The Google Search Console (GSC), formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, is a free service from Google that helps website operators, SEO-The Google Search Engine Optimizer (GUI) is a tool that provides experts and web developers with comprehensive insights into the performance and visibility of their website in Google's organic search results. It serves as a central interface to understand how Google crawls, indexes and displays a website, as well as to identify and fix potential problems.
The use of Google Search Console is not mandatory for inclusion in Google search results, but enables targeted optimization and problem solving to improve a website's presence in the long term. The data provided here helps to measure and improve the technical integrity and search performance of a website.
Central functions and reports of the Google Search Console
- Performance report: This report shows how often a website appears in Google search results (Impressions), how many clicks it receives, the average click-through rate (CTR) and the average position for specific search queries. Data can be filtered by search queries, pages, countries and devices, with an analysis period of up to 16 months.
- Indexing report (pages): Here, users receive information about which pages have been successfully indexed were indexed and which were not, including the reasons for non-indexing. This report is crucial for recognizing and correcting crawling and indexing errors.
- URL check tool: This tool enables the detailed analysis of a single URL to check how Google crawls and indexes it and whether it can be displayed to users in the search results. It provides information directly from the Google index.
- Sitemaps: Website operators can submit their XML sitemaps here to inform Google about new or updated content and to control the crawling process.
- Core Web Vitals Report: This report provides key page experience data based on actual user data (field data), broken down by mobile and desktop devices. The Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint and Cumulative Layout Shift) are key metrics. Ranking factors.
- User-friendliness on mobile devices: This report identifies issues that affect the mobile user experience, such as text that is too small or poorly positioned interactive elements.
- Manual measures: Manual penalties from Google are displayed here if the webmaster guidelines have been violated.
- Safety measures: Users are informed about security problems such as malware or hacked content.
- Left: This section provides information on internal and external links that refer to the website, which is relevant for the Backlink analysis is relevant.
Importance for search engine optimization (SEO)
The Google Search Console is an indispensable tool for anyone who is serious about improving the SEO of their website. It allows you to actively shape and monitor the communication between your website and Google. Through the detailed reports and tools, an SEO specialist can:
- Ensure indexing of critical pages and fix issues that limit visibility.
- Identify potential for keywords and search queries for which the website already ranks or could rank.
- Monitor the technical health of the website and detect and fix problems such as crawling errors, mobile usability issues or security problems at an early stage.
- Review and improve compliance with the Core Web Vitals, which has a positive impact on the user experience and the Rankings has an impact.
- Submit new content or changes for faster indexing.
Google Search Console data can also be linked to other Google tools such as Google Analytics or Google Ads to enable a more comprehensive analysis of website performance and user behavior.
