Google Search Console (GSC)

Google Search Console (GSC for short, formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) is a free online tool from Google for monitoring and optimizing websites in Google search results.

With GSC you can:

• Get an overview of how Google perceives your website – for example, which pages are indexed and whether any errors occurred while crawling the site.
• Find out which keywords (queries) your website appears for in search results and what its click-through rate (CTR) is.
• Submit a sitemap, helping Google better understand the structure of your website.
• View a list of external referring websites, i.e. which sites on the internet link to your website (so-called backlinks).
• Analyze page performance (Performance) – the number of impressions and clicks, the average position in search results, or trends over time.
• Check the so-called Core Web Vitals – metrics of loading speed, interactivity and visual stability that affect both the user experience and how the website ranks in search.
• Uncover technical or security issues, such as a malware infection or problems with HTTPS.
• Check mobile usability, i.e. whether your website is easy to read and use on mobile devices.

Why does GSC matter?

GSC is an essential tool for every website owner or administrator who wants to improve their site's visibility in search and understand how the site works from Google's point of view. It helps uncover both technical and content issues, track traffic from organic search and gradually improve performance and the user experience.

Links:

• Sign in to Google Search Console
• Official service description
• Google Search Console help and documentation