Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most valuable free tools for understanding how your content performs in Google Search. This guide focuses on features and metrics for content strategy, though we'll cover additional GSC functionality as well.
Whether you're a content manager, editor, or analyst, understanding how to use GSC effectively can help you make data-driven decisions about what to create, update, or remove.
Uncover Opportunities in Your Search Data
GSC reveals how your content actually performs in Google Search—not just traffic, but impressions, rankings, and click-through rates. This data enables you to identify what's working and what needs improvement.
Understanding Google Search Console Metrics
GSC provides four key metrics:
- Impressions — How many times your pages appeared in search results
- Clicks — How many times users clicked through to your site
- Click-Through Rate (CTR) — Percentage of impressions that resulted in clicks
- Average Position — Your average ranking placement for a given query
These metrics together tell you not just how much traffic you're getting, but how effectively your content is competing for attention.
Interpreting Data and Filtering Brand Terms
One important practice: filter out brand searches when analyzing content performance. Users who search for your company name will click on your result regardless of position, which skews your data.
Brand terms to filter typically include:
- Your company name and common misspellings
- Product names
- Abbreviations
- Domain name variations
Using Regular Expressions (Regex) in GSC
GSC supports regex filtering, which creates powerful search patterns for analyzing your data. Think of it as a super-powered search function.
Basic Regex Operators
^— Start of line$— End of line.— Any single character*— Zero or more of the previous character+— One or more of the previous character|— OR operator
Practical Regex Examples
Exclude brand variations:
best buy|bestbuy|best b|bast buy
Find long URLs (100+ characters):
.{100,}
Filter to specific file types:
\.(pdf|doc|docx|xls|xlsx)$
Show only blog content:
^/blog/
Find question queries:
^(who|what|where|when|why|how)
Match date formats (YYYY-MM-DD):
\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}
Find multi-word queries (4+ words):
([^" "]*\s){4,}?
Finding Content Opportunities
Use GSC to identify pages that deserve attention:
High impressions, low CTR:
These pages are ranking but not getting clicks. Improve your titles and meta descriptions.
Position 11-20 (second page):
Content that's close to page one often needs just small improvements to break through.
Declining performance:
Pages that used to perform well but have dropped may need updates to stay relevant.
Content Revamping vs. Abandonment
Not every page is worth saving. Here's how to decide:
When to Revamp
- The topic is still relevant to your audience
- The page has decent traffic or rankings
- There's clear improvement potential
Revamp tactics:
- Update statistics and examples
- Improve formatting and readability
- Add new relevant information
- Optimize for featured snippets
When to Remove or Consolidate
- The topic is outdated or no longer relevant
- The page has consistently poor performance
- The content no longer aligns with your strategy
Removal process:
- Identify underperforming pages
- Evaluate if content could merge with another page
- Set up 301 redirects to relevant content
- Update internal links pointing to the old page
Technical Features Worth Knowing
URL Inspection Tool
Check the indexing status and crawlability of any URL. This reveals:
- Whether Google has indexed the page
- When it was last crawled
- Any indexing issues
- Mobile usability status
Index Coverage Report
See an overview of your indexed pages, including:
- Successfully indexed pages
- Pages with warnings
- Pages with errors
- Excluded pages (and why)
Mobile Usability Report
Identify mobile issues affecting your pages:
- Text too small to read
- Clickable elements too close together
- Content wider than screen
Sitemaps
Submit and monitor your XML sitemap to ensure Google can efficiently crawl your site.
Links Report
View your site's linking data:
- Top linking sites
- Most-linked pages
- Common anchor text
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is GSC data updated?
Daily, with a 2-3 day reporting lag.
What's the difference between GSC and Google Analytics?
GSC tracks search performance (how you appear in Google). Analytics tracks on-site behavior (what visitors do after arriving).
How do I add a website?
You'll need to verify ownership via meta tag, file upload, or DNS record.
Why do GSC and Analytics numbers differ?
Different tracking methods. Some discrepancy is normal.
Can I see competitor data?
No. GSC only shows data for properties you own and have verified.
How long is data retained?
16 months.
Can my team access GSC?
Yes, through role-based access levels you control.
Get More From Your Search Data
Google Search Console is a powerful tool when you know how to use it. Regular analysis helps you understand what's working, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions about your content strategy.
Need help setting up GSC or making sense of your search data? Contact Garrett Digital for a consultation.