Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that shows how your website performs in search. It’s where you can see which keywords bring people to your site, which pages are indexed, and if Google has any problems crawling your content.
Think of it as your SEO control panel—essential if you want to grow your organic visibility.
What Google Search Console does
It helps you:
- Monitor keyword performance and impressions
- Track clicks, CTR, and average search rankings
- See which pages are indexed—and which aren’t
- Identify crawl errors and mobile usability issues
- Submit your sitemap and request indexing
- Monitor Core Web Vitals and page experience
- Discover which external sites link to you
Key reports and features
- Performance: Shows search queries, top pages, and ranking positions over time
- Coverage: Reveals which pages are indexed, excluded, or have errors
- Sitemaps: Lets you submit and check the health of your XML sitemap
- Page Experience: Evaluates Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, and HTTPS usage
- Manual Actions: Alerts you if Google penalizes your site for violations
- Security Issues: Detects malware or hacked content
Why it’s essential
Even if you don’t handle your SEO directly, GSC gives you:
- Clarity on what’s indexed and what’s not
- Early warnings if something breaks (e.g., a plugin causes crawl errors)
- Real data on what people are searching before landing on your site
- Tools to validate fixes and improvements
Best practices
- Check your reports at least monthly (more during major changes)
- Use the URL Inspection Tool to troubleshoot individual pages
- Submit sitemaps after major content updates
- Monitor for drops in impressions, traffic, or errors
- Combine GSC insights with Google Analytics for a fuller picture
Bottom line
Google Search Console is your direct line to how Google sees your site. If you want to improve your rankings, fix technical issues, or understand how people find you—it’s not optional. It’s your SEO command center.
