What Google Search Console is (and is not)
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows how your website performs in Google Search. It tells you which searches show your site, how many people click, which pages Google has indexed, and whether anything is broken. It is the only place where Google reports directly on how it sees your site.
It is not the same as Google Analytics. Analytics tells you what visitors do once they arrive on your site. Search Console tells you what happens before they arrive: in Google's results. You need both, but if you only set up one for SEO, make it Search Console.
Setting it up in about 15 minutes
- Go to Search Console and sign in with the Google account your business will keep long term, not a freelancer's personal account.
- Add a property. Choose Domain if you can. It covers every version of your site (with and without www, http and https, all subdomains) and is verified by adding a TXT record at your domain provider. The URL prefix option is easier to verify but covers only one version of the address.
- Verify ownership. Follow the instructions for your domain provider or website platform. DNS changes can take a little while to apply.
- Submit your sitemap under Indexing, then Sitemaps. Most platforms create one at an address like /sitemap.xml.
- Add users. Give your web designer or agency access as a user, so you keep ownership if you change providers.
Data starts collecting after verification, so set it up today even if you will not look at it for a few weeks. Performance data covers up to 16 months, which is why starting early pays off.
Your monthly 20-minute routine
Daily numbers jump around for reasons you cannot control. Once a month is the right rhythm for most small businesses. Here is what to check, in order:
| Report | What to look at | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Clicks, impressions, CTR and position versus the previous period | A sharp, lasting drop in clicks |
| Branded filter | Non-branded clicks, from people who did not know your name | Non-branded searches flat or falling for months |
| Generative AI report | Impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, by page | Key service pages never appear |
| Page indexing | Indexed pages and reasons for exclusion | Important pages listed as not indexed |
| Sitemaps | Status "Success" and a sensible page count | Errors or "Couldn't fetch" |
| Core Web Vitals and HTTPS | Good, needs improvement or poor URLs | Many poor URLs on mobile |
| Manual actions and Security issues | Should say no issues detected | Anything listed here: act immediately |
1. Performance: the big picture
Open Performance, then Search results. Set the date to the last 28 days and use Compare to see the previous period. The four numbers are:
- Clicks: visits from Google Search.
- Impressions: how often your site appeared in results, even if nobody scrolled to it.
- CTR: clicks divided by impressions.
- Average position: your average ranking across all searches. It is an average, so it can drop when you start appearing for many new searches, which is often good news.
Since December 2025 you can switch the chart from daily to weekly or monthly views, which makes real trends much easier to see. If your business is seasonal, compare with the same month last year instead of last month.
2. Branded vs non-branded searches
In November 2025 Google added a branded queries filter to the Performance report. It uses an AI-assisted system to separate searches that include your business name (and close variants or misspellings) from all other searches. This matters because branded searches mostly come from people who already know you. Non-branded clicks show whether SEO is bringing in new customers.
The filter is only available for eligible top-level properties with enough search volume. Smaller sites may not see it yet, and Google may misclassify some searches.
3. Find quick wins in Queries and Pages
- Sort queries by impressions and look for ones where your average position is roughly 8 to 20. You are close to page one. Improving that page's content often moves it up.
- Look for pages with many impressions but a low CTR. Rewriting the title tag and meta description to match what people searched for can lift clicks without any ranking change.
- Check the Pages tab to see which pages earn clicks, and which important pages earn none.
4. The Search Generative AI report
Google introduced Search Generative AI performance reports in June 2026 and says they reached all websites worldwide by August 31, 2026. They appear alongside the main Performance report and show impressions from AI Overviews, AI Mode and generative AI features in Discover, broken down by page, country, device and date. They do not show clicks or the queries behind them. Sites with little AI data may not see the report at all.
Use it to answer one simple question: which of your pages does Google use in AI answers? If your main service pages never appear, improving their clarity and depth is usually the fix. Our guide to AI search optimization explains what Google says helps. Note that AI impressions are also counted in your normal Web performance totals.
