If you are aware of the wide reach of the Internet today, you are likely also well aware of the enormous value that lies in establishing and maintaining a successful website for your business. Unfortunately, many businesses have discovered that even after they invest the time, money and effort into creating a well-designed, informative website, they don’t necessarily experience the influx of traffic, conversions or sales they expect. Of course, the burning question is: Why? Fortunately, a valuable, free tool provided by Google Search Console may have the answer.
Google Webmaster Tools on Google Search Console
Google Webmaster Tools, or GWT, is the former name for what is now referred to as the Google Search Console. Originally designed to aid webmasters in better understanding the traffic that goes to a specific website, the Google Search Console has long since proven invaluable in aiding a much broader group of individuals–essentially anyone who wants to better understand their website’s performance. Once it has been set up, the Google Search Console can track how many people are visiting a website, whether they are using a mobile device or desktop computer to visit a website, which website pages are most often visited, whether there are website errors and much more.
While there are many details one could get into when using the Google Search Console, following are a few of the key ways to use this amazing tool:
Add and verify your website in Google Search Console.
Google requires users to add or verify their site to ensure that the individual who is trying to access information about a specific website is either the owner, the webmaster or an authorized user. Once you have logged into your Google Search Console account, you will click on the button that says, “Add Property” and enter your website’s URL before clicking “Add Property” again. You will then need to verify your website through adding an HTML tag, uploading an HTML file, using the domain name provider, adding Google Analytics code, or using Google Tag Manager.
Link Google Analytics and Console
These two tools can be helpful in determining your website’s overall performance. However, Google Analytics only accesses so much information. This information includes how many visitors came to your site, how they found it, and how long they stay. On the other hand, other information gained through this console includes who linked content to your site, which keyword queries lead to your website, and any problems on your website. By linking these tools to one another you can get all the information you need in one easy location.
Add a sitemap.
A sitemap provides important information about a website. As a result, both search engines and web crawlers understand how the organization of the websites and its contents. When you submit your sitemap to Google Search, it becomes much easier to ensure Google can access information it needs.
Crawl for website errors
Most individuals would agree that it is far better to find and sort out website errors before someone else does. Use the Google tool to crawl errors on your website. The tool will then notify you if and when it finds them. It then describes the error and sometimes even makes helpful suggestions about how to resolve it.
When it comes to establishing a successful website, Google Search Console is an absolutely invaluable tool. For more information about how to reap the many benefits of Google Search Console, contact Web Content Development today.
