Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a collection of tools and resources to help website owners, webmasters, marketers, and SEO professionals improve their websites. This powerful platform allows users to monitor website performance in the Google search index, providing invaluable insights and actionable data.
An essential tool for anyone serious about improving search performance and visibility, Google Search Console offers a unique window into how Google perceives and interacts with your site, providing data that can’t be found anywhere else. That’s why we’re committed to keeping you informed fast about Google Search Console news.
Key features
Google Search Console offers a huge variety of features that include:
- Search Appearance Information: Gain insights into how your site appears in search results.
- Search Traffic Analysis: Understand your audience better by analyzing your overall search performance.
- Technical Status Updates: Receive notifications about critical issues affecting your site’s performance in search results.
- Crawl Data and Indexing Insights: Monitor how Google crawls and indexes your site.
- Performance Reports: Access detailed data on your site’s search performance. Core Web Vitals reports provide crucial information about your site’s user experience.
- URL Inspection Tool: Examine specific URLs to understand how Google views and indexes them and troubleshoot any issues.
- Links Analysis: Explore internal and external links to your site.
Leveraging Google Search Console effectively can lead to significant improvements in your site’s search performance. For example:
- The Performance Report can help identify underperforming pages that might benefit from content optimization.
- The Mobile Usability Report can guide improvements in your site’s mobile experience, which is crucial in today’s mobile-first indexing environment.
- The Links Report can inform your link-building strategy by revealing the most linked content and the top linking sites.
The evolution
Originally launched as Google Webmaster Tools, the platform was significantly rebranded in 2015 to become Google Search Console. This change reflected its broader utility for various marketing professionals beyond webmasters.
The evolution of Google Search Console mirrors the changing landscape of SEO and digital marketing in general. As search algorithms become more sophisticated and UX takes center stage, the platform has adapted to provide more insights and actionable data.
Maximizing your Google Search Console experience
We invite you to read our guides and tips for using Google Search Console, along with the latest news and feature updates. The goal of our content is to help you make the most of Google Search Console.
For example, you can learn how to use Google Search Console to get easy SEO wins. You can also explore our comprehensive SEO’s guide on the platform, as it offers an in-depth look at techniques and best practices for seasoned professionals.
Stay tuned to Search Engine Land to ensure you’re always up-to-date with the latest features and best practices of Google Search Console, helping you maintain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving world of SEO.
Google Search Console reporting bug with Discover performance report
This was a reporting bug on October 23rd and did not impact the actual search results.
Google fixed a bug with some search features that may impact your site’s visibility
Between October 18th and October 28th, Google Search had a bug with top stories and other search features.
How to get the most out of the Google Search Console API using regex
Learn how to extract the maximum amount of data from the GSC API and filter difficult URLs using regular expressions.
Google Analytics v3 Search Console report query data restored
After about a month, Google has finally fixed the bug where query data was not showing in Universal Analytic's Search Console query report.
Google Search Console mislabeled structured data errors as errors
This was a reporting issue only and did not impact the Google search results.
Google penalties, manual actions and notifications: A complete guide
Learn all about on-page and off-page guideline violations, what Google's messaging means, and how to get a Google manual penalty removed.
4 advanced ways you’re not measuring SEO effectiveness – yet
Measure SEO impact beyond basic traffic and keyword ranking. Learn how your efforts are driving actual business outcomes with these metrics.
Google Analytics v3 Search Console report currently not showing query data
The data is showing in GA4 and in Search Console but not in Universal Analytics 3.
Google Search Console data logging issue on September 21st
Some data may be missing in the search performance report, Google is working on restoring some of the data.
The by-no-means-definitive keyword size showdown: GSC vs. Ahrefs vs. Semrush vs. Moz
See the results of a comparison of four leading SEO tools' keyword coverage for domains in the pharmaceutical space.
Google launches new HTTPS report in Google Search Console
This new report now shows why some pages are not being served as HTTPS.
Google expands enhanced product experiences to more ecommerce sites, releases new Search Console reports
You no longer need to be in Google Merchant Center, websites that implement structured data will also gain rich product experiences in Google search results.
Google Search Console reports may be impacted by review-type changes made in Google Search
You may see changes in your clicks and impression data within the performance and rich result reports.
Google Search Console to remove International Targeting report
Google said it will continue to hreflang and the recommendations for managing multilingual and multiregional sites.
Google Search Console adds URL-level data in Core Web Vitals report
Google also is now highlighting new stats on how improving Core Web Vitals metrics can improve user engagement and business metrics.
Google Search Console’s video indexing report now live for all
You will only see it if you have videos on your site that Google can detect.
Google Search Console reported pages as being indexed when they were not indexed
This affected "many" Google Search Console properties, so make sure to check your reports in the next couple of days.
Google reenables the validate fix feature in Search Console and adds new classifications
As expected, Google has launched the new classifications for the coverage report with a tour to walk you through the changes.
Google reporting issue with Search Console Discover report
This data logging issue was on July 26, 2022 - any drops in clicks or impressions might be just a reporting bug.
Google temporarily disables the validate fix feature in Search Console
Google is updating something in Search Console and for now, you can't issue new validation requests.
Google Search Console adds CNAME DNS verification
Previously, Google only supported DNS verification using the TXT method.
Google Search Console’s new video indexing report now rolling out
This report can give you deeper insight into indexing issues and saturation within Google Search.
Google removes language in help doc calling hidden Search Console query data ‘very rare’
This change was made after a study showed on average about 50% of queries were removed from the reports.
Google Search Console Insights now supports Google Analytics 4
Previously if you only had GA4 set up for your site, Search Console Insights would not work but now it does.
Google Search Console compare feature in performance reports
This feature can be very useful in debugging Google Search issues with rankings, indexing and potentially crawling.
Google Search Console item classifications updated to show valid or invalid
This is just a reporting change, no changes have been made to crawling, indexing or rankings with this announcement.
Google to sunset old Search Console message panel
Google will officially remove the legacy message panel on August 1, 2022.
Why entity search is your competitive advantage
Here's how to leverage entity search and deploy a winning strategy across the organization.
Google Search Console reporting issue with News performance report
This is just a reporting issue, actual ranking and performance was not impacted in Google Search.
Google Search Console page experience report now tracks more desktop search features
This may lead to an increase in impressions in your page experience report and performance reports.
Google Search Console adds translated results search appearance filter
This lets you drill down to how searchers who get translated results interact with your content in Google Search.
Google Search Console to release new video page indexing report
Soon you will be able to better debug your video indexing issues with Google Search Console.
Google removing support for some video and image sitemap extension tags
These sitemap extension tags are being deprecated on August 6, 2022.
Google Search Console’s URL parameter tool is officially not working
Google will not use any of the legacy rules in the tool, so make sure to watch your site's SEO health over the next days and weeks.
Google Site Kit gains ideas to write about section
This section pull from the Google Question Hub and is experimental right now.
Google Search Console notices for removing intrusive interstitials
Google's page experience algorithm takes into account intrusive interstitials.
Google Search Console structured data error reporting gains more contextual information
This won't result in more errors, just more descriptive errors to help you debug issues.
Google’s URL Parameters tool is going away
Google said this is because the tool has "low value."
Google Search Console to show event rich results errors for missing locations
You may see an increase in rich results report errors for event schema in Search Console as a result of this change.
Google URL inspection tool bug leading to errors for some
Google is working on fixing the issue to resolve these errors.