How to use Google Search Console to grow your blog

So following last week’s post where I explained why Google Search Console is your blogging BFF. I thought I’d come back this week with tips on how you can use Google Search Console to grow your blog. Sound good? Well let’s dive in.

OPTIMISE RESULTS THAT DON’T GET CLICKS

One of the most important data points that you can see in Google Search Console is which search queries lead to a high number of search impressions for your site but not many click throughs. Essentially high impressions but a low click through rate. By improving these posts, you could potentially unlock literally hundreds or thousands of extra click throughs without too much effort. Just head to performance in the left, ensure the total clicks, impressions, average CTR (click through rate) and average position are all on. Then select the queries option and sort by impressions, with the highest at the top.

Next is the fun part. Flip your Google into incognito mood and type in one of those queries. Now you need to be objective here, but have a look at your blog post title, your meta data, image etc, as well as your competition’s. And ask yourself what can you improve to ensure people click on your result and not the others.

OPTIMISE RESULTS THAT ARE NEARLY ON PAGE ONE

You might have heard of the saying, where’s the best place to hide a dead body on Google? On page three obviously. But seriously, the majority of searchers do not look beyond page one. Which is why you want to optimise these pages so you can hopefully move then from page two, or three, onto page one.

To do this, again head to queries, but this time sort by position, with number one at the top. Then have a look at your results. Which ones are on pages two or three. And which ones are on pages nine, 10 or 11. You can now focus on which pages you want to optimise your SEO for to hopefully tip these pages off pages two or three and onto page one.

FINDING KEYWORDS YOU RANK FOR, BUT HAVE NO POST FOR

So for this you want to select queries and then sort by position with number one at the top again. Now looking at your list of queries, think of these as keywords you rank highly for. Do you have an optimised post for each of these? Probably not. I definitely don’t that’ for sure.

But you can use this as a way of creating content that you know you could rank highly for, if only you had the right post for the keyword. One thing to note though, is that obviously only write content that sits with you blog. Rather than just writing content that you think you could rank highly for.

FINDING KEYWORDS YOU RANK WELL FOR, BUT THE POST NEEDS A REFRESH

Now this is one that happens to me quite a lot. Seeing as my blog is almost seven years old, I have some old content that I rank quite highly for. But the pictures and copy could definitely do with a refresh!

Stick with the same list you previously created for the point above and look at the queries that rank highly and have a corresponding post attached to it. By optimising and refreshing the post, you can also increase the amount of traffic coming to your blog.

FINDING THE PAGES THAT DON’T GET A LOT OF VISITS OR IMPRESSIONS

Unfortunately we all have these pages that just don’t get the visits or impressions they deserve. Which is why it’s important to identify them and optimise them so more people will see the amazing content your producing. So to do this, select pages and sort by click with the lowest number of clicks at the top. Then do the same but sort by impressions. You now have two lists to look at, so focus on which ones you want to delete, and which ones you want to update.

I hope this has been helpful, let me know in the comments if you plan on taking these tips on how to use Google Search Console to grow your blog. And let me know of any ways you use Google Search Console to grow you’re blogs.