How to Use Google Search Console to Your Advantage (Another New Tech Word??)

Okay, hear me out.

Table of Contents

When you first hear “Google Search Console,” it sounds like some techy thing that only full-on website developers or SEO nerds would ever touch, right?

Wrong.

If you’ve got a blog — especially if you’re trying to grow it without dumping cash into ads — Google Search Console is straight-up gold. Like, digital treasure chest gold. And the best part? It’s free. And shockingly not that hard to use once you know what you’re looking at.

So… what exactly is this magical tool?

Wait… What Is Google Search Console, Actually?

Alright, think of it like this:

Google Search Console (GSC for short) is basically a direct line between your blog and Google. It tells you:

How your blog’s doing in search results
What people are typing in when they find you
If something’s broken (and killing your traffic)
And even what keywords you’re accidentally ranking for (which is always fun)

And Google is literally giving you all this data for free. They’re handing it to you on a silver platter — all you gotta do is use it.

How to Set It Up (No Tech Degree Needed)

Let’s not overcomplicate things here. You can set up GSC the old-school way by adding verification codes and all that jazz. But honestly? The easiest way for WordPress users?

Use the Site Kit plugin by Google. Yep, Google made it, and it’s awesome.

Here’s the super-basic version of how to set it up:

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Click on “Plugins” > “Add New”
Search for “Site Kit by Google”
Install and activate it
Connect your Google account and follow the steps

Boom. Done. GSC is now hooked up to your blog without any copy-pasting of weird codes.

Bonus: Site Kit also connects stuff like Google Analytics and PageSpeed Insights. So it’s kinda like the all-in-one nerdy dashboard for your blog.

Now That It’s Set Up… What the Heck Do You Do With It?

Good question. Let’s walk through the cool stuff, step-by-step — human style.

1. See What Keywords People Use to Find You (This Is Juicy)

Go to Performance > Search Results.

Here you’ll see a list of keywords (called “queries”) that people typed into Google… and somehow landed on your site.

Now pause here for a sec, because this is BIG.

You’re literally seeing what people searched before clicking on your blog. This tells you:

What content is working
What people actually care about
What keywords you should double down on

💡 Pro tip: Sort by Impressions to see what you’re showing up for, even if people aren’t clicking yet. Those are missed opportunities waiting to be turned into full blog posts.

2. Figure Out Your Average Position on Google (No, You’re Not #1 Yet)

In the same Performance section, you’ll see something called Average Position.

That’s where your blog ranks for different search terms.

If it says 3.5 — congrats, you’re basically on the first page.
If it says 19 — you’ve got work to do, but the fact that you’re even on Google is a win.

Use this info to tweak your posts. Add more details. Answer more questions. Make it better than whoever is outranking you.

Small improvements = higher rankings over time.

3. Spot Pages That Are Quietly Killing It (Or Flopping Hard)

Still in the Performance tab, click on Pages.

Here’s where you’ll see what blog posts are getting the most traffic from Google.

This is gold for two reasons:

You’ll find posts you didn’t even realize were performing well
You’ll spot underperformers that you can go back and improve

💡 Remember that old blog post you almost deleted? Turns out it’s bringing in 200 people a month from Google. Who knew?

Use that info to update it, add internal links, maybe even turn it into a series.

4. Get the Inside Scoop on Click-Through Rates (CTR)

Still with me? Good.

Let’s talk CTR — click-through rate.

This tells you how many people actually click on your blog after seeing it in Google.

If you’re getting lots of impressions but a terrible CTR (like, less than 1%), it’s usually a sign your title or meta description is… well… meh.

So fix it!

Make your titles more attention-grabbing
Add numbers (“10 Ways to…” works like a charm)
Include keywords people are searching for

You don’t need to clickbait people, but your blog post should look worth clicking when it shows up in Google.

5. Get Alerts When Something’s Broken (Because Google Hates Broken Stuff)

Google hates broken links, crawl errors, or weird issues that stop it from reading your site.

If something goes wrong, GSC will literally send you an email. It’s like your blog’s personal bodyguard whispering, “Hey, something’s up.”

Check the Coverage tab to spot issues.

If you see red, don’t panic. Just click on the error, read the description, and follow Google’s suggestions to fix it.

Sometimes it’s something dumb like a page that got deleted. Other times it’s more technical — in that case, you can Google the fix or ask in forums.

Point is: You’ll know when things are off. And knowing is half the battle.

6. Submit Your Sitemap (AKA Help Google Help You)

Okay, so what’s a sitemap?

It’s basically a map of your whole blog that tells Google which pages exist.

If you’re using something like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, it’ll auto-generate your sitemap for you. Usually looks something like:

yourblog.com/sitemap_index.xml

In GSC, go to Sitemaps and paste that link in. Done.

This helps Google find your new posts faster — instead of waiting days or weeks for it to notice your content.

7. Track Core Web Vitals (Fancy Name, Important Stuff)

Ever heard of Core Web Vitals?

Google’s way of measuring how fast and user-friendly your site is.

Go to Experience > Core Web Vitals.

You’ll see if your blog is considered:

Good
Needs improvement
Or just plain bad

This affects your rankings more than you think. If your blog is super slow or janky on mobile, people bounce — and Google notices.

So check it, fix what you can, and don’t ignore this stuff. Your traffic will thank you.

8. Bonus Tip: Combine GSC With Google Analytics for Nerd-Level Power

If you really wanna level up, connect your GSC to Google Analytics.

It’ll let you see search terms and user behavior in one place — like how long people stayed, what page they clicked next, etc.

Sounds nerdy, but trust me, this combo is 🔥 once you get used to it.

Final Thoughts: Why GSC Is a Game-Changer (Even If You Hate Numbers)

Look, I get it.

Analytics and charts and filters can make your brain melt. But you don’t need to be an SEO wizard to get value from Google Search Console.

Just by checking it once a week, you’ll:

✅ Understand what people search for
✅ Know which posts are ranking (and which aren’t)
✅ Catch errors early before they wreck your traffic
✅ Get ideas for new blog posts — based on real searches
✅ Improve your old posts with actual data

So yeah. GSC isn’t just another tool. It’s your blog’s personal GPS.

Use it smartly, and you’ll stop guessing what your readers want — and start giving it to them, right when they need it.

And that, my blogging friend, is how organic traffic magic happens. ✨

Now go open Search Console and poke around. You’ve got this.

How to Use Google Search Console to Your Advantage