Growing a blog is not just about hitting “publish” over and over again.
Many beginners believe that if they simply write enough good content, Google will eventually reward them with traffic, which is one of the most common mistakes highlighted in our guide on blogging mistakes new writers make.
This is where Google Search Console (GSC) becomes your most valuable companion.
It is the closest thing you have to seeing your blog through Google’s eyes—what it sees, what it struggles to read, which pages it likes, which keywords you’re showing up for, and what is silently blocking your growth.
Think of GSC as your blog’s health center, performance dashboard, and traffic roadmap all in one. And the best part? It’s completely free.
This guide breaks down how to use Google Search Console as a beginner—without jargon, confusion, or overwhelm. You’ll learn how to set it up, understand your data, fix issues, and use insights to grow your traffic steadily and safely, building on the foundations explained in SEO for beginners
Why Google Search Console Matters
1. It shows you how Google sees your site
Most beginners judge their website based on how it looks visually. But Google doesn’t see colors, design, or images. It sees structure, code, links, and text.
This difference is huge.
Google Search Console reveals:
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- which pages Google understands clearly
- which pages confuse it
- how Google reads your content
- which topics Google thinks you’re an “expert” on
- whether Google is even finding your new posts
Understanding this is like switching on a light in a dark room — suddenly, everything makes sense.
2. It identifies issues you never knew were hurting you
Your blog may appear fine on the surface, but behind the scenes, technical issues can silently block growth, including indexing problems that often appear as hidden barriers to Google AdSense approval.
For example:
- A single broken link can affect user experience.
- A slow page may make Google think your site is low quality.
- A blocked page might prevent important content from being indexed.
- Duplicate pages may confuse Google about which version to rank.
Google Search Console quietly collects all of these errors and alerts you. It’s like a doctor telling you what needs treatment before it becomes serious.
3. It helps you discover keywords you're already ranking for
This is where the gold is.
Many bloggers are shocked to learn that they’re
ranking for dozens (or hundreds) of keywords they never intentionally targeted.
This means Google already sees something valuable in
your content even if you weren’t aware.
When you find these keywords, you can:
- expand your articles around them
- add new sections
- create targeted blog posts
- include them in headlines or FAQs
This process works best when combined with proper keywords research, as explained in free keyword research using Google Trends and Ubersuggest.
4. It helps you rewrite old posts to boost their rank
Google Search Console shows you exactly where your
posts sit in search results.
If a post is ranking between positions 5 and 20, it’s
like being near the finish line you’ve already done 70% of the work.
A few improvements can skyrocket it to the top.
Those improvements include:
- refreshing outdated content
- adding more examples or depth
- improving your heading structure
- strengthening internal links
- adding an FAQ section
- improving your introduction
This strategy aligns perfectly with the principles in
creating evergreen content that ranks for years.
GSC helps you know where to focus.
5. It is essential for AdSense approval
AdSense wants websites that are well-maintained.
If Google Search Console shows:
- clean indexing
- no major errors
- fast performance
- healthy mobile usability
- consistent updates
…then your website looks trustworthy in Google’s eyes.
A trusted site = a site more likely to get AdSense
approval.
That’s why pairing GSC insights with best practices from this AdSense approval guide is a smart move.
GSC keeps your website clean, stable, and Google-friendly, a major advantage during review.
Setting Up Google Search Console
A. Domain Property — Full Coverage
Adding your domain property means Google tracks every
version of your site.
Whether a user types:
- www.smartpickhub.online
- http://www.smartpickhub.online
- https://smartpickhub.online
- smartpickhub.online/blog
…Google groups all of it into one dashboard.
This prevents confusion and ensures all your data
stays in one place.
It’s like monitoring your entire house instead of just one room.
B. URL Prefix Property — Partial Coverage
This option tracks only the exact version you enter.
If you choose this by mistake, you may end up with fragmented data.
Example:
URL prefix tracks only:
- https://www.yoursite.com
- https://www.yoursite.com
- http://yoursite.com
- http://yoursite.com or
- https://yoursite.com/page
- https://yoursite.com/page
This is why beginners often think GSC is “not showing enough data.”
Verifying Ownership
DNS Verification (Most professional method)
This method connects directly to your domain host.
It never breaks, even if you change themes or hosting.
Once verified, it stays verified forever.
Beginners often fear DNS because it sounds technical, but it’s just copying and pasting one line of text.
HTML Tag (Fastest for Blogger users)
You simply paste one code inside your `<head>`
tag.
Verification happens instantly.
It’s easy, clean, and perfect for beginners.
Submitting Your Sitemap
Why Your Sitemap Matters So Much
Google has billions of pages to crawl every day.
If you don’t give it a clear map (your sitemap), it
might:
- miss some pages
- take longer to discover new posts
- struggle to understand your content structure
Submitting your sitemap is like handing Google a GPS.
It saves time and improves visibility.
What Happens After Submission
Once your sitemap is submitted:
- Google queues your URLs for crawling
- It analyzes your pages one by one
- It checks your structure, headings, mobile experience, and links
- It decides what to index, what to delay, and what to not index
If your sitemap is clean, Google moves much faster.
