Google Search Console for small businesses

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google. It tells you which searches bring people to your site, which pages Google can read, and whether anything is wrong. It’s the most honest source of SEO data you can get, because it comes straight from Google.

Written by Thys du Plooy. If you only set up one SEO tool, set up this one.

Step 1: Add your site

  1. Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with a Google account that you control.
  2. Choose to add a property. The domain option covers every version of your site (with and without www, http and https), and is the better choice.
  3. Google will ask you to prove you own the site. For a domain property, that means adding a short text record in your domain’s DNS settings. If that’s hard, use the URL-prefix option, which offers easier methods, such as an HTML tag or a file.

If someone else manages your site, ask them to add you as an owner.

Step 2: Submit your sitemap

A sitemap lists your pages. Most WordPress SEO plugins create one for you, usually at yourdomain.co.uk/sitemap_index.xml or /sitemap.xml. In Search Console, open Sitemaps, enter its address and submit.

Step 3: Wait a few days

Data takes time to appear. Come back after several days.

The reports that matter

Performance

Shows the searches that brought people to your site.

MeasureWhat it means
ClicksPeople who clicked through to your site
ImpressionsHow often your site appeared in results
CTRClicks divided by impressions
PositionYour average position. Treat it as a guide. It varies by person and place

Look at the Queries tab. Are people finding you for the right things? Are there searches you appear for, but don’t get clicks on? Those are chances to improve a page’s title and first paragraph.

Look at the Pages tab, too. Which pages earn the traffic?

Pages (indexing)

Shows which pages Google has found and included, and which it hasn’t, with reasons. Don’t panic about every item. Some pages shouldn’t be indexed (login pages, thank-you pages). Look for important pages that are missing.

URL Inspection

Paste a page’s address into the top bar to see whether Google has it, when it last visited and any problem. You can request indexing for a new or updated page.

Links

Shows who links to you and your most linked pages. Useful for a rough picture.

A 15-minute monthly routine

  1. Open Performance. Compare the last 3 months with the previous 3 months.
  2. Note the top five searches and top five pages.
  3. Look for a page with plenty of impressions but few clicks. Improve its title and opening paragraph.
  4. Open Pages and check for new problems on important pages.
  5. Check your email for Search Console alerts.
  6. Write down your findings.

What it can’t tell you

  • It doesn’t show your Google Maps results. Your Business Profile has its own figures for that.
  • It doesn’t track enquiries. Pair it with Google Analytics and a record of calls and form submissions.
  • Positions are averages, not guarantees of where one person sees you.

Next steps