How to Use Google Search Console to Get More Search Traffic

- August 14, 2020

Let’s start with the basics.

Google’s algorithm ranks each page for terms it thinks are appropriate to the content. You can access those inferences through the free Google Search Console.

1. Get the big and little picture

You reach at the overview screen. Click on the Performance tab to see an summary of your site’s performance, including: -

Ø Total clicks

Ø Total impressions

Ø Average click-through rate (CTR)

Ø Average position of your site

The default view of the graphic (below) contains only total clicks and impressions. To see average CTR and average position in the graph, click on its consistent box.

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The tabs – queries, pages, countries, devices, and search appearance – allow you to examine the data (clicks, impressions, CTR, position) in different ways. Here’s a quick summary of the tabs: -

Ø Queries – all your ranking search terms

Ø Pages – list of pages on your site

Ø Countries – source of visitors on your site

Ø Device – how people interrelate with your site across mobile, desktop, tablet

Ø Search appearance – Presence in basics like rich snippets and accelerated mobile platforms (AMPs)

2. Export page keywords to Google Sheets

To recognize which keywords your content is ranking for. Select the Pages tab and export the data to Google Sheets.

Now, recognize which pages have the biggest impact on traffic by using the sort feature in Google Sheets:

Ø Highlight columns A to E.

Ø Click Data in the menu.

Ø Select Sort the range.

Ø Click Data has header row.

Ø Select Impressions.

Ø Choose Z to A.

Ø Click Sort.

Here’s a screenshot of what you should see when you have followed all these steps.

3. Download the keywords

Go to Google Search Console to see this data: -

Ø Click the new button and select page.

Ø Paste the first URL into the light box. Clicks apply.

Ø Select Queries from the table menu and click Export to Google Sheets.

In your exported Google Sheet, sort the queries by impressions (see the sorting instructions in the previous step for a refresher on how to do this).

4. Examine the results

Take time to review the analysis to look for effectiveness of your targeted keywords, surprising keywords, patterns etc.

Below are the examples of how you can use the information: -

Ø If a phrase is ranking on the first page and has a high number of impressions but a low CTR, optimize the page’s metadata to attract more clicks.

Ø If a phrase has higher number of impressions but a low CTR, increase the keyword density in the present content.

5. Update your content and SEO plans

Now, update your metadata and present content to integrate the high-ranking terms you have identified. For this see the below point: -

Ø The Essential Guide to Meta Descriptions That Will Get You Found Online

Ø The Why, When, and How of Republishing Blog Posts

Ø Rise Up in Google SERPs With the Right SEO Website Content

That brings us nicely onto the final phase of how to use Google Search Console for SEO.

6. Review the SEO impact of your updates

Updating old content and changing the metadata of your content is an ongoing process. Do it for two weeks after you update a metadata description and three months after you change the present content.

Go to Google Search Console and select a page to review. Then select Date range followed by Compare.

You can examine the data in Search Console. If you see an increase in position, CTR, or number of impressions, your changes likely had a positive impact. If you see no change or a decrease in those metrics, you should pinch the metadata or make changes to your content.

7. Investigate and use the data

In this guide to using Google Search Console for SEO, we wanted to deliver a data-driven framework for reviewing and optimizing your present content. It’s a structure that shelters how to find keywords that you possibly weren’t even aware you were ranking for.

If you have any questions about anything covered in this post, let us know in the comment box.