How to Set Up & Use Google Search Console
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Google Search Console (GSC) is a free SEO tool by Google that helps monitor, analyze, and optimize your website’s presence in Google Search results. Setting up GSC is essential for tracking search performance, indexing issues, and website health. This guide explains how to set up Google Search Console and use it to improve your SEO rankings.
Monitors Website Performance – Tracks clicks, impressions, CTR, and rankings.
Identifies Indexing Issues – Detects crawl errors and indexing problems.
Checks Mobile Usability – Ensures a mobile-friendly site.
Analyzes Backlinks – Finds referring domains linking to your website.
Tracks Core Web Vitals – Measures page experience and loading speed.
Identifies Security & Manual Actions – Alerts for penalties and security threats.
Without Google Search Console, you miss valuable insights on website performance and SEO improvements.
Step 1: Sign Up for Google Search Console Visit Google Search Console. Click “Start Now” and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: Add Your Website to Google Search Console GSC allows two types of property setup:
Domain Property (Recommended) Tracks all URLs across subdomains (www & non-www) and protocols (HTTP & HTTPS). Example: yourwebsite.com (includes and blog.yourwebsite.com).
URL Prefix Property Tracks only a specific URL version (e.g., ). Requires separate tracking for http, https, www, and non-.
Tip: Use Domain Property to track your entire website effortlessly.
Step 3: Verify Website Ownership Google requires verification to access website data. Verification Methods:
DNS Record Verification (Recommended for Domain Properties) Copy the TXT record provided by Google. Add it to your domain’s DNS settings via your hosting provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare).
HTML File Upload Download the HTML verification file. Upload it to your website’s root directory.
Google Analytics / Google Tag Manager Verify ownership if you already have GA or GTM installed.
Meta Tag Verification Add the provided meta tag to your website’s section.
Tip: DNS verification is best for long-term verification.
Once verified, you can access GSC’s dashboard with key insights. Main Features:
Performance Report – Analyzes search traffic and keyword rankings.
URL Inspection Tool – Checks indexing status of specific pages.
Coverage Report – Finds crawl errors, indexed pages, and blocked content.
Sitemaps Report – Submits your XML sitemap for faster indexing.
Mobile Usability – Detects mobile-friendliness issues.
Security & Manual Actions – Alerts for hacking attempts or Google penalties.
Tip: Review the Performance Report weekly to track ranking trends.
1. Track Search Performance & Rankings GSC provides insights into how users find your website on Google. How to Access Performance Report: Go to Performance → Search Results. Check key metrics:
Total Clicks – Number of clicks from search results.
Total Impressions – How often your site appears in search.
Average CTR (Click-Through Rate) – Percentage of users clicking your link.
Average Position – Your site’s ranking in Google.
Tip: Optimize pages with low CTR and high impressions for better clicks.
Tip: Use Yoast SEO (WordPress) or Rank Math to generate a sitemap automatically.
3. Fix Indexing Issues with the Coverage Report GSC flags pages that Google can’t index. How to Fix Indexing Errors:
Check Coverage Report for errors like "Submitted URL not found (404)."
Use URL Inspection Tool to check if a page is indexed.
Click “Request Indexing” to re-submit fixed pages.
Ensure important pages are not blocked by robots.txt or meta noindex tags.
Tip: Regularly check for crawl errors to ensure all important pages are indexed.
4. Improve Mobile Usability Since Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, your site must be mobile-friendly. How to Fix Mobile Issues:
Go to Mobile Usability Report.
Look for errors like "Text too small to read" or "Clickable elements too close together."
Fix issues using responsive design and fast-loading pages.
Tip: Run Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your site’s performance.
5. Monitor Backlinks & Internal Links GSC tracks which websites link to you and your internal linking structure. How to Check Backlinks: Go to Links. Review Top linking sites (external backlinks). Check Top linked pages (most linked content).
Tip: Improve internal linking by linking high-ranking pages to weaker ones.
6. Detect & Resolve Security & Manual Actions Google alerts you about security threats or penalties. How to Check Manual Actions:
Go to Security & Manual Actions → Manual Actions.
If penalized, fix the issue and submit a Reconsideration Request.
Tip: Use Google Safe Browsing to check for security risks.
URL Removal Tool – Temporarily removes URLs from search.
Core Web Vitals Report – Measures page speed and UX.
Enhancements Report – Checks structured data, breadcrumbs, and rich snippets.
Disavow Tool (via Google Search Console & Google Disavow Tool) – Removes bad backlinks.
Tip: Use Google Search Console + Google Analytics for full SEO tracking.
2. Submit & Optimize XML Sitemaps A sitemap helps Google discover and index your site faster. How to Submit a Sitemap: Go to Sitemaps → Enter your XML sitemap URL (e.g., ). Click Submit.