Understanding the Performance Report
1. Clicks — Real visitors who came from Google
Clicks show true interest.
This metric tells you which content is doing the heavy
lifting for your blog.
A high-click post is a sign of:
- strong topic interest
- good headline
- decent ranking
- good match to user intent
These posts are your “winners,” and you should build
more content around them.
2. Impressions — Visibility even without clicks
Impressions are underrated but extremely important.
Even if your post got zero clicks, just showing up means Google recognizes your content as relevant.
A post with:
- high impressions + low clicks → rewrite your title
- low impressions + low clicks → improve content depth
- rising impressions → Google is testing your page
Impressions tell you what Google is thinking about your site.
3. Average Position — Your true ranking strength
If you’re ranking:
- 1–3 → You’re dominating
- 4–10 → Almost on page 1 — needs small improvements
- 11–20 → Good potential — can break into page 1
- 20–50 → Needs more depth, links, or optimization
This number is your “opportunity map.”
It shows exactly where to focus your energy for the fastest traffic growth.
4. Queries — Your keyword treasure chest
This is where 80% of your traffic opportunities hide.
Queries show you:
- what people actually type
- how they phrase their search
- what topics they expect
- what problems they want solved
- which content gaps you can fill
Sometimes a single query can inspire an entirely new
article that goes on to become your top performer.
Professionals check this section weekly.
Fixing Low CTR Pages
Low CTR doesn’t mean your post is bad. It means:
- your headline didn’t grab attention
- your promise wasn’t clear
- your description wasn’t attractive
- your title didn’t match what users intended
- your competitors wrote better headlines
Fixing CTR is the easiest way to “wake up” a sleeping
blog post.
Rewrite titles using:
- numbers: “10 Tips…” “5 Reasons…”
- emotional pull: “Essential,”
- Beginner-Friendly: “Simple”
- clarity: “Step-by-Step Guide”
- relevance: “2025 Guide”
A title change alone can increase traffic by 50%—sometimes more.
Using the URL Inspection Tool
The URL Inspection Tool is like a window into Google’s brain. Instead of guessing what Google thinks about your page, this tool tells you directly.
Think of it as walking into a car mechanic’s office
and asking: “What exactly is wrong with my car?”
Except in this case, your car is your blog post.
Most beginners underestimate how powerful this tool is because it looks simple but it contains the most precise diagnostic information in GSC.
1. Checking Whether Google Has Indexed Your Page
Indexing is like Google adding your page to its
library.
If it is not indexed, it cannot appear in search results at all.
When you paste your URL:
“URL is on Google”
This means:
- Google has crawled your page
- Google has added it to the index
- Your page is eligible to show in search
But even here, Google may point out improvements such
as:
- mobile issues
- structured data errors
- slow loading
- content problems
“URL is not on Google”
This can happen even when:
- your site is healthy
- you submitted a sitemap
- your content is valuable
Why?
Because Google sees billions of pages every day.
If your content appears weak, shallow, or similar to
existing content, Google may delay indexing.
This is common for:
- thin articles
- new blogs
- posts with weak internal links
- topics with high competition
- pages with too many ads
Indexing is Google’s way of saying,
“Show me why this page deserves to be in our library.”
2. Requesting Indexing
This button seems simple, but it’s powerful.
When you request indexing, Google:
1. Puts your URL into a priority crawling queue
2. Re-evaluates your content
3. Checks for improvements
4. Decides whether the page is worthy of indexing
It’s useful when:
- you just updated an old post
- you improved content depth
- you fixed a major error
- you changed your title
- you added internal links
- you improved page load speed
Real example:
Many bloggers rewrite an article but see no
improvement for 3 weeks.
The reason?
Google hasn’t crawled the updated version yet.
Request Indexing solves that.
3. Viewing How Googlebot Sees Your Page
Googlebot is not a human.
It doesn’t “see” your page — it parses it.
This tool shows whether:
- Google can access the core content
- images are blocked
- videos load properly
- scripts interfere with crawling
- your theme is slowing down rendering
- important sections are hidden
Why this matters:
If Googlebot cannot read your content clearly, even
the best-written post will fail.
Example:
Some Blogger templates hide text behind JavaScript.
To humans, the text is visible.
To Googlebot, it is invisible → not indexable.
The URL Inspection Tool exposes that.
4. Confirming Canonical URLs
A canonical URL is the version of the page Google
chooses as the “main” one.
This is critical because duplicate content confuses
Google.
If you have:
- tag pages
- archive pages
- mobile versions
- duplicated intro paragraphs
- similar posts covering the same topic
Google might choose the wrong URL to rank.
The inspection tool tells you:
- the canonical you set
- the canonical Google picked
Sometimes they differ.
If Google chooses a different canonical, it means:
- your content structure is confusing
- your SEO isn’t strong enough
- another page is more relevant
- there are duplicate signals
This information is gold for improving rankings.
Fixing Indexing & Technical Issues
Errors in GSC are not punishments — they’re warnings.
Fixing them gives Google confidence in your site, increasing trust and ranking potential.
1. Crawled – Currently Not Indexed
This is Google’s polite way of saying: “I saw your page, but it’s not valuable enough yet.”
