What Is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool provided by Google that shows you how your website performs in Google Search. It is different from Google Analytics — Analytics tracks what users do on your site, while Search Console tracks how Google sees and ranks your site.
Every website owner should have GSC set up from day one. It is the only tool that shows you real data directly from Google about your site's search performance.
Setting Up Google Search Console
- Go to search.google.com/search-console
- Click Add property
- Choose Domain (recommended — covers all subdomains and HTTP/HTTPS) or URL prefix
- Verify ownership using the recommended DNS record method or HTML tag method
- Submit your XML sitemap under Sitemaps
The Most Important Reports in GSC
Performance Report
This is the most valuable report. It shows:
- Total clicks — how many times users clicked your site in search results
- Total impressions — how many times your site appeared in search results
- Average CTR — click-through rate (clicks ÷ impressions)
- Average position — your average ranking position for all queries
Filter by Queries to see which keywords you rank for. Filter by Pages to see which pages get the most impressions and clicks.
Coverage / Indexing Report
Shows which pages are indexed by Google and which have errors. Key statuses:
- Valid — page is indexed, all good
- Error — page has an issue preventing indexing
- Excluded — page intentionally not indexed (noindex, redirect, etc.)
- Warning — page is indexed but has issues
Core Web Vitals Report
Shows LCP, CLS and INP scores for your pages based on real user data from Chrome. Pages marked "Poor" need urgent attention as they may rank lower than competitors with better scores.
Sitemaps
Submit your sitemap here. GSC will show how many URLs were submitted vs how many were indexed. If the indexed number is much lower than submitted, investigate which pages are being excluded and why.
How to Use GSC to Improve Rankings
One of the most powerful GSC tactics for growing organic traffic is finding keywords where you rank on page 2 (positions 11–20). These pages are close to page 1 and a small improvement can drive significantly more clicks. Filter the Performance report by Average Position and look for queries between position 8 and 20 — those are your best opportunities.
Once you identify those pages, improve the content quality, add internal links to them, and update the meta title to better match the search query. Use our Meta Tag Generator to rewrite the title and description with the target keyword optimised.
Request Indexing for New Pages
When you publish a new page, use the URL Inspection tool in GSC to request indexing. Paste the URL, click Request Indexing, and Google will typically crawl it within a few days instead of waiting weeks for natural discovery.