Boost Your Website Rankings with Google Search Console
Based on: Stewart Gauld’s “Google Search Console Tutorial: Rank #1”
Why Google Search Console (GSC) Matters
- Track search performance: clicks, impressions, rankings.
- Discover which keywords you're ranking for—and find new ones.
- Identify top-performing pages and content needing improvement.
- Optimize meta titles, descriptions & content for better visibility on Google.
Getting Started
- Go to Google Search Console.
- Sign in and connect your website (follow Google's wizard).
- Access Performance > Search Results in your dashboard.
Key Performance Metrics
- Total Clicks
- The number of clicks to your site from Google.
- Total Impressions
- How often your site appears in search results.
- Average CTR
- Percentage of impressions that resulted in a click.
- Average Position
- Your site's average ranking across search terms.
Adjust the date range to monitor the last 28 days or 3 months for trends.
Find Optimization Opportunities
In the Performance report, look for:
- Top Queries (keywords)
- Top Pages
- Filters by Countries and Devices
Target keywords with high impressions but low CTR or poor ranking.
How to Optimize
- Select a page with high impressions but low clicks.
- Improve meta title & description using real search terms—make them compelling and keyword-rich.
- Revise page content—naturally include keywords in headings, paragraphs, and image alt text.
- Monitor performance regularly. Expect results in 1–6 months.
Real-World Example
Stewart highlighted an “Inventory Management” post that had 50,000 impressions but ranked way down (position 51) with almost no clicks. After optimizing the title, description, and content for queries like “best inventory software,” metrics began improving steadily.
Make It a Routine
Each week (e.g., every Friday):
- Select 5–10 pages based on trending keywords.
- Optimize titles, meta descriptions, and content.
- Track changes consistently and iterate.
Summary: Step-by-Step
- Identify keywords with high impressions and low CTR or position.
- Optimize meta titles and descriptions using those keywords.
- Enhance on-page content and image alt-tags.
- Track results and repeat optimization weekly.
- Be patient—SEO takes time, and GSC helps you measure progress.