Google Search Console: 10 Key Points You Must Know to Improve SEO
A practical guide to kick-start your SEO with Google Search Console: verification, indexing, performance, Core Web Vitals, and more.
Hello,
The visibility of a website doesn’t rely only on content quality or design. To understand how Google analyzes and indexes your pages, Google Search Console (GSC) is the go-to tool. Free and accessible to all site owners, it provides essential data to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
If you are new to the platform, here are 10 key points you should know to make the most of it right away.
In this article:
Discover how to properly verify and index your pages to improve their visibility on Google.
Learn how to track your SEO performance with reports on clicks, impressions, and keywords.
Master essential tools like Core Web Vitals, Local SEO, and performance tracking to optimize your results.
Enjoy your reading, Marketers.
MusicScore : Jeff, the writer, was listening to Depeche Mode hits while working on this paper. Here is World in My Eyes.
The Google Machine:10 Key Points to Know
1. Verify and validate your site
First of all, you need to add and validate your site in GSC. This step proves to Google that you are the rightful owner and gives you access to your data. Different methods exist: HTML tag, uploaded file, DNS record, or Google Analytics integration.
2. Understand page indexing
Search Console shows which of your pages are indexed and which are not. This allows you to identify errors (blocked URLs, misconfigured tags, missing redirects).
3. Use the URL inspection tool
This tool lets you test a specific page to know if it’s indexed, detect technical issues, and request manual indexing when you make important updates.
4. Monitor site performance (SEO reports)
The Performance section provides key data such as:
Number of clicks
Impressions (appearances on Google)
CTR (click-through rate)
Average ranking position
This is the best place to see which keywords bring the most visitors.
5. Identify search queries driving traffic
GSC reveals the exact search terms used by users to find your site. This data helps you refine your SEO strategy to better target your audience’s needs.
Google Search Console: Effective Actions to Boost Your Performance
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Why it matters:
Since 2021, Google has included site speed and user experience in its ranking algorithm.
Key metrics:Loading time (Largest Contentful Paint)
Visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift)
Page responsiveness (First Input Delay)
Quick tip: Use GSC reports and PageSpeed Insights to fix pages that are too slow.
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Why it matters:
If your business targets local customers, GSC helps analyze visibility for city or region-specific queries.
Quick tip: Combine GSC insights with your Google Business Profile for stronger local SEO. -
Why it matters:
Without monitoring, you can’t know if your SEO efforts are paying off.
Quick tip: Compare monthly or seasonal results to see real visibility gains.
6. Analyze inbound and outbound links
GSC shows who links to your site (backlinks) and which pages are linked. Links are crucial for credibility and SEO ranking.
7. Fix crawling errors
Google can encounter problems when crawling your site. GSC lists these errors (404, not found pages, unavailable server) and helps you fix them.
8. Track user experience (Core Web Vitals)
Since 2021, Google takes into account user experience (loading time, stability, responsiveness). GSC provides detailed reports to improve your site’s speed and usability.
9. Get alerts for major issues
Search Console sends automatic notifications if Google detects critical problems: malware, security issues, sudden traffic drops, etc. A time-saver.
10. Prepare for local and international SEO
With GSC, you can better target your audience: define a geographic area, monitor multilingual performance, and optimize if you target a bilingual or international market.
Further Reading
In 2025, Google simplified data access with the Search Console Insights report, highlighting growing pages, top-performing queries, and traffic trends—even for beginners. In addition, SEO experts today recognize Google Search Console as the free, must-have tool to analyze a website’s visibility and optimize search performance.
(Sources: Google Search Central Blog, TechRadar 2025)
Conclusion
Google Search Console is not just a technical dashboard: it’s a true guide to understanding your site’s health and continuously improving your SEO.
By focusing on these 10 points, you’ll gain a clear overview of your performance and concrete actions to boost your visibility.
Thank you for reading,
See you on the Blog.
Jeff Maheux
Sources:
Google Search Central Blog – Introducing the new Search Console Insights (2025): https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/06/search-console-insights.
TechRadar – Best SEO tools in 2025: https://www.techradar.com/news/best-seo-tool.
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Websites - creation, management and design
I edit the content of existing sites via CMS in addition to creating sites with WordPress and Squarespace. I have been producing website content as a webmaster since 1998.
I help companies get their first website up and I improve the performance of existing sites.
Yes, I’m Mr. Analytics and my reaction time to new digital marketing is daily, which allows my clients to have optional and trend-cutting tools.
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