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Google Search Console for SEO and Keyword Research

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If you’re looking to improve your website’s visibility on Google, you probably know the basics: keywords, backlinks, and content quality. But there’s a frequently disregarded tool that goes beyond the basics and taps into data directly from Google.

That tool is Google Search Console (GSC) – a goldmine for SEO and keyword research. You can use it to discover what most marketers ignore – what’s really driving traffic to your site and what to do better.

Did you know that Google Search Console can help you find high-potential keywords that other tools might overlook? Or that it can show you exactly which pages need a bit more optimization to climb higher in search results? 

Setting Up Google Search Console

To start making the most of Google Search Console, the first step is getting it set up correctly.

This might seem straightforward, but make sure that everything is done right from the beginning. Proper setup means you’ll have accurate data to work with, which is key to making informed decisions.

Step 1: Creating and Verifying Your Property

The first thing you need to do is create a property in Google Search Console. A property is basically your website. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Sign in to Google Search Console: If you don’t have a Google account, you’ll need to create one.
  2. Add a Property: Click on the “Add Property” button. You’ll have two options: “Domain” and “URL prefix.”
    • Domain: This option tracks everything across all subdomains and protocols (http/https). It requires DNS verification.
    • URL Prefix: This option tracks a specific URL and is easier to verify, but it won’t cover subdomains or other protocols unless you add them separately.
  3. Verify Ownership: Verification is necessary to prove that you own the site. Google provides several methods for verification:
    • DNS Verification (for Domain): This involves adding a DNS record to your domain’s DNS settings.
    • HTML File Upload (for URL Prefix): Google provides a file that you upload to your website’s root directory.
    • HTML Tag: Add a meta tag to your site’s homepage.
    • Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager: If you already use these tools, you can verify your site through them.

After completing these steps, Google will start collecting data from your website. This might take a few days to populate fully, but once it does, you’ll have access to a wealth of information about your site’s performance.

Step 2: Here’s Your Dashboard

Once your site is verified, you’ll be taken to the Google Search Console dashboard. This is your control center for all things related to your website’s performance on Google.

  • Overview: This gives you a snapshot of your site’s performance, coverage (indexing status), enhancements (like mobile usability and Core Web Vitals), and security issues.
  • Performance Report: Here, you can see how your site is performing in Google Search—more on this in the next section.
  • Index Coverage: This section shows you which pages are being indexed by Google and any issues preventing other pages from being indexed.
  • Enhancements: These include reports on mobile usability and Core Web Vitals, which are crucial for SEO.

By familiarizing yourself with the dashboard, you can quickly access some of most important data for your SEO efforts. Data that 99% of the people ignore.

Understanding Your Performance Report

Now that you’ve set up Google Search Console and familiarized yourself with the dashboard, it’s time to dive into the data that can help you improve your SEO. The Performance Report is one of the most valuable tools within GSC, if not the most valuable, giving you a detailed look at how your website is performing in Google Search.

Step 1: Accessing the Performance Report

To access the Performance Report, simply click on “Search Results” under “Performance” in the left-hand menu. This is where the magic happens. This report will show you several key metrics that are crucial for understanding how your site is doing:

  • Clicks: The total number of clicks your site received from Google Search.
  • Impressions: The number of times your site appeared in search results.
  • Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that resulted in a click.
  • Average Position: The average ranking of your site in search results for the queries that triggered your pages.

These metrics provide a snapshot of how users interact with your site in search results. But to truly leverage this data, you need to dig a little deeper.

The real power of the Performance Report lies in analyzing trends. By default, GSC shows data from the past three months, but you can adjust this to look at different timeframes. Here’s what to look for:

  • Overall Traffic Trends: Are clicks and impressions increasing or decreasing? If they’re declining, it might signal an issue with your SEO strategy or recent Google algorithm updates.
  • Seasonal Fluctuations: Some industries experience seasonal changes in search behavior. Understanding these patterns can help you plan your content and promotions more effectively.
  • CTR and Position Trends: Analyzing the relationship between CTR and position can reveal opportunities to optimize your titles and meta descriptions. For example, if you have a high ranking but a low CTR, your meta description might not be compelling enough.

Step 3: Focusing on the Average Position Metric

One of the most overlooked but powerful metrics in the Performance Report is the “Average Position.” While it’s easy to focus solely on clicks and impressions, understanding your average position can help you identify where to focus your SEO efforts:

  • Low-Hanging Fruit: Look for keywords where your average position is between 8 and 20. These are prime candidates for optimization, as small improvements could move your page to the first page of search results.
  • Opportunities for Improvement: Keywords with an average position just outside the top 10 might benefit from targeted SEO efforts, like improving on-page content, building backlinks, or optimizing for better user experience.

