What is Google Search Console and why is it needed?
Google Search Console is a free service that allows website owners to monitor and improve their visibility in search engines. It provides data on indexing, search queries, clicks, and errors that can affect rankings. Google Search Console is a critical tool for SEOs and website owners looking to improve their presence in search results.
Google Search Console how to connect a site
Preparing a Google account
To get started, you need to have a Google account. If you don't have one - register an account to use all the search engine tools.
Adding a site to the service
- Visit the Google Search Console login page
- Click "Add a property" and enter the URL of your site.
- Select the appropriate method of verification of ownership.
Methods of verification of ownership
Google offers several verification options:
page.
- HTML file - uploading a special file to the server.
- Meta tag - adding special code to the
- Analytics - automatic verification via connected GA account.
- DNS record – adding TXT record to domain settings.
After successful verification, access to Google Search Console will be opened.
Overview of Google Search Console's main features
Performance Analysis
The "Performance" section contains key metrics:
- Clicks – the number of visitors who came to the site from a search.
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) – the percentage of clicks to impressions in search results.
- Average position – page ranking for search queries.
These metrics are the reason why the query “how to add a site to google search console” is so popular.
Checking page indexation
The "Pages" section allows you to perform a check, view the indexation status, and identify possible problems. Here you can see:
- Which pages have been successfully indexed.
- Which have errors or are excluded from indexing.
- Are there any restrictions caused by the robots.txt file.
Adding a sitemap
To help the search engine find new pages faster, you should add a sitemap:
- In the "Indexing" menu, select "Sitemap".
- Enter the URL of your sitemap.xml.
- Click "Submit".
This will speed up the indexing process and help avoid problems with page detection.
Detecting and fixing technical errors
In the "Errors" you can find information about:
- Problems with indexing individual pages.
- Inaccessibility of the site to search bots.
- Errors in the mobile version.
- Excluded pages that may not be indexed.
Optimization using Google Search Console
Google Search Console – it’s not just a monitoring tool, it’s also an effective tool for improving SEO. Use it to:
- Analyze backlinks through Google Search Console.
- Determine which pages get the most traffic.
- Check the GSC indexing status for important pages.
- Interact with Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics.
Conclusions
Google Search for SEO is a key tool for website owners and marketers. It provides detailed information about the health of your site, allows you to optimize content and fix technical errors. Regular data analysis will help you improve your site's rankings and make it more visible in search.