Now that you have a general overview of what is involved in technical SEO, it’s important to get an understanding of the tools that you will use. This week, we’ll go over Google Search Console. A free Google tool that records Google user data in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).
Setting Up Google Search Console
Begin by verifying ownership of your website on Google Search Console. This can be achieved through several verification methods including DNS record addition, HTML file upload, HTML tag insertion, or via Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager. Choose the verification method that you are most comfortable with, based on your level of access to website files or DNS records.
Submitting and Managing Sitemaps
After verifying your site, proceed to submit your XML sitemap in the ‘Sitemaps’ section. This is crucial as it aids Google in discovering all your pages. Simply enter the full URL of your sitemap in the provided field and click ‘Submit’. It’s vital to check the status afterwards to ensure it was processed without any issues.
Monitoring Index Coverage
Navigate to the ‘Coverage’ tab to monitor which pages on your site are indexed and to identify any existing issues. Here’s what you might encounter:
Noindex Tag
If your pages are tagged with noindex, they will not appear in search results. Remove this tag from your HTML to have them indexed.
Blocked by Robots.txt
Ensure your robots.txt file isn’t blocking pages you wish to be indexed by Google.
404 or Redirects
Address broken links or improper redirects promptly. Utilise a 301 redirect for permanently moved pages.
Discovered – Not Indexed
This status indicates that Google is aware of the URLs but has opted not to index them. Enhancing content quality and site structure may aid in getting these pages indexed.
Crawled – Not Indexed
This is similar to the above, but in this case, Google has actually crawled the page. Improvements in content and site structure are again recommended.
Analysing Performance
Under the ‘Performance’ tab, you can access detailed metrics such as clicks, impressions, average position, and click-through rate (CTR). Each metric offers valuable insights:
Clicks
This measures the number of times users have clicked through to your site from a Google search result.
Impressions
This counts how many times your site has appeared in search results viewed by a user.
Average Position
This metric indicates the average ranking of your site’s URLs for the queries shown in search results.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
This is the percentage of impressions that resulted in a click to your website.
Comparing Data in the Performance Report
To compare data and track trends over time, you can use the date comparison tool in Google Search Console. This feature allows you to see how your site’s performance metrics have changed between two different time periods. It is particularly useful for spotting what queries or pages are increasing or decreasing in performance.
Using Each Filter
- Query: This filter allows you to see data for specific search queries.
- Page: Use this to view data for specific URLs of your site.
- Country: This shows performance data segmented by geographical location.
- Device: This differentiates data based on whether users are searching on mobile, desktop, or tablet.
- Search Appearance: This filter shows results based on the appearance of your search listings (like snippets, AMP pages).
Data might be missing from these reports due to privacy policies, where Google omits individual user data to protect user privacy.
Using the URL Inspection Tool
The URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console provides detailed crawl, index, and serving information from Google’s index for individual pages. To use it, enter the URL you wish to inspect into the tool. This will tell you if the page is indexed, when it was last crawled, any issues detected, and exactly what Googlebot sees when accessing the page.
Checking Rendered Content
The URL Inspection tool also allows you to check the rendered version of your page as Googlebot sees it, which is crucial for verifying that all your content is visible and indexable by search engines. This feature is instrumental in troubleshooting issues related to JavaScript-rendered content.
By utilising these features and regularly reviewing the data provided by Google Search Console, you can significantly enhance your website’s search engine visibility and SEO performance. Regular monitoring and adaptation to the insights gained from Google Search Console will ensure your site remains optimised and performs well in search results.
