Google Search Console is now known as Google Webmaster Tools. It brings with it some impressive algorithm updates, Google Search Engine tools, internal features, and services that aim to optimize website performance and organic visibility – both on a macro and a micro level.
SEO experts are aware that optimizing the website, its pages, blog posts, and written content is not for the weak-hearted.
With the right tools, you can make an apparently complicated and technical job seem easier and, as a result, appear more prominently in search results.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for
Some new technologies, such as super-powered smartphones or automated marketing technology, do not live up to their expectations. Before forming an opinion about Google’s Search Console, let’s take into consideration the various factors.
The first step is to understand the dimensions and metrics of Google Search Console. Next, add relevant sites, then set up users, owners, and permissions. After completing the initial steps, it’s time to create a sitemap, add filters, and learn how to use 23 new cases.
Continue reading to learn more about the new Google Search Console Features.
Search Performance Reports and URL Inspection Tool
Google has changed the way it counts metrics in its new search console. Whereas it previously used the exact URL when searching for specific words or phrases within indexed content, now it uses the canonical URL. While many aspects of SEO, such as headings and meta descriptions, are fairly straightforward, canonicalization is a bit more challenging.
The canonical tag or URL in the HTML header of your page tells search engines that there are different versions of a piece of content with different URLs. It is used to prevent duplicate content penalties or give credit to the original material.
In e-commerce, there is a lot of duplicate content, especially when customers are looking for similar products and services. The same information can appear in different URLs. Business-wise, the problem is only exacerbated when users link to different versions of content. This, in turn, damages the ranking of a site over time. Search engines are unable to determine which URLs should be displayed in search results. The new Search Performance Report tool and URL Inspection will begin assigning search metrics to the canonical URL and inspecting individual web pages on a website in order to give you the information that you need to unify data… and this can only be in your favor.
The search console is a powerful tool to help you understand the performance of your content in the SERPs and also gives you information on mobile usage.
It’s no secret today that most web users are on their mobile devices. Creating content with mobile-friendliness as a priority is essential for any ecommerce marketing strategy. In line with this, you should create mobile-specific URLs like accelerated mobile pages (AMP) or mobile-specific subdomains of your website. You can also tailor your content to viewers based on where they reside by simply using geotargeting URLs based on region or country.
You will also need to add the canonical tag to region-specific pages by adding a subdomain or regional slug. This is especially important if you have the same on-page content in the same language. Official URLs can improve your website’s performance in search engine results.
Index Coverage Status
This tool allows you to check which Live pages are indexed and what you can fix the ones that aren’t.
Google’s web crawlers and Google are always searching the Internet to find new content. Having your website indexed is important not only for its ranking in search engines but also for its page content, as Google will note and score any new pages that have significant information.
Google bots also crawl web pages and create cached copies of them. If you want to increase organic search traffic, you will need to have search engines re-index your website. Meta tag and keyword stuffing are common mistakes that can get you penalized or even have your site removed from the index. A frequent crawl rate can improve your search engine results.
Report the AMP Status
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is an initiative sponsored by Google that has received additional support since its launch in 2015. This includes Bing, Baidu, and Twitter.
This open-source, free framework consists of HTML, JS, and cache libraries, including extensions and AMP properties. It allows marketers to build mobile pages with robust content, such as high-resolution PDFs, audio and videos, or infographics.
After all that, let’s ask ourselves a question: Do you know the traffic to your website from AMP?
Indeed, AMP is not a ranking factor. However, keeping your audience happy and engaged will usually make Google happy, and they may reward you with better rankings and more clicks. It’s not easy to track AMP, which is a challenge. But if you want to increase organic traffic in Google Analytics and generate revenue, then it’s important to use the AMP analytics tool.
AMP may not increase SERP or engagement magically, but it can still make Google and your visitors very happy. Your site will benefit from higher rankings and more traffic if you keep an eye on this.
Report on Job Posting Status
You can improve your audience’s job-seeking experience by adding structured data for job postings. This will also make your postings eligible to appear as part of Google Enriched Search. It’s exciting to see your logo, job details, and reviews. You will be able to attract motivated and qualified candidates who are searching for specific positions if you use this tool. Job seekers can filter their options by region, industry, or job title. This will allow more qualified employees to interact with your job posts and click through your website.
You can monitor search performance to see how job seekers are responding to your job posting. You can track impressions by using UTM parameters in Google Analytics after a user has been directed from the job to your website.
Google Search Console: How to Adjust Your Search Results
It’s fair to say that we have become accustomed to the features in the older version of Google Webmaster Tool. However, the latest updates to Search Console are a welcome surprise.
Google will migrate some old features to the new console but not all tools or reports. Do not panic or close Google just yet. You can still switch between the two versions until the end of March. Google has also published a post that explains the migration in detail.