"Don’t let the name intimidate you, the information you’re talking about is in there…" I am pleased to be among the many in our industry who will no longer need to make that case now that Google has decided to rebrand Google Webmaster Tools (GWT) as Google Search Console. This name change officially acknowledges that GWT, err Search Console, really is meant for marketers, too.
It has been an ongoing struggle to convince clients and colleagues that they didn’t have to be webmasters to understand the data and insights in GWT, nor that the few reports available via integration with Google Analytics were the extent of the power the tool can offer.
For marketers everywhere, now that you no longer have to doubt the purpose or use of the tool – it’s centered on search data and information, only some of which is technical, I promise! – let’s dive in:
- "Not provided" in analytics got you down? Search Traffic > Search Analytics lists what keywords your site is ranking for Organically, including average position, clicks and click through rate, and more.
- Want to know more about what Google thinks your site is relevant for at the most macro level? Check out the Google Index > Content Keywords report for a list of words Google associates with your website.
- Need insights into what Google knows about your inbound link portfolio? Search Traffic > Links to Your Site has a few key data sets.
- How mobile friendly is your website? Google provides recommendations in the Search Traffic > Mobile Usability report.
- Need to jumpstart your meta data cleanup? Learn about overly long, too short, and repetitive title and description tags in the Search Appearance > HTML Improvements report (See the challenge with "GWT"? What typical marketer would click on something that said "HTML improvements" without knowing the information contained would be tailored for them?)
So what are you waiting for? With all the same amazing features (new ones are added/refined all the time) and a refreshed, all-inclusive name, get ready to learn about and improve your SEO with Google Search Console.
