What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console, formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, is a free web service provided by Google that allows website owners, webmasters, and SEO professionals to monitor and manage the presence of their websites in Google's search results. It provides a range of tools and reports to help optimize a website's performance in Google's search engine.

Here are some of the key features and functionalities of Google Search Console:

1. Search Performance Reports: This section provides information about how often your site appears in Google search results, the average position of your pages, and the click-through rate (CTR) for different queries.
2. Index Coverage: This feature shows which of your pages are indexed by Google and which have issues that may prevent them from being properly indexed.
3. Sitemaps: You can submit a sitemap of your website to help Google understand the structure and organization of your content. This can help with the indexing process.
4. URL Inspection: This tool allows you to check the status of a specific URL on your website, and see how Google views and indexes it.
5. Mobile Usability: This report provides information about how mobile-friendly your website is and highlights any issues that might affect the user experience on mobile devices.
6. Core Web Vitals: This section gives insights into the loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of your pages, which are key factors for user experience and SEO.
7. Security Issues: Google Search Console alerts you if there are any security issues, such as malware, on your website.
8. Manual Actions: If Google's human reviewers have applied a manual action to your site (such as a penalty for violating Google's guidelines), you can find information about it here.
9. Links: This section provides information about the external websites that link to your site, which can help you understand your backlink profile.
10. International Targeting: If your site targets different regions or languages, you can use this feature to specify your international targeting preferences.
11. Rich Results and Enhancements: This section provides insights into how your pages appear in search results, including any enhancements or rich snippets that may be applied.
12. AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) Status: If you've implemented AMP on your site, this section provides information about the status and performance of your AMP pages.

Google Search Console is an essential tool for website owners and SEO professionals. It provides valuable insights into how Google views and interacts with your site, allowing you to make informed decisions to improve your site's performance in search results.