There are many reasons why you should monitor Google Search Console, and the sad truth is that most don’t even utilize such a tool.
Let’s face it.
As a blogger and search engine optimizers, we are constantly trying to please one “thing.”
We know we have to consider several other things, but this one thing seems to dominate.
Things like the actual people on our site, some cosmetic enhancements, and something like better web hosting are up there but not nearly as important.
Regardless of what we work for or who to make happy, there is going to be one thing that we can not seem to please.
Google.
You know it, I know it, and even they know it.
But as the small guy trying to make a living, we have to do what we can.
Not to say that starting a blog is a bad idea and not a better job than almost everything out there because this is one thing I will probably do for the rest of my life.
I love what I do and helping people is one of the few passions I have.
But with such an interest comes the ups and downs and everything else that I’m sure you guys can relate to.
There are many reasons why you should start a blog, but there are just as many reasons why you shouldn’t.
Whatever the case may be, you started one, and you can’t do anything but deal with the problems that seem to surface a lot more than we’d like.
One of these problems is ranking in Google and getting traffic to your blog.
Part of the management process is monitoring what Google wants and requires, and that is what I want to talk about today.
So grab a drink, and let’s talk about why you should monitor Google Search Console.
What is Google’s Search Console?
If you’ve been blogging for a while now, you might remember Google’s Webmaster Tools.
That’s a thing of the past, and now they’ve converted over to Search Console.
Search Console is nothing more than a tool within Google that allows website owners to monitor several statistics of their websites.
Website traffic, site performance, and website issues are probably the ones you should be aware of, and that is what I want to discuss today.
As an SEO-er, blogger, and one who relies heavily on organic search traffic, I know how complicated things can be.
With the zoo that Google creates with its updates, you can’t do much besides brace yourself and hope for the best.
I’ve had sites tank overnight, and I’ve had sites withstand the storm and prevail.
Whatever outcome can be done, I’ve dealt with it.
And the only way to ever understand what is going on is to monitor Google Search Console.
With that being said, let’s see what can happen if we decide to do it differently.
Website Performance
No one ever wants to lose traffic, but I guess it’s safe to say that it’s expected.
We all want our traffic to increase, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen.
We craft the perfect blog posts, follow Google’s guidelines, and things are all fine and dandy.
Traffic goes up, cash starts to roll in, and everything is going as planned.
That happens until Google decides to release one of its animals out into the wild.
Then your traffic goes down, money starts rolling out, and nothing is going as planned.
That’s the typical cycle with Google but one that you SHOULD NOT panic about.
The worst thing you could do is hit panic and make all kinds of changes to your site.
I know you can’t help but freak out, but remain calm and get into Search Console.
There, you can see exactly what is going on and when your traffic has started to decrease.
Site Speed
We always want our sites to be in tip-top shape, and there’s no better way than to monitor Google Search Console.
Within the platform, you can see all kinds of statistics.
How many people have seen your link within the search results, how many people clicked, and even the average position your posts have attained?
These are great for spotting increases and decreases, which you can then use to see what could be causing any bad or great changes.
This can also give you some motivation just to see that real people are on your site, especially for those of you who are just starting out.
You can also monitor your site’s speed, which we all know is a key player in getting ranked in Google these days.
The best test you can ever perform to get an accurate site speed is by actually going on your site.
Test it on Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, and whatever else you can think of, as Google’s page speed insights can confuse some of you.
What might be fast for you can be completely different in Google’s eyes.
I wouldn’t recommend relying on any type of scoring metric, but do consider some of the fixes that Google recommends.
Site speed is important, and that’s why getting something like WPX hosting can be the difference between a fast website and a slow, not-so-pleasing Google one.
Also, consider getting WP Rocket, as that is one plugin that will save you lots of time and money.
You can get a headache trying to fine-tune all the madness, or you can let that simple plugin do it all.
Resolving Website Issues
This is the biggest reason why you should always monitor Google Search Console.
Every single website out there is going to encounter issues no matter what we do.
You can blog your behind off all day and not touch a single thing on your site, but once that update happens, you will see that you, too, are not untouchable.
The best thing that can come out of this is the fact that you can actually fix these problems and also see if you’ve been penalized by Google.
Problems within Google mean problems with your overall site, and some kind of action definitely needs to be taken.
This is why you should watch things like a hawk or expect to lose rankings and traffic in the process.
However, you need to understand that Google Search Console is nothing but a tool.
Do not let it dictate how you run your business, but rather use it as a guide to helping you fix whatever needs to be fixed.
Conclusion – Monitor Google Search Console
At the end of the day, you should definitely monitor Google’s Search Console.
Too many SEOs
think that a plugin like Yoast is all they need until things get out of control. Don’t become another statistic, and pay close attention to how your site is performing. Don’t get fixated on Search Console, but at least make a check every now and then. Until next time, remember to always monitor Google Search Console,or you might be pulling your hair out due to a huge loss in traffic.