How Do You Use Google Search Console To Improve Content SEO?

Story Based Question

A small online bookstore has dozens of blog posts and product pages, but they’re struggling to understand why some pages rank well while others barely show up in search results. They decide to use Google Search Console (GSC) to analyze their performance and uncover insights to improve SEO. However, they don’t know where to start or how to use the data effectively.

If you were brought in to help, how would you guide them in using GSC to optimize their content for better SEO?

Exact Answer

To improve content SEO with Google Search Console, analyze performance reports to identify high-ranking keywords, monitor coverage reports to fix indexing issues, optimize pages with low CTR but high impressions, and use the URL inspection tool to ensure proper indexing.

Explanation

Google Search Console is a treasure trove of actionable data for improving SEO. Here’s how to make the most of it:

1. Analyze Performance Reports
   • Go to the “Performance” tab to see which queries bring traffic to your site.
   • Identify high-impression, low-CTR keywords. For example, if a blog post ranks on page 1 but has a low CTR, you can improve the title or meta description to attract more clicks.
   Action: For the bookstore, a page ranking for “best books for entrepreneurs” might have many impressions but few clicks. Rewrite the meta description to highlight unique selling points: “Discover top books for entrepreneurs—curated with expert reviews.”
2. Fix Indexing Issues
   • Check the “Coverage” report for pages with errors, such as 404s or pages excluded from indexing.
   • Use the “Validate Fix” option after addressing the issues.
   Action: If the bookstore’s product pages aren’t indexed, ensure no-blocking directives exist in the robots.txt file or meta tags. Submit these URLs for re-indexing.
3. Optimize for CTR
   • Review queries and pages with high impressions but low CTR.
   • Improve headlines, meta descriptions, or even content layout to better align with user intent.
   Action: Rewrite a dull title like “Top Books 2024” to something engaging like “Top 10 Must-Read Books for 2024 You Can’t Put Down.”
4. URL Inspection Tool
   • Use this tool to check if your pages are indexed correctly.
   • Identify issues like blocked resources or mobile usability errors.
   Action: For the bookstore, ensure product pages load fast and are mobile-friendly. If the tool flags a mobile usability error, fix it and request re-indexing.
5. Enhance Internal Linking
   • Use the “Links” report to identify which pages have few internal links.
   • Add links to relevant content within your site to strengthen your SEO strategy.
   Action: Link blog posts about “Best Fiction of 2024” to related product pages for specific books, creating a cohesive user experience.
6. Track Core Web Vitals
   • Use the “Page Experience” and “Core Web Vitals” reports to address slow-loading pages or poor mobile usability.
   Action: Optimize large images on a “Best Mystery Novels” blog post to improve load times and rankings.

Example

Let’s revisit the online bookstore.

Problem: Their blog post “Top Science Fiction Books” gets many impressions but ranks low on CTR. They also discover several product pages are excluded from indexing due to “noindex” tags.

Steps Taken:

1. CTR Improvement: They rewrite the blog post’s title from “Top Sci-Fi Books” to “Explore the Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024 – Curated for True Fans.”
2. Meta Description: Add a compelling description: “From space adventures to dystopian tales—check out the must-read sci-fi books of 2024.”
3. Indexing Issues: Remove incorrect “noindex” tags from product pages and submit them for indexing via the URL inspection tool.
4. Internal Links: Link the blog post to product pages of featured books, enhancing navigation and SEO.

Result: The blog post sees a 25% increase in CTR within two weeks, and product pages start appearing in search results, driving sales.