Data Testing Tool, verifying the accuracy and functionality of structured data markup. It ensures your site’s content is properly displayed in search results, enhancing visibility and relevance.
• URL Inspection Tool: Provides detailed crawl, index, and serving information about your pages directly from the Google index. This helps in diagnosing and resolving issues that might affect your site's performance in search results. Learn more here.
• Email Markup Tester: is specifically tailored for HTML emails. A HTML email is an email that is structured like a website, i.e. with formatting and images. This tool verifies the correct implementation of structured data within email content. This tool ensures that emails sent from your website or business display properly formatted content and images, maintaining brand consistency and enhancing user engagement.

Performance Report

The Performance Report in GSC provides in-depth data on how your website is performing in Google Search.

It includes metrics like clicks, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), and average position. Here are some ways you can use this data to improve your site's performance:

• Identify Top Performing Pages: Determine which pages are getting the most traffic and optimise them further to capitalise on their success.
• Analyse Search Queries: Understand what search terms are bringing users to your site. This insight can help you refine your content strategy and focus on keywords that drive traffic.
• Monitor CTR: A low CTR might indicate that your titles or meta descriptions need improvement. Enhancing these elements can make your pages more appealing in search results.
• Track Trends Over Time: Observe how your site's performance changes over time. This can help you identify seasonal trends or the impact of your SEO efforts.

Coverage Report

The Coverage Report helps you understand how well Google is indexing your site.

It shows which pages are indexed, which have issues, and provides details on errors. Here's how to use it:

• Fix Indexing Errors: Identify pages with indexing issues and resolve them to ensure all important pages are searchable.
• Validate Fixes: After fixing issues, use the report to validate whether the corrections have been successful.
• Understand Exclusions: Learn why certain pages are not indexed and decide if they should be.

Enhancements Report

This report provides insights into specific enhancements on your site, like AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), Mobile Usability, and Rich Results.

Improving these can boost your site's performance:

• AMP: Ensure your AMP pages are functioning correctly to provide a faster user experience on mobile devices.
• Mobile Usability: Fix any mobile usability issues to ensure your site is fully accessible on all devices.
• Rich Results: Optimise your structured data to enhance how your content appears in search results with rich snippets, improving visibility and click-through rates.

Security Issues

Google Search Console also alerts you to any security issues detected on your site.

These could include malware, hacked content, and other vulnerabilities. Addressing these promptly is crucial:

• Fix Security Issues: Protect your users and maintain your site's reputation by resolving any website security threats immediately.
• Request Reviews: Once issues are fixed, request a review to ensure Google recognises the improvements and your site is cleared of any warnings.

Speed Report

This report, powered by real user data from the Chrome User Experience Report, provides insights into the loading speeds of your pages.

Faster pages improve user experience and can positively impact search rankings:

• Identify Slow Pages: Find pages with slow load times and prioritise them for optimisation.
• Follow Recommendations: Implement Google's recommendations for improving page speed, such as optimising images, leveraging browser caching, and reducing server response times.

Links Report

Understanding your site's link profile is essential for SEO.

The Links Report shows which sites link to yours and the most linked content:

• Monitor Backlinks: Identify valuable backlinks and maintain relationships with those sites.
• Disavow Harmful Links: Use the Disavow tool to inform Google about low-quality or spammy links that could harm your rankings.
• Optimise Internal Links: Ensure your internal linking structure is logical and helps users (and search engines) navigate your site efficiently.

Other Resources

Beyond testing tools, Google provides a range of resources to further enhance your website's functionality and performance across various online contexts.

• Google My Business: Manage your business's online presence, including updating information, hours, photos, and customer reviews. This tool improves your visibility in Google Maps and local search results, attracting more potential customers.
• Google Merchant Center: Upload and manage your store and product data for Google Shopping ads and other Google services, driving traffic and sales to your website.
• PageSpeed Insights: Optimise your website's loading speed. This tool analyses and provides recommendations to improve page performance across all devices, boosting both user experience and search engine rankings.
• Custom Search: Implement a custom search box on your website to help visitors find relevant content easily, improving navigation and user satisfaction.
• Domains: Domains are the address name given to a web server or web page. Simplify domain management with services for domain registration, transfer, and administration, helping you establish a strong online presence. When choosing a domain name make sure that it reflects your branding and suits SEO purposes.
• Google Search Console Training: Access courses and resources to learn best practices for website creation and optimisation. Enhance your understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital marketing strategies to improve your site's visibility and performance.

Search Console Dashboard

This section links you back to your Google Search Console homepage, where you can manage and monitor your website’s presence in Google’s search index effectively.

Google Search Console equips website owners with comprehensive tools and resources to enhance site functionality, user experience, and search performance. Whether you’re troubleshooting page experience issues, implementing structured data, or optimising page speed, these tools are indispensable for maximising your website’s effectiveness online.

For personalised guidance and support from a Technical SEO consultant don’t hesitate to give us a call. Our team is ready to assist with any of your digital marketing needs, ensuring your website not only meets but exceeds your performance goals in Google Search results.

Related

Want more Google Search Console Tips?

• Important Google Search Console Procedures. The things you MUST do regularly.