Why do you need the Google Search Console to improve your SEO?

The Google Search Console (GSC, formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) is a free analysis and service tool from Google, designed to ensure that your website is in the best possible condition and meets Google's requirements. Using the Google Search Console, numerous settings can be chosen for websites or apps, statistics can be viewed and optimizations can be carried out. Also, webmasters receive warnings about unnatural backlinks or malware that has been installed on the website. 

What exactly is the Google Search Console? 

The Google Search Console is a set of tools and reports that webmasters or really anyone who runs a website can use to monitor, manage and improve their web presence. With the help of Google Search Console optimizing your website is much easier.

In contrast to Google Analytics, which is an outstanding analysis tool for websites, the Google Search Console is similar in structure, but more suitable for constantly improving the website in question. Apart from helping you diagnose any technical SEO issues, it can also help you understand your most popular pages and help you increase your organic traffic. The Search Console should therefore be dedicated to the main task of working on and improving your website. The continuous optimization of one's own website is very important for the success of your business, so that the use of the search console, which helps with continuous improvement, has become an absolute necessity. 

How do I get started with the Search Console?

As per usual with Google tools, registration and configuration are very simple. You can log into your Google account and then open the Search Console here. After registration has been completed the website in question must first be registered and the owner must verify the website. Verify your account using a valid Google Analytics account via the domain name, an HTML tag, or the Google Tag Manager.

1. Add your domain - The easiest way is to select the property type "Domain" and then enter the URL of your website. Make sure you use the exact URL (check how it appears in the bar of your browser). Once you have done this, click Continue.
   
   
2. Verify your account - To verify your website, copy the DNS TXT record certified by Google Search Console and add it to your domain provider to verify ownership of your domain.
   
   
3. There are various ways you can verify ownership:

If you have followed these steps, the Search Console is now set up for you to use.

Overview of the most important Search Console features

The new Google Search Console, introduced in 2018 has many functions that can be used to analyze and optimize a website. Here are some of these functions:

Index

When you launch a new website, you can see if your website is already indexed and if so, how many pages are effectively listed.

The Coverage tab - shows all your indexed pages and all pages that are not included in your sitemap.

Check site errors

1. Redirection error - This happens when a redirect to a page does not work properly
2. Site Errors  - When a page is not accessible, a 404 error is displayed. 404 pages are not a total disaster. However, they should be avoided or fixed, because if you have many internal links to 404 pages, this can lead to the Googlebot reaching a "dead end".

• The submitted URL has a crawling problem -  At times, a page can be blocked by crawlers in your Robots.txt.

Monitor and analyze Google search results

In the Performance tab in GSC, you have four metrics to look at: 

1. Clicks - When a user selects a link that leads them from Google search to your website, it counts as one click. 

2. Impressions - Each time your link UYRL appears in a search result, it generates an impression.

3. CTR  -  The number of users who click on your result and access the website.

4. Average Positions - This is the average ranking position of your page for one or more search queries.

Check your backlinks 

In the links tab in the GSC - you can take a look at your backlinks (sites that links back to you). Backlinks are an indication for Google that the content of your website is trustworthy. The more backlinks, the better. However, quality and relevance are very important for backlinks.