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What is Google Search Console

The work of the SEO optimizer is associated with regular changes to the settings and content of the site in order to promote the resource, increase or retain leadership positions in searchable output. The basis of this work is constant monitoring of parameters that are indicative of evaluating the effectiveness of measures taken. Google Search Console allows you to conduct an express analysis of the site and draw the right conclusions and quickly adjust the work to optimize the resource, if necessary.

To better understand what Google’s Search Console is, let's look at what issues this multifunctional tool helps solve. The information provided by GSC will allow you to:

  • detect and eliminate technical errors;
  • evaluate the effectiveness of a decision;
  • compare the results of the changes made;
  • track site visibility and user response;
  • analyze the operation of search bots.

These are the main advantages that we get by using this tool in the process of optimizing the site. In the last article we talked about, how to install Google Search Console on your website, now let's take a closer look at how to use this service and what it can tell us.

How to use Google Search Console

Google developers recently updated the Search Console, modifying the interface and finalizing the service. At the time of writing this article not all tools of the old version got their improved analogues, and they are used in an already familiar version to users. These include:

  • Web Tool menu items;
  • country targeting (feature disabled as of September 22, 2022);
  • scan statistics;
  • messages;
  • URL options data.

They migrated to the new version without changes in order to get acquainted with them, you need to click on the menu item “Extra Tools and Reports”.

отчеты google search console в старой версии

Even if you have never worked at GSC before, you will most likely be able to quickly navigate in a user-friendly and user-friendly interface. Data on some points are presented in two versions - in graphs and tables. And by clicking on the row in the table or the graph curve, you will see details.

In some points, analysts buttons for connecting and disconnecting the statistics element are available depending on which parameter you are interested in at the moment. They are located above the graphs and in active condition have the same color as the corresponding curve on the graph. Very practical and visual. No need to change the settings, just click on the button.

Как пользоваться search console картинка

Information in the tables may be sorted by a certain indicator from less to more or vice versa. To do this, just click on the indicator itself at the top of the table.

In addition, in Google Search Console, you can set filter parameters and set the order of presentation of values by removing all unnecessary.

Как сделать сортировку в search console

Google Search Console: A Review of Reports Important for SEO

We figured out how the GSC information fields look and what blocks they consist of. We turn to the reports themselves and their values for analyzing the situation.

Overview

There is no detailed information in this paragraph with separate blocks in graphical terms report basic data presented. Here you will not see the details and details. You can meet them by clicking on the corresponding report.

Важные для seo отчеты в сеч консоль

Efficiency

The main and most revealing report for SEO professionals on the Google Search Console. Unlike the predecessor from the old version of GSC - “Analysis of Search Queries”, the “Efficiency” report allows you to work with information accumulated during the 16 months preceding the analysis, which allows you to get more information for comparison. Previously, you could only look 90 days ago.

The following are presented here parameters that can be set in the filter:

  • requests (key phrases);
  • pages (certain URLs);
  • countries (data for individual regions);
  • devices (PCs or mobile gadgets);
  • search view;
  • dates.

The analysis is carried out using data on the number of clicks, the number of displays, the average CTR and the average position in the search output.

General data for a specific parameter sometimes seems doubtful. The fact is that for obtaining evidence, you usually need specificity, without which one cannot judge the effectiveness of optimization solutions. For example, the average position indicator can be completely uninformative without reference to the region for which your project is configured. Therefore, to obtain accurate and useful data, be sure to use the filter.

The most interesting reports include:

  • Requests for which the page is ranked
    To display data in the filter, select "Page" and select the URL. Now in the "Requests" tab you can see the keywords that lead to this page. 

    Как пользоваться search console отчет Эффективность

    When analyzing the data in the report, pay attention to those requests that “triggle” a large number of impressions, but do not receive clicks. Most likely, such a situation is not a consequence enough high quality snippet or problems with text in Title and Description.

    Как работать с отчетом Эффективность в сеч консоль
     
  • Position Dynamics
    You can evaluate the change in the page position in the search issue by specifying the page URL and date range using the “Filter” option. As mentioned above, when analyzing an average position, it is usually advisable to specify a country. It also often makes sense to specify the type of device.

    When comparing, you can select the ranges proposed by Google Search Console developers for analysis or enter their values yourself.

    Анализ среднего ctr в search console картинка
     
  • Search for pages with insufficient CTR
    To assess which page clickability indicator is sufficient and which is considered low, you can refer to Advanced Web Ranking studies, according to which the ad that hit the first line of the search issue, should gain order 32-34 %. This indicator falls as the position drops. In addition (and this is very important), to evaluate CTR, you need to look at the averaged indicators of your own site.

    To obtain data, we filter the results of the occupied line in the search output. Here we should be interested in the highest positions. Now we are looking for lines with the lowest indicators of clickability and study them in more detail.

    Поиск страниц с низким CTR картинка

    In some cases, it makes no sense to make any changes. But sometimes it is quite possible to influence the situation by looking at what can attract the attention of your target audience and taking note of this information.

Various combinations of filters and scorecards in Google Search Console allow you to get a lot of useful reports for SEO optimization.

URL scan

This part of the resource study analyzes the features of resource indexation. Previously, this type of reporting data in Google Search Console was called "Looking Like Googlebot.

