Google Search Console – how to use, instructions for beginners

Over the past few decades, the internet has significantly evolved, becoming an integral part of our daily lives. Websites and online platforms have become the primary sources of information, entertainment, and business. In this vast virtual universe, it is important not only to have a presence but also to ensure that your web space effectively fulfills its goals.

Google Search Console is recognized as an effective analytics tool, but it can be too complex for beginners. That’s why Business Site decided to create a comprehensive guide for novice webmasters, where everyone can not only learn about the functionality of Google Search Console but also how to use it. If you’ve been looking for an article that answers all the questions related to Google Search Console – we have something to offer you. But first, a few numbers and statistics.

Why Google Search Console is a must-have for online resources

Creating an online store or a corporate website is a painstaking process that requires a high level of qualification and experience. If you need to create an online store – the specialists at Business Site are always ready to help you. However, do not think that the development and launch of the site is the last difficulty on the way to business success, as in reality, this is only the middle.

For example, Google Search Console can provide you with information about –

The information in the table is just the tip of the iceberg, as in reality, Google Search Console can tell you much more about your site than you might think. During SEO website promotion, Business Site specialists constantly use Google Search Console to analyze metrics and overall site quality, but how do you do it? How do you add a site to Google Search Console as a beginner?

How to add a site to Google Search Console: A beginner’s guide

To gain access to site metrics, you need to add your site to Google Search Console. You can do this as follows:
Step 1: Prepare a Google account
Before starting the process, make sure you have a Google account. If you don’t have one, sign up at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Step 2: Sign in to Google Search Console
Go to the official Google Search Console website: https://search.google.com/search-console.
Sign in to your Google account using your username and password.

Step 3: Add your site
After signing in to Google Search Console, you will see the “Add site” button in the top left corner. Click on it.
Enter your site’s URL (e.g., “https://www.example.com/”) and click “Continue”.

Step 4: Verify ownership
Now you need to verify that you are the owner of the site. There are several ways to do this:

• Method 1: HTML meta tag
  Select the “HTML meta tag” method.
  Copy the provided meta tag.
  Paste this meta tag into the header of your main page (index.html) before the closing tag.
• Method 2: Upload HTML file
  Select the “Upload HTML file” method.
  Download the provided HTML file.
  Upload this file to the root directory of your site using an FTP client or hosting panel.
  Click “Verify” after uploading the file.

Step 5: Confirm site addition
After selecting one of the ownership verification methods, click “Verify”. Google Search Console will attempt to find the meta tag or HTML file on your site. If everything is done correctly, you will receive confirmation.
Step 6: Set up your site
After successful verification, you will be provided with a management area for your site. Here you can configure various settings and receive information about your site’s performance in Google’s search results.

What data does Google Search Console provide, and what can the service do?

So, by using Google Search Console to manage and analyze your site, you can learn about:

