Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows how a website performs in search results. It shows which search terms bring people to the site and whether Google can read the pages properly, and it alerts the owner to technical problems that affect visibility. Every website owner should have it set up.
What does Search Console report?
Most of what an organisation needs comes from four reports:
- Which pages Google has indexed, and which it has left out
- Errors that stop pages from appearing in search results
- The search terms that bring visitors to the site, with how often pages are shown and clicked
- Security problems or penalties that Google has detected
It is also where the sitemap is submitted. A sitemap lists the pages on a site and helps Google index them sooner.
Why we recommend it
Search Console gives direct insight into how Google sees a website. When a page isn’t being found, it shows the cause, so there’s no guessing.
A new website that never appears in Google is a common example. The cause is often a WordPress setting left on during the build that asks search engines to stay away, and Search Console flags it. A redesign that changes page addresses is another. Search Console shows whether Google has found the new pages and whether the old addresses lead people to the right place.
We set it up when a website goes live, submit the sitemap and check the indexing report a few weeks later to confirm every page has been picked up. For websites we build, we hand over access so the account belongs to the organisation.
How to set up Google Search Console
Go to Google Search Console and follow these steps.
Step 1: Sign in. Use a Google account the organisation controls. A Google account can be created with any email address, including one on the organisation’s own domain. A developer’s or employee’s personal account is a poor choice, because access is lost when they move on.
Step 2: Add the website as a property. Google offers two types. A URL prefix property covers one exact address, including the https:// part. A Domain property covers every version of the domain and needs a DNS record to verify.
Step 3: Verify ownership. Google needs to confirm the site belongs to the organisation. The options are:
- Adding an HTML tag to the website’s header
- Uploading an HTML file to the server
- Using a Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager account already connected to the site
- Adding a DNS record through the domain registrar
Step 4: Submit the sitemap. Choose Sitemaps in the left menu and enter the sitemap address. Sites running Rank Math usually have it at yourdomain.com.au/sitemap_index.xml.
What to check regularly
Once a month is enough for most organisations. These are the areas to look at:
- Performance shows the search terms and pages that bring visitors, and how often people click through from the results.
- Pages (under Indexing) shows which pages are indexed and explains why others are not.
- Sitemaps confirms that Google can read the sitemap and how many pages it found.
- Security and manual actions warns if Google has detected malware or a penalty. Our FAQ on checking website security explains what to do if that happens.
Google ranks the mobile version of a site, so if pages show errors on phones, see our FAQ on responsive design.
Need help?
Search Console is included in the websites we deliver through Solution Delivery, and our Communications & Marketing service uses its data to decide what to write and what to fix. For the wider picture of search visibility, start with our FAQ on SEO and SEM.
