If you’ve never opened Google Search Console, don’t worry—you’re not alone. But if you want to improve your rankings, increase traffic, or even just see how your site is performing in search, this tool is essential.

The best part? It’s free. And it’s from Google.

In this article we break down what it is, what it does, and how you can use it even if you’re not a techie.

What Is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console (GSC for short) is a free platform by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in search results.

Think of it like a control panel for your SEO. It tells you how your pages are performing, whether they’re showing up in search, and if anything’s broken behind the scenes.

It’s one of Google’s free SEO tools, and one of the few places you get data directly from the source—Google itself.

Why It Matters for SEO

Most small business owners guess when it comes to SEO. Google Search Console lets you stop guessing and start making data-based decisions.

Here’s what it helps you do:

  • See which pages are showing up in Google
  • Find out which keywords people are using to find you
  • Spot indexing problems that might be hiding your pages
  • Check mobile usability issues
  • Submit new pages directly to Google
  • Track clicks, impressions, and average rankings

It also helps you understand how Google crawls and indexes pages—a big deal when it comes to improving visibility.

Key Features You Should Know

Here’s what you’ll use most as a small business owner:

1. Performance Report

This shows:

  • Total clicks (how many people clicked your pages from search)
  • Total impressions (how many times your site showed up)
  • Average position (your ranking in search)
  • Queries (what keywords brought people to your site)

You can filter by date, page, country, device, and more.

2. Index Coverage

This shows which pages Google has indexed, which ones it skipped, and why.

Look for errors like:

  • “Page with redirect”
  • “Excluded by noindex tag”
  • “Crawled - currently not indexed”

You can fix problems here—or ask your SEO person (👋) to do it.

3. URL Inspection Tool

Paste in any URL on your site to check if it’s indexed, when it was last crawled, and whether Google sees any issues. It’s great for:

  • Troubleshooting new blog posts
  • Forcing Google to recrawl a page after updates

4. Sitemaps

Submit your XML sitemap here to help Google understand your site structure. This improves indexing and crawl efficiency.

Bonus: It shows how many URLs have been discovered vs indexed.

5. Mobile Usability

With most traffic coming from phones, you need your site to work well on mobile. This report flags mobile issues like:

  • Text too small
  • Clickable elements too close together
  • Content wider than screen

Fixing these improves rankings and user experience.

How to Set It Up (Takes 5 Minutes)

  • Go to https://search.google.com/search-console
  • Log in with your Google account
  • Click “Add Property”
  • Enter your website URL (use the full URL with https://)
  • Choose a verification method (recommended: DNS record or Google Analytics tag)

Once verified, it starts collecting data. You’ll usually see your first performance report within a few days.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Not submitting a sitemap
  • Ignoring indexing errors
  • Not checking keyword performance regularly
  • Only setting up GSC for the www version (set both www and non-www)
  • Forgetting to connect Google Search Console with Google Analytics

Don’t worry—most of this stuff is easy to fix once you know what to look for.

TL;DR

  • Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you track your site’s SEO performance
  • It tells you which keywords and pages are working (and which aren’t)
  • It helps you spot errors, fix indexing problems, and improve rankings
  • Set it up early and check it often—it’s your SEO cheat sheet

Final Thoughts

Google Search Console is one of the most important tools in your SEO toolbox—and it doesn’t cost a dime.

Whether you manage your own site or have someone doing SEO for you, it’s the one platform you should absolutely check at least once a month.

Want help setting yours up? Let us do it for you—free.