Free, ten minutes of work, and the only real source of how Google sees your site.
You set up Search Console by adding your site, proving ownership through a DNS record or a file on your server, and submitting your sitemap. Then it collects data from then on: you don't get anything retroactively, so the sooner you start the better.
STEP BY STEP
This is how you set it up
- Choose the right type of propertyChoose domain ownership if you can access your DNS: that covers all subdomains and both http and https at once. If that is not possible, the variant per address will suffice.
- Prove that the site is yoursVia a DNS record at your registrar or a file on your server. That's a one-off; do not delete the file afterwards or you will lose verification.
- Submit your sitemapUnder Sitemaps add the address of your sitemap. Then you'll see how many of your pages were actually recorded: often the most illuminating figure you'll have.
- Wait four weeksSearch behavior fluctuates from week to week. You can't build anything in a handful of days; four full weeks is the minimum for a first conclusion.
- Set a monthly reminderSearch Console is only valuable if you look into it. Half an hour once a month is enough.
PITFALLS
The three reports that matter
Performance shows which search terms you appear for. Filter by positions 4 to 20: there are gains that you can make with small improvements.
Indexing shows which pages are included. Pages pagination shows which pages get a lot of impressions but few clicks: that depends on your title.
- Achievements: positions 4 to 20 — the fastest profit.
- Indexing: excluded pages — why don't they record it.
- Lots of impressions, few clicks — your title or description doesn't work.
- Four weeks of data — shorter periods are noise.
- View monthly — otherwise it doesn't yield anything.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
More about Search Console
Does it cost anything?
No, it's completely free. All you need is a Google account and one-time access to your domain or server.
Do I also have to set up Bing?
Recommended. Bing, among other things, powers search results in ChatGPT, so for visibility in AI answers it has become more relevant than it was for a long time. Setup takes a few minutes.
Do I see how many visitors I have?
You see clicks from the search results, not all visitors. You need analytics for behavior after the click; the two complement each other.
CONTINUE READING
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Know what Google really see?
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