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5 Hidden Gems in Google Search Console

Google Search Console

5 Hidden Gems in Google Search Console

Google Search Console is webmasters to check indexing status and optimize visibility of their websites we know about this. Search Engine Optimization is so important if you have an online business. But most importantly, you need a brilliant tool for managing all your SEO needs. Well, if you look for tools, there are many of them in the market to choose from. One of these best SEO tools for you is GSC, a.k.a Google Search Console. Just like other tools, GSC also helps you fulfill your SEO needs, whether it is related to indexing, online visibility, or server issues.

Some people may prefer using other tools for their SEO needs. But, there are some hidden features that have graduated from Google Search Console to a new level. These priceless hidden gems make Google Search Console way better than before. So, it is recommended to try these features of the tool before switching to another tool.

Here in this article, we will explore all of those 5 hidden gems of Google Search Console in a comprehensive way. Let’s begin!!!

Google Search Console: Spot Soft 404 URL Errors

If you are making a new website for your business, it is completely normal that some of your website URLs are not working. But, this should not be taken lightly. After all, the triumph of your business is highly dependent on the webpages of your website.

To pinpoint URL errors for you, the coverage section of GSC comes in handy. Now, the coverage section of the Google Search Console displays the details regarding the pages of the website. It indicates if the pages of the website are indexed or not.

But, do you know that if you dig deeper, you can also get information about the soft 404 URL errors.

Soft 404 errors occur when the page serves blank content. And normally they are difficult to find. One needs to visit the page to know if it has that error. 

The server sends a 200 OK status for such a page, and Google labels it to create a difference from other pages. Now, how can you know about it?

Google Search Console helps you find these issues. On the GSC coverage page, there will be 4 tabs named:

  • Errors
  • Valid with warnings
  • Valid
  • Excluded

When you click on the “Valid” tab, you will get to see the soft 404 errors labeled as “submitted URL seems to be a Soft 404”. You can click on it to know about the pages that have this error.

Other than these, you also get to know about other errors like:

  • Pages with “noindex.”
  • Redirects
  • Crawl Anomalies

 And many others.

Google Search Console: URL Removal Tool

With time, it is necessary for you to get rid of the non-required URLs on your website. This is essential and is also critical.

You need to be very sure and careful while dealing with this tool as it has many options. Be cautious about the pages that are boosting your ranking and also about those that are not. Obviously, you don’t want to end up removing pages that are carrying your good ranking.

The URL Removal tool of the Google Search Console offers three options:

  • Temporary Removals: Remove a page or image of your website temporarily.
  • Outdated Content: See the outdated content pages from your website.
  • SafeSearch Filtering: See the pages on your website that have been reported as adult content pages.

 

Using this tool is a bit of a tricky job, so if you are new to Google Search Console, try referring to a professional before jeopardizing your ranking.

  • Keyword Analysis

Apart from just guiding you in the case of URLs of your website, Google Search Console can also help you perform a deeper analysis of the keywords.

How? It is pretty simple!!!

In the Performance section of the Google Search Console, click on “New” followed by the information you need to find out.

The choices offered by GSC are Query, page, country, and device. Choose the one based on which you want to filter the results. Post choosing the category, you will get a list of results.

In the case of Query, you will get a list of pages that rank based on that Query. You can get valuable insights from these results to further refine your SEO process. You can scan the pages of your website and work on the ones that you need to improve.

This hidden gem allows you to make strategic decisions for your website to make it better.

  • URL Inspector Tool

This is a brilliant gem in the Google Search Console that allows you to do various tasks. One ingenious thing about this tool is that you can make Google crawl the page on demand.

You just need to insert the URL of the page, and Google will check it for indexing. The GSC URL Inspector Tool allows you to:

  • Check the present indexed status of the URL.
  • Check a live URL.
  • Request indexing of a URL.
  • See a page the way Google sees a page.

  • Context Gem

The last in the list of goodies in Google Search Console is the context gem. However, there are ways to identify indexation issues on your website pages. But, there can also be some issues that can interfere with these.

The context file in GSC describes the structure and behavior of the search engine. This means that there can be some other design or site issues that might hamper the indexation of your website pages.

Find these issues using the Google Search Console while being completely cautious as it may also lead to other issues. You can ask questions and follow up with those who know about these issues and their solutions.

So, the solution to context issues also helps you improve the overall working of your website and ace the SEO aspect.

These are all the precious and hidden gems in the GSC onsole. Harness the power of these tools before switching on to any other tool that you have to pay for.

Bottom Line

So, the bottom line is that Google Search Console may look like a less preferred tool for your SEO needs but has some pretty awesome features to offer. The article paints a clear picture of these features and also guides how to use them.