Google Search Console
Free Google access to your own websiteA free service from Google that shows how a website performs in search — set up under the business's own name, not ours.
- Access is set up under the client's name
- We work in it with limited rights
- Real Google data instead of estimated figures
- Access stays with the client at all times
What does Google Search Console mean?
Google Search Console is a free service that lets any website owner check how Google sees their own website: which pages are included, how often they appear in results, which search terms they match, and whether there are technical problems. It was called 'Google Webmaster Tools' until May 2015, when it was renamed alongside a redesigned interface.
For us, one point is not negotiable: access is set up under the business's own name and domain, not ours. We're added as a user with limited rights, work within it, and hand access back at any time on request. The data, the history and ownership stay with the client throughout — that's not a courtesy, it follows from our principle that accounts belong to the business.
The Performance report shows clicks, impressions, average position and click-through rate per page and per search term — real data from real searches, unlike estimated tools that rely on extrapolation. The Coverage report shows which pages are indexed and why others aren't. And this is where the sitemap can be submitted once and then monitored.
Setup runs through one of four verification methods: an HTML file on the server, a tag in the page header, a DNS record at the domain, or a link through an already-verified Google account such as Tag Manager. DNS verification is the only one that automatically covers all subdomains too, which is why we usually prefer it for new setups.
Limits come with it: data is usually delayed two to three days, history reaches back only about sixteen months, and at very high search volumes Google works with sampling rather than a full count. Individual users aren't identifiable in it — the figures are aggregated, which sets the service apart from a classic analytics platform that tracks individual visitor paths on the website itself.
For day-to-day work, Search Console is our most important source of proof: any claim we make about visibility can be checked against it, because the figures come directly from Google rather than an estimated third-party tool. If a report doesn't match Search Console, we go with Search Console — not the tool that produced the discrepancy.
Check the numbers
Google renamed the service from 'Webmaster Tools' to 'Search Console' in May 2015.
The renaming came with a redesigned interface that was gradually extended with new reports, such as today's Performance report with clicks and impressions per search term. The core has stayed the same since then: a free view of your own website, run directly by Google, with no detour through a third-party tool that estimates rather than measures.
Source: Google Search Central Blog, rename from "Webmaster Tools" to "Search Console," May 2015, and the Search Console help center.
Common questions
Who owns the Search Console access if Conexa Digital sets it up?
The business does. We set up access under the client's name and domain and have ourselves added as a user. Rights can be revoked at any time without affecting the website or its data.
Is Search Console enough, or do I also need Google Analytics?
The two measure different things. Search Console shows what happens before the click — how the website performs in search. Google Analytics shows what happens after the click — what visitors do on the website. A complete picture usually needs both.
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