To get the report, enter the address of the analyzed page in the search bar, which is located at the top of the screen. As a result, we find out that everything is in order, the page is indexed or there are some problems, that are worth eliminating. To clarify the details, click on the corresponding buttons and study the information.

Зачем нужен отчет Проверка URL GSC

The URL Check function can be used to:

  • Speed up indexing new content or reindexing updated
    In order not to wait for the search bots to reach a new or changed page, you can request an index check. We set the URL of the analyzed page into the search bar of the corresponding Google Search Console tab. If it appeared recently and is new, we get the expected result of “URL is not in the Google Index”. If the page existed earlier, we will see “URL is in the Google Index”. To speed up indexing process and invite the search engine robots, click on the "Request Indexing" button.

    Before sending a request to your own bots, Google will check the page and let you know if everything is in order with it or if there are errors, details of which can be found in the “Verification Results”.
     
  • Find out about the results of the scan and possible errors in the index.
    A very convenient, quick and understandable report on the errors available on the page, which allows you not to spend time on independent analysis and verification, but immediately make the required changes and index the page.
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Coating

The new name “Intexting Status” in Google Search Console is a very important function for SEO optimization, which allows you to find out about errors in the site page index and take timely action. If the previously reviewed URL Check tool made it possible to check or request indexing of specific pages, now we are talking about checking all the pages of the resource.

As part of this report, we study:

  • Errors
    We are talking about those pages whose indexation is impossible for any reason. It can be, for example, pages with a complex path of redirectes, server response code, starting on 4 or 5 (e.g. 404 No Found), as well as closed by the "noindex" tag. Details can be found by clicking on the corresponding URL.

    Be sure to check that important pages do not appear in this list with errors, the index of which is necessary for an effective policy of promoting the site in the search engine.

    Как посмотреть ошибки при индексации сайта
     
  • Warnings
    Google bots often ignore requirements robots.txt file. They treat them more like a request that is not necessary to fulfill. Therefore, often the pages you hide from indexing can be indexed without any obstacles. It is these pages that fall into this item of the Coverage report.

    Предупреждения от Гугл при индексации страниц
     
  • Pages without errors
    Here we will see a list of all indexed pages, as well as those that were indexed, but they are not in Sitemap file. Make sure that all pages that are required to index are added to this file.

    Страницы без ошибок в индексе гугл
     
  • Excluded
    The pages in this Google Search Console service report list require additional verification. This places the controversial pages of the site, which in some cases is recommended to reconfigure. It makes sense to study in detail the features of indexing pages that have the status “Local Error 404” (you need to correctly configure the server response code), “Scan Error” and “Page is a copy….

    Как посмотреть исключенные из индекса страницы

Sitemap Files

Using this tool, you have the opportunity to add a map of your site to Google and at the same time make sure that the file does not contain errors.

search console нужен для лучшей индексации сайта

Deletions

The function allows you to hide from the index any page of the site not forever, but only for a while. So you can temporarily exclude from indexing the page itself and its cached version or only a cache.

Функция для временного удаления страницы из индекса

Improvements

  1. Download speed
    The relatively new Google Search Console skill, which is still being finalized, but already helps to detect problem pages with a high time download rate. Given that download speed significantly affects the ranking of the site and has a direct impact on the occupied line in the results of the search issue, we advise you to pay attention to this report and periodically analyze this data.
     
  2. Mobile convenience
    Determines errors when viewing pages from mobile devices, such as: “Elements are too close”, “Content is wider than the screen”, “Too fine print”, etc. These are also important indicators that affect both the position of the site in extradition and user behavioral factors.

    рекомендации по улучшению сайта в GSC

Google Search Console may also have other improvement options for your site.

Manual measures

In this report you can see if sanctions have been imposed Google employees in relation to your site. Depending on the problem, the position of the site pages in the results of the issue may decrease or be removed from the index altogether. By identifying the reasons, you can fix the problems and request a re-check.

Security issues

This Google Search Console report will show pages and problems that threaten the safety of users and their data, for example: malware, fraudulent pages, write-offs from mobile operators without warning, hacking. 

Ideally, in the reports “Manually Accepted Measures” and “Security Problems” it should be indicated that there are no problems.

Проверка сайта на фильтры от Google

Links

In this Google Search Console report, you can see information about the external and internal links of the site, which is also very important with SEO optimization. You can find out which sites are referenced to you and in what quantity, to which pages these links lead, which anchors are used. All this will allow us to assess the current situation and build a further strategy external site optimization

отчет по ссылкам важный для seo картинка

Conclusions

Now you know what Google Search Console is for and you can easily deal with all the functions of this tool from search engine developers. Working with him is really easy, in addition, it allows you to quickly and easily check the resource and its individual pages. It's nice that the service is completely free.

Gsc absolutely should replenish your copy of useful tools, helping to configure site optimization and detect previously made errors.

We also note that when promoting the site you should not rely solely on Google Search Console indicators, you need to use other services for SEO.

On the course "Search engine" you will learn about all the services needed for SEO promotion, learn how to work with them, you can find errors on your site and find out how to fix them. We will go through all the stages of promotion and you will immediately be able to put into practice the acquired knowledge and see the results already in the course process. Register at the link above and with the promo code "Console-16" you will receive an additional bonus to purchase.