Google Search Console is Google's free tool for seeing how your website does in Google Search. It shows which searches bring up your pages, how often people click, and whether Google can find and index those pages at all. Nowhere else does Google hand you this data directly. Setup takes about half an hour. After that, Google says a check about once a month is enough.
Step 1: Add your site and verify it (10 minutes)
Go to Search Console, sign in with the Google account you use for the business, and add a property (your website). You'll pick one of two types:
| Property type | Covers | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Domain (example.com) | Every version of your site: http and https, www and non-www, subdomains | Only by adding a DNS record at your domain provider |
| URL prefix (https://www.example.com) | Only addresses starting with that exact prefix | HTML file, HTML meta tag, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or DNS |
Our pick: choose Domain if you can log into your domain provider (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare and so on). One property covers everything. Google's help page says the DNS method "is the only way to verify a Domain property."
If your web designer holds the domain login, a URL-prefix property verified through your existing Google Analytics or Tag Manager is often quicker than chasing them.
A bonus: Google's verification help for Business Profiles says some businesses can be verified instantly when their website is already verified in Search Console. Use the same Google account for both.
Step 2: Submit your sitemap (5 minutes)
A sitemap is a file listing the pages on your site you want Google to know about. Most website builders and SEO plugins make one for you, and it often lives at /sitemap.xml. Not sure? Ask your web designer.
- Open your sitemap address in a browser to check it exists.
- In Search Console, open Sitemaps, paste the address into "Add a new sitemap," and click Submit.
- Come back in a few days. The status should say Success, meaning "the sitemap was fetched and read without any errors." "Couldn't fetch" usually means a wrong address or a block in your site settings.
Step 3: Read the Performance report (10 minutes)
Performance (Search results) shows how people find you on Google. By default it covers the last three months. You'll see four numbers:
| Metric | Google's definition | In plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks | "The number of times a user clicked your site from Google Search results." | Visits from Google |
| Impressions | "How many times your site appeared in Search results." | Times you were shown |
| CTR | "The click count divided by the impression count." | Share of people who clicked |
| Average position | "The average position of the topmost result from your site." | Roughly where you appeared, averaged |
Use the tabs below the chart:
- Queries: the actual searches. Look for your services plus your town, and searches for your business name.
- Pages: which pages get shown and clicked.
- Countries and Devices: useful for checking that most traffic is from the US and how much comes from phones.
Two cautions. Average position is averaged across many searches and locations, so read it as a trend rather than your rank. And this report only covers your website in Google Search. Calls and direction requests from your Business Profile show up in the profile's own performance section instead.
Step 4: Check Page indexing (5 minutes)
Indexing means Google has stored a page so it can appear in results. The Page indexing report shows how many of your pages are indexed and why others aren't.
A long "Not indexed" list looks scary, but Google says: "Don't expect every URL on your site to be indexed." "Non-indexed URLs can be fine." What matters is that your key pages are indexed.
The usual reasons, and what to do about each:
| Reason | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Alternate page with proper canonical tag | A duplicate pointing to the main version | "There is nothing you need to do." |
| Not found (404) | The page doesn't exist | Fine if deleted; if moved, add a 301 redirect |
| URL marked 'noindex' | The page tells Google not to index it | Remove the setting if you want it in Google |
| Crawled - currently not indexed | Google saw it and chose not to index it for now | Improve the page if it matters; resubmitting isn't needed |
| Discovered - currently not indexed | Google knows about it but hasn't crawled yet | Usually just wait |
After you fix a real problem, click Validate fix. Google says validation can take about two weeks.
Step 5: Use URL Inspection for one page
Paste any page address into the search bar at the top. The URL Inspection tool shows "information about Google's indexed version of a specific page," and Test live URL checks the current version.
Just published an important page, or rewrote one? You can click Request indexing. Google notes there's a daily limit, and "submitting a request does not guarantee that the page will appear in the Google Index." For more than a handful of pages, let your sitemap do the work.
Your monthly 10-minute check
Google's own getting-started guide suggests checking "around once every month, or when you make changes to the site's content," and says Search Console will email you about new issues.
- Performance: compare the last 28 days with the previous period. Are clicks up or down? Any new service or town queries?
- Page indexing: are your service pages and contact page indexed?
- Core Web Vitals: any pages marked "Poor"? (Lesson 7.)
- Manual actions and Security issues: both should say no issues detected.
- Emails: read anything Search Console sent you.
A local example
An illustrative example, not a real restaurant. Casa Verde Taqueria in Raleigh, North Carolina, added its domain property via a DNS record at its registrar and submitted the sitemap its website builder created.
In the first month, the Queries tab showed most clicks came from the restaurant's name, while "tacos near downtown raleigh" and "catering raleigh" had impressions but few clicks. The Pages tab showed the catering page was "Discovered - currently not indexed" and wasn't linked from the menu. The owner linked it from the home page and menu, added a real catering menu with prices, and used URL Inspection to request indexing. The next check is already on the calendar: 10 minutes, first of the month.
Do this now
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. Google describes it as "a free service offered by Google."
What's the difference between a Domain and a URL-prefix property?
A Domain property covers every version and subdomain of your site and must be verified with a DNS record. A URL-prefix property covers only addresses starting with that exact prefix and has more verification options.
Why aren't all my pages indexed?
Google says not every URL will be indexed and that non-indexed URLs can be fine. Make sure your important pages are indexed and fix any reasons marked as coming from your website.
How often should I check Search Console?
Google's guide suggests around once a month, or when you change your site's content. It also emails you when it finds new issues.
Sources
- About Search Console, Search Console Help (checked Oct 2026)
- How to use Search Console, Google Search Central (checked Oct 2026)
- Verify your site ownership, Search Console Help (checked Oct 2026)
- Performance report (Search results), Search Console Help (checked Oct 2026)
- Page indexing report, Search Console Help (checked Oct 2026)
- Sitemaps report, Search Console Help (checked Oct 2026)
- URL Inspection tool, Search Console Help (checked Oct 2026)
- Verify your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help (checked Oct 2026)
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