• Site indexing
  In the “Pages” section, Google Search Console provides information on the number of indexed pages on your site. You can see how many pages are included in Google’s index and which ones are excluded. You will also learn about any indexing errors, such as 404 errors (page not found) or duplicate content that may negatively affect your site’s ranking.
• Search queries
  In the “Performance” section, you will find information about the search queries that users use to find your site. You will learn which keywords attract the most clicks and impressions on your site’s pages. You can also analyze clicks, impressions, and CTR (click-through rate) for each query, allowing you to determine which pages are most relevant for specific queries and which may require optimization.
• Links
  The “Links” section provides information about external links pointing to your site, as well as internal links on the site that affect navigation, internal linking, and page importance for SEO. You will learn how many external resources link to you and which pages receive the most backlinks. This data will help you assess the quality and relevance of the links. You can also identify unwanted backlinks and take steps to remove them.
• Sitemap (sitemap.xml)
  Google Search Console allows you to submit a sitemap (XML Sitemap) and validate it. This helps control indexing and search engine robots’ behavior on your site. You can monitor which pages have been included in the sitemap and ensure they are indexed correctly. Displaying sitemap.xml errors in Search Console will help you fix them manually or change the sitemap creation plugin on your site.
• Mobile usability
  The “Mobile Usability” section analyzes your site to determine how well it is optimized for mobile devices. You will receive information about issues that may affect the user experience on mobile devices, particularly mobile display errors. This is important because Google takes mobile compatibility into account when ranking sites in search results, and an unoptimized site will inevitably lose positions.
• Breadcrumbs
  In the “Breadcrumbs” section, you can check the correctness of structured data markup for BreadcrumbList navigation on your site. This data allows search engines to better understand the structure of the site and display results in search results. Breadcrumbs can improve your site’s visibility in search results and make information more attractive to users.
• Page speed
  The “Speed” section analyzes your site’s page load time and provides recommendations for optimization to ensure faster loading. Slow pages can deter users and negatively impact search rankings, so improving page load speed is important.
• Security issues
  Google Search Console notifies you of potential security issues on your site, such as malware, hacks, or fraudulent content. Quickly identifying and resolving such issues ensures user safety and maintains your site’s good reputation.
• Notifications
  Search Console sends you notifications about important changes, such as major Google algorithm updates or the detection of critical issues on your site. These notifications help you respond quickly to changes and address issues that may affect your site’s visibility and performance.

There is no doubt that Google Search Console is an effective tool for monitoring your site’s health, but how does it differ from Google Analytics 4? And how can both services impact your site’s metrics?

Google Search Console vs Google Analytics 4: Differences and capabilities

1. Purpose of use
   Google Search Console is designed to analyze and optimize the organic search visibility of your site in Google’s search engine. Its main goal is to help site owners and SEO specialists monitor and improve performance in search results. With GSC, you can monitor page indexing, optimize metadata, and identify issues such as indexing errors and declining search rankings.

   Google Analytics 4, on the other hand, focuses on analyzing user behavior on your site. The primary goal of GA4 is to provide a comprehensive view of user actions, their paths of interaction with content, and conversion events. This tool helps optimize user experience and content interaction effectiveness.

2. Types of data
   Google Search Console provides data related to organic search. This includes information about search queries, keywords, click numbers, impressions, and CTR (click-through rate). You can also get diagnostic reports on indexing issues, such as pages with errors.

   Google Analytics 4 collects data on user interactions with your site. This data includes information on page visits, events, conversions, traffic sources, and content interaction analytics.

3. Integration with advertising campaigns
   Google Search Console does not provide information on advertising campaigns, as its focus is on organic search analysis. It is not directly integrated with advertising platforms.

   Google Analytics 4 is integrated with Google Ads and other advertising platforms. It provides detailed information on ad campaign performance, costs, revenues, and conversions, allowing you to assess the ROI of advertising investments.

4. User behavior analysis
   Google Search Console does not provide information on user behavior on the site. Its task is to monitor how the site is visible in search results and which queries lead to site visits.

   Google Analytics 4 specializes in analyzing user interactions with the site. It helps identify which pages are most popular, how users navigate the site, where drop-offs occur, and which actions lead to targeted conversions.

5. Use cases
   Google Search Console is useful for webmasters, SEO specialists, and site owners who aim to improve organic search visibility and search rankings.

   Google Analytics 4 is useful for marketers, analysts, and business owners who want to understand how users interact with the site, which strategies lead to conversions, and how to improve the user experience.

Conclusions

Google Search Console is an essential tool for site owners, marketers, and webmasters striving to achieve maximum visibility and effectiveness of their web resources. Regular use of this service will allow you to:

1. Optimize your site for search engines, making it more user-friendly and informative for visitors.
2. Monitor how users find and interact with your content, and respond to changes in search queries.
3. Eliminate technical issues and errors that can negatively affect user experience and site ranking.
4. Monitor the page indexing process and control which parts of the site are displayed in search.
5. Improve the semantic core and keywords for better content organization.
6. Monitor your site’s health, including security and loading speed.