How to use Google Search Console: a guide for business owners

Google Search Console is a free Google tool that shows you how Google sees your website: which searches you appear for, how often, in what position, how many people click, which pages are in the index and what problems it finds. If you have a website, it's the first SEO tool you should set up.

You don't need to be technical to use it. This guide explains how to set it up and what to look at.

How to set it up

1. Go to search.google.com/search-console with your company's Google account (not an employee's personal one).
2. Add a property. There are two types:
   • Domain (for example, yourcompany.com): covers every version of the site (with and without "www", http and https, subdomains). It's verified with a DNS record your domain or hosting provider can add. This is the recommended option.
   • URL prefix (for example, https://www.yourcompany.com/): only that version. It can be verified with a file, a tag on the site or with Google Analytics.
3. Submit your sitemap under "Sitemaps" (usually yourcompany.com/sitemap.xml).
4. Add users if you work with an agency or developer, with the right permission level. Keep ownership yourself.

Data starts appearing within a few days.

The reports that matter most

Performance: how people find you

This is the main report. It shows four metrics:

• Clicks: how many times someone clicked through to your site from Google.
• Impressions: how many times your site appeared in results.
• CTR: the percentage of impressions that turned into clicks.
• Average position: where you appear on average.

Below, you can see those metrics by query (what people typed), page, country and device. Some useful ways to read it:

• Queries with many impressions and few clicks: that page's title or description could improve (see titles and descriptions that get clicks).
• Queries in positions 8 to 20: close to page one; improving that content often brings quick results.
• Queries you didn't expect: ideas for new content.

Pages (indexing): what's in Google

Shows how many of your pages are in Google's index and, above all, why others aren't. Some common reasons:

• Crawled – currently not indexed or Discovered – currently not indexed: Google knows the page but hasn't included it yet. It usually improves with more useful content and internal links.
• Page with redirect: normal if you changed URLs on purpose.
• Not found (404): check whether it should redirect somewhere.
• Excluded by 'noindex' tag: confirm it's intentional.
• Duplicate: Google chose another version as the main one.

Not every page has to be indexed; what matters is that the ones you want to appear are.

URL Inspection: one page in detail

Type any address from your site into the bar at the top to see whether it's in Google, when it was last crawled and whether there are problems. If you've just published or updated an important page, you can request indexing from here.

Sitemaps

Confirms Google read your sitemap and how many pages it found in it. If it shows errors, your sitemap has a problem worth fixing.

Experience and Core Web Vitals

Shows whether your pages load fast and respond well on mobile, based on real user data. Pages marked "poor" are a priority. More in website speed.

Links

Shows which sites link to you and which of your pages get the most links. Useful for your link building.

Security and manual actions

If Google detects your site was hacked or breaks its policies, it tells you here. Ideally it always says "No issues detected".

A 15-minute monthly routine

1. Performance, last 28 days vs. the previous period: are clicks and impressions up or down?
2. Top 10 queries: are they the searches that bring you customers?
3. Pages in positions 8–20: pick one to improve this month.
4. Indexing: any new errors?
5. Messages from Google: check the notifications bell.

Search Console and Google Analytics

Search Console tells you what happens before the click (how people find you on Google). Google Analytics tells you what happens after (what they do on your site and whether they become customers). You can link the two to see searches alongside on-site behavior. See how to measure SEO results.

Frequently asked questions

Does Search Console cost anything?

No. It's free.

How often is the data updated?

Usually with a one- or two-day delay. History goes back up to 16 months.

Why doesn't the position in Search Console match what I see when I search?

Results vary by location, device and each person's history. Search Console shows an average of what all users saw.

Does requesting indexing make me rank higher?

No. It just asks Google to look at the page sooner. Ranking depends on the quality and relevance of the content.

Would you rather we looked at it?

In an SEO audit we review your Search Console along with your site and give you clear priorities. See our prices or get in touch.