Hello, human digital marketers and SEO enthusiasts! Today, I’m excited to share with you my tips on a powerful tool that can take your SEO game to the next level: Google Search Console. This is the ultimate check-list that focuses only on SEO impacting insights so that you know how to use Google Search Console for SEO in a simple, clear way.
In this article, I’ll focus on the Performance section, which I think it is the main one to look at when you are implementing an SEO campaign. I’ll explain how to analyse this data by combining key metrics like Total clicks, Impressions, CTR, Average Position with Queries and Pages. So, let’s dive right in!
How to use Google Search Console for SEO
Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of the Performance section, make sure you have your website verified in Google Search Console. If you haven’t done this yet, follow the step-by-step instructions provided by Google to verify your site. Once your site is verified, you’ll start collecting data on how it’s performing in search results.
How to use the Performance Section for SEO: Clicks, Impressions, Average CTR and Position
1. Total Clicks:
Total clicks represent the number of times users clicked on your website’s search result in Google. This metric gives you a clear picture of how many visitors your website is attracting from search results.
2. Impressions:
Impressions show the number of times your website’s pages appeared in search results, regardless of whether users clicked on them or not. This metric indicates the visibility of your website in Google’s search results.
3. Click-Through Rate (CTR):
CTR is the ratio of Total Clicks to Impressions, expressed as a percentage. It provides insights into how effective your search results are at encouraging users to click through to your website. A higher CTR generally indicates that your page titles and meta descriptions are appealing to users.
4. Average Position:
Average Position tells you where your website’s pages typically rank in search results. A lower number means your pages are closer to the top of the search results, which is generally better for visibility and click-through rates.
What is a good average position in Google Search Console?
From my experience, page 1 Positions (1-10) are the best ones as it means they will appear in the traditional Search Results Page Google. Pages that appear on the first page of search results (positions 1-10) are generally considered successful. Users often do not venture beyond the first page, so achieving an average position in this range is a positive sign. However, sometimes Google displays a Search Results Page showing more than 10 results, specially depending on the device used.
Top 3 Positions (1-3): These positions are considered highly desirable. Pages ranking in the top 3 positions usually receive a significant share of clicks and traffic. For critical keywords or high-value pages, an average position in this range is excellent.
Top 10 Positions (1-10): Landing in the top 10 results is also quite good, as these positions receive substantial visibility and traffic. Pages in positions 4-10 can still generate valuable organic traffic.
Page 2 Positions (11-20): An average position in the range of 11-20 is still acceptable for some less competitive or long-tail keywords. While you may not receive as much traffic as pages on the first page, you can still attract valuable visitors.
Beyond Page 2 (21+): Average positions beyond the second page of search results (21 and beyond) are generally less desirable.
How to use the Performance Section for SEO: Queries and Pages
Now that you know what each metric means, let’s explore how to effectively analyse the Performance section by combining these metrics with Queries and Pages:
Step 1: Total Clicks vs. Impressions
Start by comparing Total Clicks with Impressions. If you have a high number of Impressions but a low Clicks count, it could mean that your page titles and meta descriptions aren’t compelling enough to entice users to click. Consider optimising these elements to improve your CTR.
Step 2: CTR vs. Average Position
Take a look at your CTR in relation to Average Position. If your Average Position is high (farther down in search results) but your CTR is low, this might indicate that your content or page titles need improvement to make them more appealing to users. Work on optimising these elements to boost your CTR.
Step 3: Queries and Pages
The real magic happens when you analyse Queries and Pages. Click on “Queries” to see which search terms are driving traffic to your site. You can sort the queries by Clicks, Impressions, CTR, or Average Position to identify opportunities for optimisation.
Here is a personal tip. Filter queries in position 11 to 20 first to try to optimise them and bring them to positions 1-10, which is the first Results Page in Google.
You will realise that many queries are similar. Try to introduce all of those terms into your pages to improve SEO rankings.
Now, click on “Pages” to see which pages on your site are performing the best and which ones need improvement. This is where you can see how specific pages are ranking and how users are interacting with them.
Step 4: Optimisation
Based on your analysis, you can make data-driven decisions to optimise your content, meta descriptions, and titles. This may involve refining your keyword targeting, improving the quality of your content, or making technical SEO enhancements.
Now, extra tip! If you optimise certain pages and you wonder when the changes will be updated by GSC, you can check the article in the link. If the update is taking too long, you can always submit the pages to GSC using the Inspection Tool to make them index faster.
Monitoring and Iteration
One of the best things about Google Search Console is that it provides historical data. This allows you to monitor changes over time. After implementing optimisations, keep a close eye on your performance data to see if your efforts are paying off. Adjust your strategy as needed and continue to refine your SEO.
It is so satisfying when you see that after optimising certain keywords in your articles the rankings start to improve over time! After chasing mice, gaining keyword rankings is my second favourite activity in the whole world!
GSC Check-list for SEO:
- Analyse Total Clicks vs. Impressions:
Compare Total Clicks and Impressions to assess the effectiveness of your page titles and meta descriptions. If Impressions are high but Clicks are low, consider optimising these elements to improve CTR.
- Evaluate CTR vs. Average Position:
Examine the relationship between CTR and Average Position. If your Average Position is high but CTR is low, work on enhancing your content and page titles to make them more appealing to users.
3. Analyse Queries and Pages:
Dive deeper into the data by reviewing the “Queries” and “Pages” sections. Identify high-performing search terms and pages, as well as areas that need improvement.
4. Focus on Optimisation:
- Make data-driven decisions for optimization based on your analysis:
- Refine keyword targeting to align with user intent.
- Improve the quality of your content to provide value to visitors.
- Enhance your page titles and meta descriptions to boost user engagement.
- Implement technical SEO enhancements to ensure your website’s overall health.
As you can see, Google Search Console’s Performance section is a treasure trove of data that can guide your SEO efforts. By combining metrics like Total Clicks, Impressions, CTR, and Average Position with Queries and Pages, you can gain deep insights on how to use Google Search Console for SEO.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so keep learning and iterating to achieve the best results for your website’s visibility in search results.
Happy optimising my human friends!
Moxie