Step 4: Filtering and Comparing Data

Google Search Console allows you to filter and compare your data in several ways:

  • By Query: See which search terms are driving traffic to your site.
  • By Page: Understand which pages are performing well and which need improvement.
  • By Country or Device: Analyze how your site performs across different regions or devices.

For example, you can compare how your site performs on mobile versus desktop to identify if there are trends specific to mobile users. This can guide you in making necessary mobile optimizations. This especially important for DTC e-commerce, where most traffic and purchases come from mobile devices.

More importantly, you can focus on a handful of key target markets. Which is very helpful for any business just starting up that wants to focus on a few select countries. Equally so for an established business looking for new opportunities.

Tips for Performance Analysis

Here’s one way to take your analysis from “This is nice!” to “Mind blown! I did not know that”:

  1. Start with impressions. Look for high-intent keywords that revolve around your product and search. If you are just starting out with your venture or website, this will help you see any valuable keywords you could potentially use to get traffic. Trust me, if you put any sincere effort into this and have a slightly older, functioning site – you will change the way you see your business. By developing an eye for search impressions, in an instant you will understand the untapped potential but also some of the limits of any brand.
  2. Before you jump into clicks, chart down and make a list of potentially lucrative keywords. You will need that in a second. Use your understanding of your business and group together high-potential keywords into common clusters in Google Sheets. See different patterns by filtering. Doing so will probably give you more keyword ideas.
  3. Keep that list around. Now go into Google Keyword Planner in Google Ads or use one of the paid tools like Ahrefs to see the potential traffic volumes for your target markets. Also have a look at keyword difficulty, CPC, and other relevant metrics. Correlate these numbers with your average order value, your business revenue and profitability goals. This little bit of napkin math will help you quickly gain a sense of how you can get from A to B, from zero to one.
  4. Analyze your keywords a bit further. Based on the average CPC, search volumes and keyword ranking difficulty you can take another step. Divide the keywords inside each cluster into those that you can afford to bid on with Google text ads and those that you want to rank high just organically. It may be the case that you only want to focus on organic search – that is fine, it is still quite useful to have an hierarchy of keywords. This will help you set expectations and have emotional depth to handle the time it will take to rank for some of the more difficult, and usually the most lucrative, keywords.
  5. But don’t stop there just yet. There are more marketing channels than just organic and paid search. Tag any keywords or even keyword clusters that could be helpful in building partnerships in your niche or could be attractive for potential affiliates.

This is a lot on its own and we have not even reached clicks yet! As you can well imagine, by combining three additional factors available to you – you can truly change your perspective on your entire business.

Here’s how to do all of this step by step.

Pinning Down Top Pages and Queries

The Performance Report gives you a big-picture view of your website’s performance, but to really improve your SEO, you need to focus on specific pages and queries. Google Search Console makes it easy to see which pages are doing well and which search terms are driving traffic to your site.

Step 1: Finding Your Top Pages

To see your top-performing pages, head to the Performance Report and click on the “Pages” tab. This will show you a list of your website’s pages, ranked by the number of clicks they’ve received from search results.

Look at the following key metrics to evaluate your top pages:

  • Clicks: Which pages are getting the most clicks? These are your high-performing pages and can give you insight into what’s working well on your site.
  • Impressions: This tells you how many times a page has appeared in search results. If a page has a lot of impressions but few clicks, that’s a sign that something may be off with your title or meta description.
  • Average Position: Pages with a high average position (close to #1) are likely your best-ranking pages. These are the pages that are doing well in search results and driving the most traffic.

Step 2: Optimizing Your Top Pages

Once you know your top pages, the next step is to make sure they’re fully optimized. Here are a few ways you can improve even your best pages:

  • Internal Linking: Strengthen your top pages by adding internal links from other relevant pages on your site. This helps search engines understand the importance of these pages and can give them an SEO boost.
  • Content Refresh: Update the content on these pages to keep it relevant and fresh. Search engines favor up-to-date information, so refreshing your content can help maintain or even improve your rankings.
  • User Experience Improvements: Check the page’s load time, mobile usability, and overall design. Pages that rank high but provide a poor user experience can drop in the rankings if they don’t meet user expectations.

Step 3: Discovering Valuable Queries

Next, click on the “Queries” tab in the Performance Report. This section shows the search terms (keywords) that are bringing traffic to your website. Here’s what to focus on:

  • Top Queries: Look at the keywords with the most clicks. These are the search terms where your site is performing well, and they give you a good idea of what your audience is looking for.
  • Low-CTR Keywords: Identify keywords that have a high number of impressions but a low CTR. This is an opportunity to tweak your titles or meta descriptions to make them more engaging.
  • Long-Tail Keywords: These are longer, more specific search terms that might not get as many searches but tend to convert better. Long-tail keywords are often easier to rank for and can help you capture highly targeted traffic.

