Google Webmaster Tools: The Search Consolation Prize? #BrightonSEO

Google Webmaster Tools:

Nicole Bullock

The Search Consolation Prize?

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

In The Hot Seat

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

SEO is Like a Game ShowA lot of knowledge, the right timing, and a little luck

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

The Agony of DefeatDespite months and years of preparation, you will have

moments where there is no correct answer

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Press Your Luck You can’t win if you don’t play the game

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Technical SEO is Curb AppealGive the search engines the right signals so crawlers

know that your site is well-maintained

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

The Data Reporting Timeline

Where the magic happens before and after click-through

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Google Analytics vs Google Search ConsoleWin with data from the right sources

Traffic ReportsPages VisitedVisitor DemographicsTrack events and conversionsSocial Media trafficAverage time on siteBounce rate

Site ErrorsDuplicate ContentSitemapsSearch ImpressionsCrawl StatsHTML ImprovementsHighlight Data for IndexingLink ProfilesMalwareFetch as Google

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Google Search ConsoleA Few Quick Features

• Multiple verification methods to make it easy for you to implement

• Can be linked to Google Analytics• Allows you to monitor the pages being

indexed by Google• Sitemap submission and monitoring• Ability to crawl your site as if it were a

Googlebot• Review backlinks and disavow if necessary• Set URL parameters

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

The Ultimate Google Product Mix For Digital Marketers

Fetch As GoogleFetch as Google allows you to simulate how Google crawls and/or

renders your URL on a website

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Crawl ErrorsServer connectivity, and DNS errors, and Robots.txt, oh my!

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

HTML ImprovementsLong, Short, Missing, and Duplicate Title Tags and Descriptions

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Structured Data

Common Types:• Schema.org• Microformats• JSON-LD• Microdata• Open Graph• RDFa

Hint: Use Google’s structured data testing tool to enter a URL and see how your markup renders

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Data HighlighterUse Data Highlighter to tag data fields on your site with your mouse. Then Google can present your data more attractively – and in new ways – in search results and the knowledge graph

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Clicks and Search ImpressionsHave you missed your analytics data because of (Not Provided)?

Hint: Sort data for clicks, search impressions, average position, and CTR to discover new keyword phrase opportunities

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Disclaimer:What You See May Not Be What You Get

Google Search Console data is not 100% accurate. Don’t trust every metric at face value. Use it as a general guide to watch trends.

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Google Wants Your Site to be Successful

• Take the free info (with a grain of salt)

• Tag, track, and test• Measure results in

Google Analytics

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

Ready to Get Into the Game?Are you feeling nervous? Start small.

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

The Search Consolation Prize?You can’t win if you don’t play the game

Questions?

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO

About Me

Nicole Bullock

Twitter: @cuteculturechicInstagram: cuteculturechickFacebook: /cuteculturechickLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicolembullockBlog: cuteculturechick.com

• Structured Data Markup Helper• https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/u/0/• Structured Data Testing Tool• https://developers.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool/ • Google Webmaster Academy • https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6001102 • Screaming Frog• https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/

Resources

@cuteculturechic | #BrightonSEO