5. Page indexing: what the statuses mean
Under Indexing, then Pages, Google lists pages it did not index and why. The common ones:
- Crawled, currently not indexed: Google saw the page and chose not to index it yet, often because it looks thin or similar to other pages.
- Discovered, currently not indexed: Google knows the page exists but has not crawled it yet.
- Duplicate without user-selected canonical: Google thinks the page duplicates another one.
- Excluded by noindex tag: someone told Google not to index it. Make sure this is intentional.
- Not found (404): the page no longer exists. Fine if you deleted it on purpose; otherwise, fix links or add a redirect.
Not every page needs to be indexed. Tags, filters and thank-you pages can stay out. Your service pages, product pages and key articles should all be in.
6. Use URL Inspection for single pages
Paste any address into the search bar at the top to see whether that page is indexed, when Google last crawled it, and how it sees the mobile version. After a big update to an important page, you can click Request indexing. Do it once; repeating the request does not speed things up.
7. Core Web Vitals, HTTPS and security
The Core Web Vitals report groups your pages into good, needs improvement and poor, based on real visitor data. Small sites often show "not enough data", which is normal. The HTTPS report confirms pages load securely. Manual actions and Security issues should both be empty. If either shows a problem, fix it before anything else. If fixes need a developer, our web design team handles this kind of technical work for clients worldwide.
What is new in Search Console (2025 to 2026)
- June 2025: a new Search Console Insights report, built into Search Console, with a simpler overview of performance for non-experts.
- October 2025: Query groups in Insights, which use AI to cluster similar searches into topics. Only available to properties with a large volume of queries.
- November 2025: custom annotations. Right-click the Performance chart to add a short note, such as "new homepage launched". Notes are visible to everyone with access to the property.
- November 2025: the branded queries filter, later expanded to all eligible sites.
- December 2025: weekly and monthly views in the Performance report.
- June to August 2026: Search Generative AI performance reports, plus a Search generative AI control in Settings that lets sites opt out of AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google says opting out does not change normal rankings. Most small businesses should leave it on the default.
Common beginner mistakes
- Panicking over one bad week. Look at monthly trends and compare like with like.
- Reading average position as a ranking. It blends hundreds of searches together. Look at individual queries instead.
- Setting it up under someone else's account. Your business should own the property.
- Ignoring the emails. Search Console sends alerts for new issues. Make sure they go to an inbox someone reads.
- Not logging changes. Use annotations so that in six months you remember why traffic moved.
Search Console is one part of a wider routine. For the full picture, see our SEO checklist for small businesses.
Want help setting up Search Console or reading what it is telling you? Book a free 15-minute call through our contact form. dhowly works with businesses worldwide, and we are happy to walk through your reports with you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. Google Search Console is completely free for any website owner. You only need a Google account and the ability to verify that you own the site, usually through your domain provider or website platform.
What is the difference between Search Console and Google Analytics?
Search Console shows how your site performs in Google Search before people click: searches, impressions, rankings and indexing. Google Analytics shows what visitors do on your site after they arrive. They work best together.
Why don't I see the branded queries filter or the AI report?
Both have eligibility limits. The branded filter works only for top-level properties with enough search volume. The Search Generative AI report needs enough AI impressions to show data. Small or new sites may not see them yet.
How often should I check Search Console?
Once a month is enough for most small businesses, plus a quick look whenever Search Console emails you about a new issue or after you launch a major change to your site.
How long does it take for data to appear?
Performance data usually starts appearing within a few days of verification. Indexing reports can take longer to fill in for a new site. Search Console keeps up to 16 months of performance data.
Should I use the option to opt out of AI Overviews?
For most small businesses, no. Opting out removes your content from AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI features in Discover, so you lose that visibility. Google says it does not affect normal rankings. It mainly suits publishers with licensing concerns.
