Hands On With Google Data Studio

CHAPTER 6Using Google Search Console for Audience Insights

This chapter takes a close look at the Search Console application. Search Console is another service that anyone with a Google account can access. That said, you won't see anything in the service unless you have verified that you are the owner of a site or have been added as an authorized user. This makes sense, as this information is intended for the use of site owners and it should normally not be available to the general public. Figure 6.1 shows where I can select a web property to which I have access.

In this chapter, you'll learn about some of the main functions of Search Console and why to use Data Studio instead of the standard application interface. Along the way, you will get some solid advice on how to find search opportunities and get better rankings in the search result pages.

Figure 6.1: Selecting a property to view in Search Console

Search Console and Search Results Pages

Once a user selects a property, they have access to several services. These services help site managers understand how their site is interpreted by Google Search. Site managers can check which of their pages are being indexed by Search, how those pages are viewed by Google, how pages are linked internally and from other sites, and much more. This is an important service because most sites rely on traffic from Google Search, and this ...