Google Search Console

Free tool from Google showing how your site performs in search. Essential for SEO.

Core Functions

Get indexed. Submit new pages and sitemaps. Request reindexing when you update content. See which pages Google knows about.

Track performance. Which queries bring traffic. Which pages rank. Click-through rates, impressions, average position. Real data, not guesses.

Find problems. Crawl errors, mobile usability issues, Core Web Vitals failures, security problems. Google tells you what's broken so you can fix it. For a deep dive on any single URL's performance, use PageSpeed Insights.

For New Sites

Set up Search Console before anything else. Submit your sitemap. Monitor indexing progress. New sites can take weeks to get crawled—Search Console shows what's happening.

Pair with Analytics

Search Console shows search performance. An analytics tool shows what happens after the click. Together they tell the full story. Google Analytics is the obvious choice, but if you want something lighter that skips cookies and consent banners, Rybbit tracks the same after-the-click data — pageviews, sessions, conversions — with a cleaner interface.

For local businesses, Google Business Profiles matters alongside Search Console. For checking index status quickly, use the site: operator in Google.