Step 4: Improving Low-Performing Pages and Queries

Not all pages and queries will perform well right away, but that’s where the opportunity lies. Focus on pages and queries that are close to breaking into the top results, but just need a little extra attention. Here’s how:

  • Pages with High Impressions but Low Clicks: For these pages, improving the meta description or page titles can make a big difference. Make them more relevant to the search query and more appealing to the user.
  • Queries with Low Rankings: Identify queries where your average position is lower than 10. For these, improving the content on the related page—adding more in-depth information, answering related questions, or increasing keyword relevance—can help boost rankings.

Using Google Search Console for Keyword Research

Google Search Console is a hidden gem when it comes to keyword research. Unlike paid tools that provide estimates, GSC shows you real search data from Google, which can be incredibly valuable for identifying new keyword opportunities and refining your SEO strategy. Here’s how you can use it effectively for keyword research.

Step 1: Discovering New Keyword Opportunities

Start by revisiting the “Queries” tab in the Performance Report. Here, you’ll find all the search terms (keywords) that have driven traffic to your site. But the real opportunity lies in keywords that you might not be targeting yet.

Here’s how to uncover them:

  • Sort by Impressions: When you sort queries by impressions, you’ll see keywords that get a lot of visibility but might not be driving many clicks to your site. These keywords can reveal new content opportunities. For instance, if you see a keyword with high impressions and low clicks, you could create a new blog post or landing page specifically optimized for that term.
  • Use Low-Ranking Queries: Look for queries where your site ranks between positions 8 and 20. These keywords are within striking distance of page 1 but aren’t quite there yet. Optimizing for these terms can often result in a quick boost in rankings, especially if the content is improved or the user experience is enhanced.

Step 2: Filtering by Country and Device

If your business serves specific regions or you want to understand how your site performs on mobile versus desktop, GSC’s filtering options are a powerful feature for keyword research.

  • Filter by Country: Click on the filter button and select “Country.” This will show you how your site performs in different regions. If you’re targeting specific countries, this can help you see if you need to adjust your SEO efforts to better align with local search trends.
  • Filter by Device: Choose “Device” to compare how keywords perform on desktop, mobile, or tablet. If you see keywords that perform well on desktop but poorly on mobile, it could indicate mobile optimization issues. On the other hand, finding keywords that perform well on mobile can help you capitalize on the growing mobile search traffic.

Step 3: Finding Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are typically more specific and less competitive than short, broad search terms. These keywords may have lower search volumes, but they often bring in more qualified traffic because they cater to users who know exactly what they’re looking for.

To find long-tail keywords:

  • Use Query Filtering: GSC allows you to filter queries by keyword length. Search for phrases with three or more words. These long-tail queries can reveal content opportunities that are easier to rank for, as they tend to have less competition.
  • Check for Question-Based Queries: Long-tail keywords often appear as questions (e.g., “How to improve SEO with Google Search Console”). Finding these types of queries can help you create content that directly answers what users are searching for, improving both your SEO and user engagement.

Step 4: Tracking Keyword Performance Over Time

SEO is not a one-time effort. To make sure your keywords continue to perform well, it’s important to monitor them regularly. Google Search Console allows you to track keyword performance over time:

  • Monitor Position Changes: If you see a keyword that’s dropping in average position, that could indicate the need for content updates or more backlinks to that page.
  • Track New Keywords: Keep an eye on any new keywords that begin appearing in your queries. These can indicate emerging trends or new opportunities that you can quickly capitalize on.

Building Your Content Strategy with GSC

The data you collect can help you spot gaps in your content, identify opportunities for updates, and confirm you’re meeting user intent. By using GSC data strategically, you can improve your website’s content to align better with what users and search engines look for.

Step 1: Conducting a Content Gap Analysis

One of the best ways to use Google Search Console for content planning is through a content gap analysis. This involves looking at the queries that bring people to your site and identifying areas where you could create new content to target missed opportunities.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Review Queries with Low Clicks and High Impressions: These queries show that your site is appearing in search results but isn’t getting clicks. Look for patterns in these queries—are there related topics that you haven’t covered fully or at all? This can reveal gaps in your content.
  • Identify New Topics to Cover: Use these queries to guide the creation of new blog posts, landing pages, or resource guides. Focus on long-tail keywords or questions that your current content may only partially answer. This will not only fill the gap but also attract a more specific audience that is more likely to convert.

Step 2: Refreshing and Optimizing Existing Content

Old content on your website can become outdated or lose relevance over time, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost its value. Instead of creating new content, sometimes the best strategy is to refresh what’s already there. Google Search Console helps you see which pages might need a bit of attention.

  • Look at Pages with Declining Performance: In the “Pages” tab of the Performance Report, sort by date and check for pages that have seen a decline in clicks or impressions over time. This might indicate that the content needs updating to stay relevant or to reflect new trends in your industry.
  • Update for Better SEO: Add fresh information, optimize your keywords, or improve your on-page SEO for these pages. Don’t forget to check for new keyword opportunities that may have emerged since the content was first published. A content refresh can often result in a noticeable ranking boost.

