What Is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful, free tool that helps website owners monitor and improve their site’s performance in Google Search. From tracking search appearances to identifying technical SEO issues, GSC offers a comprehensive suite of tools to enhance your website’s visibility and performance.

Setting Up Google Search Console

Sign In

Log into GSC with your Google account.

Add a Property

Choose between adding a domain property or a URL prefix property.

• Domain Property: Provides data for all URLs under the domain, including all protocols, subdomains, and paths. Verification through DNS provider is required.
• URL Prefix Property: Suitable for specific sections of your site. Multiple verification methods are available, including HTML file upload.

Owners, Users, and Permissions

• Owners: Have full control over the GSC property, including adding/removing users and accessing all data.
• Users: Limited access compared to owners.
  • Full User: Can view all data and take certain actions.
  • Restricted User: Limited data access.

Adding a Sitemap to Google Search Console

A sitemap helps Google understand which pages to crawl and index. Submit your sitemap via the GSC interface to speed up the indexing process.

Key GSC Reports and Features

Performance Report

Tracks total clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position. Analyze this data to improve your content and SEO strategies.

URL Inspection Tool

Check the index status and troubleshoot individual pages.

Page Indexing Report

Shows indexed and non-indexed pages and helps identify indexing issues.

Page Experience Report

Assesses user experience based on Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, and HTTPS status.

Enhancements Report

Details structured data detected on your site, helping you create rich results in SERPs.

Manual Actions Report

Notifies you of any penalties affecting your site’s ranking.

Links Report

Tracks backlinks and internal links, providing insights into your site’s link profile.

Shopping Report

For sites with product markup, this report shows issues with product-related structured data.

AMP Report

Identifies issues with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) on your site.

Connecting Google Search Console to Semrush

Integrating GSC with Semrush allows you to consolidate your insights and use additional tools for SEO optimization, such as On-Page SEO Checker and Backlink Audit.

By utilizing the powerful features of Google Search Console, you can significantly enhance your site’s SEO performance, ensuring better visibility and higher rankings in Google Search. For a comprehensive guide, visit the original article on Semrush.