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Google Search Console Walkthrough for Small Businesses

Google Search Console Walkthrough for Small Businesses

Curious why your website isn't appearing in Google searches? Wondering which search terms actually bring visitors to your site? Google Search Console holds the answers, but most small business owners either don't know it exists or find it overwhelming.

Why Watch This Video?

If you want to understand exactly how Google sees your website, discover which search terms work (and which don't), and catch problems before they cost you customers, this video walks you through the essential Google Search Console features that actually matter for small businesses.

What You'll Learn

Discover Your Search Performance:

  • See exactly which search terms show your website
  • Find profitable search opportunities you're missing
  • Track which pages attract the most visitors

Catch Problems Before They Hurt You:

  • Identify pages Google can't find or won't index
  • Get notified immediately when Google spots security issues
  • Fix broken internal links that damage your credibility

Make Data-Driven Decisions:

  • Use 16 months of historical data to spot trends
  • Understand where your visitors come from geographically
  • Prioritise content improvements based on actual search data

Getting Started

Account Setup

  1. Requirements: Google account (Gmail, YouTube, or Android)
  2. Visit: search.google.com/search-console
  3. Click: "Start now" and sign in

Property Verification

Two Options:

  • Domain verification: Requires DNS record (more technical)
  • URL prefix: Easier setup using meta tag, Google Analytics, or DNS

Recommendation: URL prefix is simpler for most small businesses. Your web developer can help add the meta tag to your site's HTML.

Timeline: Data processing takes 2-3 days (sometimes longer than Google suggests)

Essential Sections to Monitor

1. URL Inspection Tool

Purpose: Check if specific pages are indexed How to use: Enter any page URL from your website What you'll learn:

  • Whether the page appears in Google search results
  • How Google discovered the page (which other pages link to it)
  • The canonical address Google uses
  • Any crawling or fetching issues

When to use:

  • Verify important pages are indexed
  • Troubleshoot missing pages
  • Request indexing after major page changes

2. Performance (Most Important Section)

What it shows:

  • Queries: Search terms that show your website
  • Clicks: How many people clicked through
  • Impressions: How often your site appeared in results
  • Position: Average ranking for each term

Key insights:

  • 16-month historical data for tracking long-term trends
  • Unexpected search terms: Discover profitable opportunities
  • Page performance: Which pages attract most visitors
  • Geographic data: Where your visitors come from
  • Device breakdown: Mobile vs desktop traffic

Practical application: Use this data to identify content gaps and improvement opportunities

3. Pages (Indexing Status)

Critical for small businesses: Shows which pages Google has/hasn't indexed

Indexed pages: Should match your expectations - scan the list to ensure all important pages appear

Not indexed pages: Review reasons:

  • Redirects: Usually fine (www vs non-www versions)
  • 404 errors: May indicate broken links that need fixing
  • Blocked by robots.txt: Technical restrictions (may need developer)
  • No index tag: Intentional exclusions (thank you pages, admin areas)
  • Google systems decisions: Poor content quality or keyword stuffing

Action items: Fix broken internal links immediately, improve low-quality content

4. Sitemaps

What it is: A file listing all your website pages Benefits: Helps Google discover and index new pages faster Setup: Add sitemap.xml to your domain (check yoursite.com/sitemap.xml) Impact: Not essential, but speeds up indexing of new content

5. Links

Backlink analysis: Shows which websites link to yours Internal links: Reveals your site's linking structure Anchor text: Text used in links pointing to your pages

Business value:

  • Identify linking opportunities
  • Spot unexpected mentions to leverage
  • Monitor your online reputation
  • Find directories where you can improve listings

Critical Settings & Notifications

Email Notifications

Location: User settings icon → Email preferences Importance: Enable all emails - this is the ONLY way Google notifies you of:

  • Site penalties
  • Technical issues preventing indexing
  • Security problems
  • Performance changes

Timeline: Initial months include helpful performance statistics, long-term emails focus on problems requiring attention.

Pages to Skip (For Small Businesses)

  • Core Web Vitals: Technical performance metrics
  • Mobile Usability: Usually handled by modern websites
  • Security Issues: Important but rarely shows problems
  • Manual Actions: Penalty notifications (rare for legitimate businesses)

Advanced Features

Removals Tool

  • Remove outdated pages from search results
  • Update snippets showing old information
  • Handle filtered content issues

Search Appearance

  • Monitor rich results and special search features
  • Usually only relevant for large sites or news publishers

Practical Workflow

Monthly Review Process

  1. Check email notifications for any urgent issues
  2. Review Performance tab for traffic trends and new opportunities
  3. Scan Pages section for any new indexing problems
  4. Monitor Links for new mentions or lost backlinks
  5. Use URL Inspection to verify important new pages are indexed

When Problems Arise

  • Indexing issues: Check for technical blocks or poor content quality
  • Traffic drops: Compare with performance data to identify affected pages
  • New opportunities: Research unexpected search terms showing your site

Business Impact

SEO Strategy: Use performance data to guide content creation and optimization Technical Health: Catch website problems before they impact visibility
Competitive Intelligence: Understand what search terms work in your industry Growth Planning: Identify geographic markets and device preferences

Who This Helps

Small Business Owners who want to understand how their website performs in Google searches

Anyone frustrated by poor website visibility who needs concrete data to improve

Business Owners tired of guessing what content to create or improve

Website Owners who want to catch and fix problems before they lose customers

Google Search Console transforms abstract SEO concepts into actionable business intelligence, making it an essential tool for any business serious about online visibility.

If you'd like help interpreting your Search Console data and developing an SEO strategy that drives more customers, contact me.