Google Search Console, earlier known as Google Webmaster Tools, was launched more than a decade ago and offered just four reporting features for website owners then.
Today, Google Search Console has a new version of over two dozen reporting features and functionalities including:
A- Your website Search Performance report
This will showcase the total number of your website clicks, impressions, average click-through rates (CTR) and the average position of your website on Google Search results as shown in the image below:
In addition, it offers a graph model for the above metrics:
The Google Webmaster tool also highlights the top search queries, pages, countries, devices, appearance and their impression date-wise as seen in the image below:
Please note: The Google Search Console “Performance data” offers reports based on up to 16 months of data making it to be an effective webmaster tool for forecasting trends and analysis.
The webmaster tool allows custom date selection to analyze the performance of your past website metrics data:
Why need a performance report tool for your online property?
- To better understand your website traffic source for improving the performance of your online property.
- To access top search query terms, pages for your website and boost traffic over time.
- Know what page and through which device get how much percentage of click-through rates and from which country.
How to configure your performance report in Google Search Console?
Google Search Console will show clicks and impressions for the past three months by default, in case you would like to add more metrics, please follow the mentioned steps below:
- Select the website metrics you would like to measure.
- Select the dimension for display.
- You can also add filters for your data (e.g. by Page URL, country) (Optional).
- Compare your dimension groups (e.g. Country v/s country, video data v/s web data) (Optional).
B- Index Coverage report
This allows you to understand which pages have been crawled and indexed and if any errors are encountered while indexing.
Google Search Console Coverage feature will allow you to get insights about your crawling and indexing errors counts, valid with warnings, and the excluded ones as shown in the image below:
By identifying the valid errors simply fix them and ask Google to “Validate fix” them from the search console “Coverage page” itself.
Why need an Index Coverage report tool for your online property?
- To identify crawling and indexing errors in real-time.
- Test the Google Index URL and Live URL for understanding the reason for the error.
- Allow Google to “Validate fix” for your "Coverage report" errors once corrected.
How often do I need to check the Index Coverage Status Report?
Google Search Console usually sends out an email in case of a new indexing error. Hence, it is ok if you don’t keep an eye on it daily but once in a while can help you stay informed about the coverage for your website.
Watch the Google Search Console training session on “Index coverage status in Search Console for tips from Waisberg:
C- URL Inspection tool
This provides insights into your website page URL crawling and indexing status. You can inspect your page URL from the search column in the Google Webmaster tool as shown in the image below:
In addition, you can also inspect your page URLs via the "URL inspection tool" offered in the navigation to the left side of the search console as highlighted in the image below:
The Google Search Console URL inspection tool showcases the status of the page URL as entered in the search box:
You can also "Live URL" status by clicking on “Test Live URL” offered at the top right corner of your search console, as seen in the image below:
Doing so will allow you to understand whether your URL is crawled and indexed, and if not what is the error for it.
Why need an URL inspection tool for your online property?
- Understand the status of crawling and indexing for your web property pages.
- Request for indexing for improved ranking.
- Perform a live test for your website page.
D- Sitemaps report
This feature of the Google Search Console tool will help you submit sitemaps of your website.
Ann:
What is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is a coding file that helps Googlebot understand how frequently new URLs are being generated, which is then processed for crawling and indexing of your website.
How to submit a sitemap in Google Search Console?
Step 1- Login to your Google Search Console account.
Step 2- Hover your mouse to the “Sitemaps” feature as highlighted in the image below:
Step 3- Enter your sitemap in the “Add a new sitemap” section and click on submit as shown in the image below:
Step 4- Click on “Submitted Sitemaps” which will direct you to the Sitemaps’ status page displaying the number of “Discovered URLs” by Googlebot. You can immediately check the status for the missing page URLs by clicking on “See Index Coverage” offered at the right top corner of the page which is highlighted in the image below:
Watch the storytelling session by Waisberg and John Mueller, the Search Advocate at Google; to know more about Sitemaps in Search Console:
How to create a sitemap and do I need one for my new website?
As per Waisberg, a small website with proper navigation will not need a sitemap. However, if you have a news channel producing more content; it is wise to create and submit a sitemap.
In addition, Waisberg says sitemaps are generated automatically by the system running your website. The search advocate at Google further recommends generating automatic Sitemap files using the WordPress plugin or Drupal extension.
The sitemap reports will showcase insights about the submitted sitemaps in Google Search Console.
How frequently do I need to submit my sitemap?
It is suggested to submit sitemaps as and when you create new pages so that Googlebot can understand the functioning of your website.
Why do I need a sitemap for my website?
- To signal Google about the recently created, and modified.
- For image URL extension.