Step 3: Optimizing for User Intent

One of the most important factors in content success is matching your content to the intent behind the queries driving traffic. Google Search Console gives you direct access to the search terms that users are typing into Google. With this information, you can tailor your content to better meet user needs.

  • Analyze Search Intent: Look at the specific queries bringing traffic to each page. Are users looking for informational content, products, or services? If users are looking for answers to specific questions, check if your content clearly and directly answers them. If users are seeking products, highlight your offerings more prominently or improve the calls to action.
  • Create Content for Different Stages of the User Journey: Use your keyword data to target content toward different phases of the buyer’s journey—awareness, consideration, and decision-making. This makes sure that you capture users at various stages of interest and guide them through to conversion.

Step 4: Using Data to Plan Future Content

GSC’s ability to show you which keywords are driving traffic can also inform your future content strategy. By looking at trends in keyword performance, you can predict what types of content are likely to resonate with your audience going forward.

  • Focus on Emerging Trends: Pay attention to new keywords that start appearing in your query list. These can point to growing interest in a topic, allowing you to create content around those keywords before the competition does.
  • Build Topic Clusters: Once you find a high-performing keyword, use it as the center of a topic cluster. Create related blog posts or subtopics that link back to a pillar page. This boosts your overall site authority on the topic and improves internal linking, helping both users and search engines understand the structure of your content.

Adjusting Your SEO Strategy

SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it task. You need to be able to do ongoing monitoring and adjustments so your site stays competitive in search results.

Step 1: Setting Up Alerts for Issues

One of the most helpful features of Google Search Console is the ability to receive alerts when there are significant issues with your site. This allows you to respond quickly to problems that could negatively affect your rankings.

  • Enable Email Notifications: In GSC, you can opt to receive email alerts for critical issues, such as site downtime, security problems, or major drops in indexing. Set these up in the “Settings” section to get notified as soon as Google detects an issue.
  • Monitor Coverage Issues: In the “Coverage” section, GSC will notify you of errors that are preventing certain pages from being indexed. Regularly check this section for issues like “Crawled but not indexed,” “Redirect errors,” or “404 errors” and resolve them promptly.

By responding quickly to alerts and fixing errors, you help maintain your site’s health, which is a key factor in how Google views and ranks your site.

Step 2: Tracking Core Web Vitals

Google’s Core Web Vitals (CWV) have become increasingly important for SEO. These metrics focus on user experience, measuring things like page load speed, interactivity, and visual stability. GSC provides a dedicated section to monitor your site’s CWV, making it easy to spot areas for improvement.

  • Check the Core Web Vitals Report: In the “Enhancements” section, you’ll find the CWV report. This report categorizes your pages into “Good,” “Needs Improvement,” and “Poor” based on their performance in three key metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
  • Fix Poor-Performing Pages: Pages that fall into the “Poor” category should be addressed as a priority. Google has made it clear that page experience is a ranking factor, so improving these metrics can directly impact your rankings.

To keep your SEO efforts on track, it’s important to establish a routine for reviewing your GSC data. By regularly checking your performance metrics, you can identify trends—both positive and negative—and adjust your strategy accordingly.

  • Check Monthly for Keyword Position Changes: Look at your “Queries” tab every month to spot changes in keyword rankings. If certain keywords are dropping, it might be time to refresh the content or build backlinks to those pages.
  • Review Pages with Declining Traffic: If you notice a specific page that is seeing a steady decline in clicks or impressions, investigate possible reasons. It could be a result of new competition, outdated content, or a technical issue affecting indexing.
  • Compare Mobile vs. Desktop Performance: Regularly check how your site is performing on mobile compared to desktop. With Google’s mobile-first indexing, ensuring your mobile experience is as strong as your desktop experience is critical for maintaining rankings.

Step 4: Making Continuous SEO Improvements

SEO is not a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. Using GSC data, you can continuously refine your approach, make targeted improvements, and ensure your site stays relevant and competitive.

  • Identify Pages with Untapped Potential: Pages that rank between positions 11–20 are close to breaking into the top 10 search results. Focus on these pages by updating content, adding relevant keywords, or improving user experience to push them higher in the rankings.
  • Track Changes After Updates: After making optimizations to your site, use GSC to track the impact. Did your changes improve rankings or traffic? If not, you may need to revisit the page and experiment with additional optimizations.
  • Monitor for Google Algorithm Updates: While Google doesn’t always announce algorithm changes, you may notice shifts in your rankings or traffic that align with industry reports about updates. If your site experiences significant ranking changes, dig into GSC to find out which pages or keywords were affected and adjust your strategy accordingly.
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