Google Search Console

Workflow

1. Property Setup

Verify ownership via DNS TXT record (most reliable):

google-site-verification=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alternatives: HTML file upload, HTML meta tag, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager.

Add both versions:

• https://example.com (URL prefix) — for specific path filtering
• example.com (Domain) — for comprehensive data including subdomains

2. Index Coverage Audit

Navigate to Pages → Indexing to review status:

Common exclusion reasons and fixes:

3. Performance Analysis

Key metrics: impressions, clicks, CTR, average position.

Analysis by query cluster:

1. Export performance data (Queries tab, 16 months max)
2. Group queries by intent/topic
3. Calculate cluster-level CTR vs expected CTR for position:

If actual CTR < expected: Title/description needs optimization. If actual CTR > expected: Strong snippet — protect this content.

Quick wins — filter for:

• Position 5-15 with high impressions → optimize to push into top 5
• High impressions, low CTR → rewrite title tags and meta descriptions
• Position 1-3, declining impressions → content freshness issue

4. Sitemap Management

Submit at Sitemaps → Add a new sitemap:

https://example.com/sitemap.xml

Sitemap audit checklist:

• All indexable pages included
• No noindex/canonicalized pages in sitemap
• <lastmod> dates are accurate (not auto-generated today's date)
• Response is HTTP 200 with valid XML
• Under 50,000 URLs per sitemap (use sitemap index for larger sites)
• Submitted in GSC AND referenced in robots.txt

5. Core Web Vitals

Check Page Experience → Core Web Vitals:

Debugging workflow:

1. Identify failing URL groups in GSC
2. Test specific URLs with PageSpeed Insights
3. Fix the highest-impact issue first (usually LCP)
4. Validate fix in GSC (takes 28 days for field data)

Common fixes:

• LCP: Optimize hero image (WebP, proper sizing, preload), eliminate render-blocking resources
• INP: Reduce JavaScript execution time, break long tasks, use requestIdleCallback
• CLS: Set explicit width/height on images/video, avoid dynamic content injection above the fold

6. URL Inspection

Use URL Inspection tool to:

• Check if a specific URL is indexed
• See how Googlebot renders the page
• Request indexing for new/updated pages
• Debug canonical selection issues

API access for bulk inspection:

from googleapiclient.discovery import build
service = build('searchconsole', 'v1', credentials=creds)
request = {
    'inspectionUrl': 'https://example.com/page',
    'siteUrl': 'https://example.com'
}
response = service.urlInspection().index().inspect(body=request).execute()
print(response['inspectionResult']['indexStatusResult']['coverageState'])

7. Rich Results Validation

Check Enhancements section for structured data issues:

• FAQ, How-to, Product, Review, Breadcrumb, Article, Event, LocalBusiness

Validation workflow:

1. Test with Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results)
2. Fix schema errors shown in GSC
3. Validate fix — GSC will re-crawl and update status

Common schema errors:

• Missing required fields (e.g., aggregateRating without reviewCount)
• Invalid date formats (use ISO 8601: 2025-01-15)
• Mismatched canonical and structured data URLs

8. Search Appearance Optimization

Title tag formula: Primary Keyword — Benefit | Brand (under 60 chars) Meta description: Include primary keyword, CTA, value prop (under 155 chars)

Test changes:

1. Identify pages with CTR below position-expected benchmarks
2. Rewrite title + description
3. Track CTR change over 2-4 weeks in GSC

Weekly Audit Checklist

• Check index coverage for new errors
• Review performance trends (7d vs previous 7d)
• Monitor Core Web Vitals for regressions
• Check sitemap processing status
• Review manual actions (should always be empty)
• Check security issues
• Flag pages losing >20% impressions week-over-week