- For video URL extension.
- Include information about language/country version using hreflang annotations.
What if I want to remove or block it from crawling and indexing?
- To remove URLs from Google Search Index, please use the noindex directive. Ensure you do add a robot.txt file for such URLs.
- To block URLs from Google Search Index, please use <meta> tag or HTTP response header.
E- Removals report
This is very helpful for webmasters, content managers, digital marketers to request temporary content page removal or temporary blocking of pages that last only for six months.
How to request “Removals” using Search Console?
Step 1- First and foremost, the admin is the only individual who can perform this functionality from Google Search Console. Click to know more about Removals for pages you don’t own.
Step 2- Hover your mouse to “Removals” tool in your Google Webmaster tool as highlighted in the image below:
Step 4- After clicking on “New Request” you will get a pop-up window as shown in the image below:
You can either select “Temporarily Remove URL” or “Clear Cached URL” and enter the URL to take action upon
What is the difference between “Temporary Remove URL” and “Clear Cached URL?”
Temporary Remove Url: It will block the URL from showing up in Google Search results for six months. This will clear the cache of the URL too.
Clear Cached URL: It will remove the page description snippet, however, may still appear in Google Search results for the queries that match the removed content until the page is recrawled for the new content.
Step 5- Once you have entered the URL for the removal process, click the “Next” icon shown at the bottom of the pop-up window. Removal requests may take up to a day to process and check Google Search Console for the status of your Removals request.
How can I cancel my “Removals” request from Google Search Console?
Step 1- From your Google Search Console> Removals tool>Submitted Request.
Step 2- Click on the Submitted Request you wish to cancel and from the menu drop next to the request> Cancel Request.
What is “Outdated Content” in the Removals tool, Google Search Console?
This will help Googlebot update search results for pages, images that no longer exist. This tool won’t work if a page or image still exists.
How to request “Outdated Content” Removals in Google Search Console?
Step 1- From your search console homepage hover your mouse to Removals> “Outdated Content>” click on Submitted request> Remove Outdated Content tool, as shown in the image below:
Step 2- Upon clicking the “Remove Outdated Content tool” will direct you to a new landing page as seen in the image below:
Step 3- Click on New Request> Enter your Page URL> Submit:
Or
Step 3- Click on New Request> Enter your Image URL> Submit:
Click to know more on how to copy the link address for the image URL.
Please note: If your request for the “Outdated content” is accepted and if your page does not exist, it will not show up in Google search results. However, if the page still exists, it will clear snippets and cached results from Google search results and display updated content once recrawled by Googlebot.
What is the difference between the “Removals tool” and “Remove Outdated Content tool?”
“Removals tool” in the search console is accessible only if you own the online property, whilst you can use the “Remove Outdated Content tool” even if you don’t own the online property.
A “Removals tool” request is only limited to blocking of page or image URL for a hundred and eighty days, whilst a “Remove Outdated Content tool” request will permanently remove the page or image URL if it does not exist.
What is “SafeSearch Filtering” in Google Search Console?
“SafeSearch Filtering” in Google Search Console can help you filter adult/explicit content that is reported by Google users via the Safe Search Suggestion tool.
How do I request for a “SafeSearch Filtering” in Google Search Console?
Step 1- From your search console homepage hover your mouse to Removals>SafeSearch Filtering>Report Inappropriate Content tool as highlighted in the image below:
Step 2- After clicking on “Report Inappropriate Content tool” you’ll get a landing page where you can Report Content URLs of inappropriate sites:
Watch the informative video hosted by Waisberg about Removals in Search Console:
So above, is a walkthrough of Google Search Console’s Performance report, URL inspection tool, Coverage report tool, Sitemaps and Removals tools that cover your needs for website indexing.
Next, we will discuss the Experience Report, Security and Manual actions report, Legacy tool and reports.
What is the latest update about Google Search Console?
Google Search Central recently shared this update, announcing a new look and feel of Google Search Console:
We're starting a journey to refresh the look and feel of Search Console. Over the next few months you'll see small changes in the product with a goal to improve accessibility and user experience in general. We hope you like it! 😉 pic.twitter.com/Seq0CUGxpP
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) November 22, 2021
Daniel Waisberg, the Search Advocate at Google also took to his Twitter account to share the latest update about Google Seach Console:
Wow, so much cleaner, I love it! 😍 https://t.co/OYBrBmvOQX
— Daniel Waisberg (@danielwaisberg) November 22, 2021
Stay tuned for the latest updates on Google Search Console.
Click to read Search Story: Part 1
Click to read Search Story: Part 2
Source:
Google Search Central
Google Support
Main blog image source: Canva
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