Reasons include:
- content too short (less than 600–800 words)
- no unique insights
- similar to other articles online
- publish frequency too high
- weak internal linking
- no backlinks
- unclear headings
Fix by:
- adding examples
- adding FAQs
- making content original
- increasing word count
- improving SEO structure
- linking from high-performing posts
Treat this status as a chance to improve — not a failure.
2. Discovered – Currently Not Indexed
This means:
- Google knows your URL exists
- But hasn’t crawled it yet
Why?
- your domain is new
- crawl budget is low
- Google prioritizes older pages
- website loads slowly
- navigation structure is unclear
Fix:
- add internal links from popular posts
- request indexing
- optimize your page speed
- reduce unnecessary redirects
This error usually resolves after improving internal linking.
3. Page Not Found (404)
404 errors hurt SEO because they break user
experience.
Causes:
- deleted posts
- changed URL slugs
- typing mistakes
- broken internal or external links
Fix:
- use 301 redirects to relevant pages
- update old links
- avoid changing URLs unnecessarily
GSC helps you identify 404 errors before visitors complain.
4. Duplicate Content
Google hates confusion.
When two pages look too similar, it chooses only one to index.
Duplicate content includes:
- same intro used on multiple articles
- category pages with copied excerpts
- duplicated product descriptions
- tag pages competing with real posts
- translated pages with similar structure
Fix:
- add unique content
- improve on-page SEO
- delete thin tag pages
- set canonical URLs correctly
5. Blocked by robots.txt
Your robots.txt is like a gatekeeper.
If it blocks important directories, Google can’t crawl key pages.
Common mistakes:
- blocking “/pages/”
- blocking “/blog/”
- blocking “/wp-content/” (WordPress users!)
- plugin misconfigurations
Fix:
- whitelist important pages
- remove accidental “disallow” lines
One small mistake in robots.txt can block your entire site.
6. Redirect Errors
Redirect issues include:
- loops (A → B → A)
- chains (A → B → C → D)
- pointing to 404 pages
- incorrect canonical signals
These confuse Googlebot and waste crawl budget.
Fix:
- keep redirects one-step only
- avoid long redirect chains
- delete unnecessary redirects
Clean redirect structure = stronger crawling efficiency.
Monitoring Mobile Usability
Google uses mobile-first indexing because most readers
use mobile devices.
Mobile usability issues directly lower your ranking.
Here’s why each issue matters.
1. Text Too Small
Small text forces users to zoom or squint.
Bad user experience = lower ranking.
Use at least:
- 16px body text
- 18–22px for key points
- 24–32px for headings
Readable sites rank better.
2. Clickable Elements Too Close
Users may accidentally tap the wrong link.
Google sees this as poor design.
Spacing guidelines:
- 8–12px spacing between icons
- 12–16px spacing between links
- larger touch targets
Good spacing improves both SEO and user satisfaction.
3. Content Wider Than Screen
If images or tables exceed mobile width:
- layouts break
- users scroll sideways
- Google flags poor mobile experience
Fix:
- use responsive images
- set images to max-width: 100%
- avoid oversized tables
A clean mobile layout keeps Google happy.
4. Slow Loading Speed
Speed affects:
- user retention
- crawling
- indexing
- Core Web Vitals
- ranking
Slow pages lose visitors within 3 seconds.
Fix speeds by:
- compressing images
- lazy-loading media
- deleting heavy plugins
- using lightweight themes
Fast sites rank higher — every time.
Internal & External Links
Internal Links
Internal links act like pathways between your pages.
They help Google:
- understand your content hierarchy
- find new posts faster
- transfer authority between pages
- identify your most important topics
Strong internal linking also:
- increases session duration
- reduces bounce rates
- guides readers on a learning journey
Best practices:
- link new posts from older popular content
- create topic clusters
- link naturally inside sentences
- avoid overlinking in one paragraph
Internal linking is one of the lowest-effort, highest-impact SEO strategies.
External Links
Backlinks are endorsements from other websites.
Google sees backlinks as:
“This content is valuable. People trust it.”
More backlinks lead to:
- higher authority
- better ranking
- faster indexing
- stronger reputation
To encourage backlinks:
- publish original research
- create templates
- write in-depth guides
- contribute guest posts
- build relationships with bloggers in your niche
Each backlink boosts your content’s credibility.
Keyword Opportunities
The Queries report in GSC is a goldmine because:
- you discover what readers truly want
- you find hidden ranking potentials
- you can expand content with real search demand
How to Turn Keywords Into Growth
1. Create brand-new posts
If you see a keyword like:
“how to fix crawled but not indexed blogger”. Write a full article around it.
2. Expand existing posts
If a keyword appears frequently, add a new section
targeting it.
Example:
If you rank for “mobile usability errors,”
add a section titled:
“Common Mobile Usability Errors and How to Fix Them in Blogger.”
3. Add FAQs
Google loves FAQs that answer common queries.
4. Rewrite your introduction and headings using those keywords
This increases keyword relevance naturally.
5. Build internal links around those keywords
Internal linking reinforces topical authority.
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