Google Search Console Basics for Beginners

Google Search Console basics are simple, and the tool is free. It shows how your site appears in search.

Set up

1. Add your site as a property.
2. Verify ownership using DNS or an HTML tag.
3. Submit your XML sitemap.

The reports to check

• Performance: queries, pages, clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position.
• Indexing (Pages): which pages are indexed and why others are not.
• Sitemaps: whether your sitemap was read successfully.
• Experience reports: page experience and mobile usability signals.

Find quick wins

1. Open Performance and filter by queries with many impressions but few clicks.
2. Improve the title and description of those pages.
3. Look for pages ranking on page two and strengthen their content.

Fix indexing issues

If a page is not indexed, check for a noindex tag, a blocked URL, a redirect or thin content. Request indexing after fixing.

Build a routine

Review the dashboard once a month. Record top queries, top pages and changes in a spreadsheet.

Connect with analytics

Use Search Console with your analytics tool to see what visitors do after they arrive.

Want help interpreting your data? Read about technical SEO audits.