Everyone wants their site to appear first in Google searches, don't they? To help you with this task, there is the Google Search Console. This tool will help you increase page load speed, improve website conversion rate and optimize SEO. Google Search Console is our today’s topic. Through the text, you will learn more about: What is Google Search Console; Who can use it; How to use this tool to rate your website and other features; If you know how to take advantage of Google Search Console, your chances of appearing at the top of Google's list are greatly increased. Stay tuned and enjoy your reading!
What is Google Search Console
The name sounds new but the idea for the tool came up some time ago, in 2005. With the name Google Sitemaps, the mechanism was created to keep Google updated. In 2006, Sitemaps was renamed Google Webmaster Tools, which would be Google's tools to help webmasters, who are the people responsible for the site. At that time, Google was already able to recognize the addresses of similar websites, give automatic diagnoses and optimize some aspects of it. In 2015, the tool changed its name again, this time to Google Search Console. The features are pretty much the same, but with some adaptations. There are 4 main functions:
Search Traffic, which helps you understand what drives people to click or not on your content;
Search Appearance, which shows how Google reads each part of the page, such as descriptions, captions, titles and images;
Crawl, which will try to identify the difficulties that robots find on your site when searching for relevant content;
Google Index, which will tell you how Google indexes your website pages and how it identifies your keywords.
These functions, together, can inform you if a page has been hacked, if there is a site down and even suggest improvements in the SEO. It is noteworthy that it is not necessary for your website to be registered in Google Search Console for it to appear in the results, this platform only helps you to monitor your website in the Google Search results.
Who can have access to the tool
Google Search Console can be used by anyone. Currently, many SEO and marketing professionals also have their account registered.
For SEO specialists it is important to know this platform to optimize the website in other engines such as Google Ads and Google Analytics.
The tool allows anyone who owns the site's domain to access its benefits. And the best of all, it's free!
Even if you are not going to use Google Search Console, try to find out how it works and what the principles of website optimization are the best, later in the text we will explain it better.
In addition to alerting you when Google finds spam or other problem on the page, Google Search Console also confirms whether or not your site is being crawled.
The tool even fixes indexing issues, shows which sites may generate links of interest to your page, and delivers a report on your site's traffic.
How the Mechanism Works
Google gathers various information about websites, public web databases, user information, digitized books, and more.
The Search Console division focuses primarily on web pages. In order to be able to optimize websites, this engine is divided into three main areas: crawling, indexing and ranking.
Crawling is the starting point, which will show you how many pages there are on the Internet. As there is no file that gathers all the information, this search must be constant.
New pages are discovered by links on already crawled pages or are uploaded by the owner with a Google Search Console account.
For easier crawling, link your site to a page that Google already knows. If you only want one page to be crawled, give preference to the home page.
It is important to remember that Google Search Console is a completely free tool. Therefore, it will not accept payments to crawl one site more often than another.
Indexing is the identification of the content of a page. In this part, Google will analyze the quality of the content and what extras it brings, such as images and videos.
Later in this article, we will talk about SEO techniques that will help improve content and put your site at the top of searches.
Finally, ranking, also known as placement, is the positioning of the website in relation to searches. Google will put the result it finds most relevant at the top.
To define this degree of relevance, the page uses data such as location, language and device.
How to register
Using Google Search Console is very simple. Follow the step by step we have prepared for you.
1. Access to the platform
If you already have a Gmail account, just login. If you don't, create a Google email account for your first login.
After signing up for Google Search Console, you must add and confirm your site properties. You need to prove that the site is really yours.
Pay attention to the rules and basic principles of how the tool works. This way, you are aware of all the features you can use and also learn how to ask for help, if necessary.
If you're a beginner, it's worth reading Google's SEO guide. You may even decide to hire a Google Techniques expert. The procedure can be found at the end of Google's SEO guide.
2. Domain Verification
In order for you to add a website to your Google Search Console account, you must prove that the website is yours.
This verification is necessary, as you will have access to all Google Search data. With this, you can change all the settings you want.
If someone else is responsible for managing it, you need to check it out and then authorize that other person to use your account.
To add a new property, open the “property” menu within the Search Console tool and select “Add”.
After choosing the type of property you want, options for verification methods will appear on the screen.
If you want to do this verification, right away, don't close the pop-up window and follow the instructions. If you not , click on “verification later”.
After that, do not forget to save the information! Only with the information saved will you be able to complete the process.
3. Account management
After going through these points above, Google Search Console will notify you by email if there is any problem on your site, such as attempted hacking, problems to index the page and even violation of Google's quality guidelines.
Google does that daily. However, try to open the platform every month to check how your website is doing.
It's easier to compare data such as number of errors on the site, decrease in clicks, and seasonal hits when you do this analysis every month.
Check your Google Search Console whenever you make major changes to your page. Test that there is no problem with the IP address and inform which new pages should be indexed.
If your website's domain is changed, it is not necessary to create another account. There is a way within the tool to change the address.
Important processes for managing websites
Most people click on the first link option that appears on Google. So, for your content to be accessed, your website needs to be at the top of searches.
It is not an easy task to appear in the first place, however, the following tips will increase your chances.
We separate the main processes that should be working well within the site to optimize your ranking.
Check out:
SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of techniques that help a particular page or website improve its ranking in search engines such as Google.
Using algorithms and indicators of quality, Google seeks to highlight the best content. The search engine crosses users' search information to find the most relevant ones.
If your page is considered relevant to the algorithm, it will appear in the top search positions. This increases your website's organic traffic and your sales.
Some points are essential for the development of SEO techniques:
Know the target audience: Google uses user data to make assumptions about consumers' needs, so it's necessary to know them. You can create a persona to find this information and get the necessary feedback.
Friendly URLs: The URL must be simple. Don't be afraid to be obvious! If your text is about digital marketing, use something like “www.yoursite.com/marketing-digital”.
Investing in keywords: tools like Google Trends monitor all the links and topics that readers search for the most. To find these keywords you need to know your market segment.
Use hyperlinks: Linking with relevant content, whether internal or external, makes the algorithms navigate your site, increasing the chance of a good ranking. In the external link, be careful not to put a competitor's link.
If you put these points into action, Google will understand it and will rank your site better.
Content marketing
As we wrote before, Google ranks through content selection. So how to make relevant content? Well, Content marketing is a good way out.
This type of marketing has the function of retaining customers and seeking potential consumers through the dissemination of relevant content.
Besides a better ranking position, content marketing also helps convey brand values.
Show those who visit your site that you are an expert on the subject and that you will help them solve their problems. Create content focused on what the visitor wants to learn and show how your product/service can be a good option.
Don't forget to use SEO techniques to improve the ranking of each of these content in search engines.
The analysis of results
Do you think all your work is generating any positive results? To be sure, choose a few metrics that measure your site's performance to review frequently.
Measuring the results of a website helps to understand errors and also makes it easier to know what to do to avoid repeating them.
Some important metrics for websites are:
- Number of unique visitors;
- Conversion rate;
- Website evasion rate;
- Website loading speed;
- Among others.
Use Page Seed Insight, this Google tool that shows the loading speed of your website. Sites that load faster have higher conversion rates and rankings.
Knowing all the benefits of Google Search Console, create your account now. To improve your site's performance, read more about SEO techniques.
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