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 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.
How to avoid international SEO mistakes
International SEO is an important piece of any global marketing strategy. In a recent webinar, international marketing experts showed how to optimize for new markets.
Google crawl stats report is missing a chunk of data
This seems to be just a reporting issue, as everyone seems to be impacted by this Google Search Console bug.
The benefits of dynamic rendering for SEO
Google is getting better at crawling JavaScript, but there are still limitations. At SMX Next, Nati Elimelich explained how dynamic rendering can overcome those limitations while avoiding potential cloaking issues.
How to create a multi-site indexing monitoring system using the URL Inspection API and Analytics Edge
In this tutorial, you'll learn a step-by-step process you can use to create a multisite URL Inspection monitoring system.
Expect more messages in Google Search Console
Google said it finished the migration of all the messages into the new Search Console interface.
Google Search Console performance reports data issue may impact analytics
This issue was between February 1st through February 3rd and did not impact your rankings.
Google says Shopify sites are in a good crawling state after reports of stalled crawling
Google Search Console's crawl stats report showed Google stopped crawling many Shopify sites last week.
8 SEO tools to get Google Search Console URL Inspection API insights
Discover some free tools, SEO crawler integrations, and scripts to leverage with Google Search Console URL Inspection API insights.
Shopify SEO Guide: How to increase organic traffic to your store
SEO tips to fully optimize your Shopify site for higher rankings and more sales.
Google Search Console snapshot in search results now can show domain properties
You may start seeing this snapshot show up more often because Google now supports more verification methods.
Google Search Console error reporting for Breadcrumbs and HowTo structured data changed
This change may result in seeing more or less errors in your Breadcrumbs and HowTo structured data Search Console enhancement and error reports.
Google releases URL Inspection Tool API
You can now programmatically access the data you'd request from the URL Inspection Tool within Google Search Console.
Google Search Console logging issue may cause drop in image search performance data
The issue started on January 24 and is still ongoing, so please note this in your reports.
Google Search Console launches desktop page experience report
We now have a tool from Google to see how well our desktop URLs do with page experience.
Shopify chat bug leads to titles with (1) in Google’s search results
The issue is resolved but it might take time for your titles to be reprocessed.
Google’s page experience update coming to desktop next month
This won't be a big update, but do expect new Search Console reports soon as well.
3 ways to check technical SEO health issues on your website
Technical SEO is vital to keep your website healthy. At SMX Next, Ashley Berman Hale shows how marketers can review their site's crawl stats, rendering and indexing.
Google fixes user and permissions issue with Search Console
Full user permissions no longer shows as delegated owners for some - this is now resolved.
Google Search Console products rich result report error handling updated
On December 28, 2021 Google made a change to how it evaluates and reports errors in product structured data, so you may see a change in errors in that report going forward.
Google Search Console testing announcement bar
Google looks to be testing a new announcement section at the top of the Search Console interace.
