Overview
The new version of the Google Search Console launched recently. The new search console helps website owners use the console more accessible, as well as understand how to carry out the changes recommended on the console. The changes make it easier for website owners to improve their search traffic.
By understanding Google Search Console data better, they can identify problems and solutions faster. Fewer websites with technical issues equate to a better search experience for your visitors and Google. Everyone wins.
In this article, we want to explore some of the changes in the Google Search Console. Then we review how your small business can use these changes to improve their search traffic.
What are the changes in the Google Search Console?
The new Search Console helps website admins follow search and mobile standards Google established to improve website quality.
In essence, you use the Google Search Console to track the technical on-site challenges your site faces.
Some of the items in the Search Console tracks include:
- How many blocked URLs Google cannot index
- Crawl errors on your website like 404 errors
- Any security breaches
- Links to your site
- A valid sitemap laying out the structure of your website to Google
Google wants to know about any item that impacts the user experience. Over the last few years, the search engine placed a greater emphasis on the user experience in their algorithm.
After interviewing over 30,000 Search Console users, they explored ways to improve the look and feel of the tool.
Three ways to use Google Search Console for more search traffic
We mentioned earlier how the Search Console helps your small business with search and mobile traffic from Google. Therefore, here are three ways to achieve this goal.
#1. Index your website
Before you use Google Search Console, you need to connect your site to Google. Logically, Google cannot tell you how many crawl errors you have until they index your website.
The search engine is not able to fully crawl your site until you give them access. To do this, Google needs a sitemap of your website.
If you use WordPress, you can use a plugin to set up the sitemap. Three popular options are Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack, and Google XML Sitemap. All three help you index your site without any coding.
If you struggle to set up the sitemap for your WordPress website, contact us at Shout for a free consultation today.
#2. Improved Analytics
Now that you have your website indexed on Google start reviewing the analytics. Google made the majority of their changes in the analytics section of the search console.
In fact, Google formerly used Google Analytics to show the number of queries for specific keywords on your site. Unfortunately, they pulled that information from Google Analytics a few years ago. Now the only way to get search data for your website is through the Search Console.
You can also review what pages do not get indexed on Google and why through the search console. The easy-to-use interface makes the data a lot easier to understand.
#3. Google Amp
The final aspect of Google Search Console is using it for mobile traffic. The best way to get mobile traffic from Google is to use Google AMP. WordPress sites can set up the AMP for WordPress or All in One SEO plugins to ensure they get quality mobile search traffic from Google.
Once you set this up, you can then easily validate any fixes you made to your site that affects Google AMP. The tests through the validate fix button provide instantaneous responses.
Google wants more websites to use AMP for mobile traffic users. Their mobile platform ensures sites provide the highest standards of quality for traffic.
Final Thoughts
Google runs on data. The search engine uses data from websites to determine how to rank sites. They also provide data to website admins to help them maintain the highest standards of quality.
The new Search Console has better visual aspects for website admins to review their data and advance their site traffic. These changes benefit Google because consumers want to find the highest quality match to their Google search sitemapresults.
Therefore, they reward those sites that provide the highest quality experience to their audience.
If you want to improve the search experience for your target market, let us help. Schedule a free search engine consultation with one of our SEO Agency experts today.
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