Helpful Summary
Overview: We explain how to improve keyword rankings with GSC, from spotting keyword opportunities to optimizing your content.
Why Listen to Us: Keyword Metrics offers an interface that simplifies every important GSC data. So, when it comes to Google Search Console, we definitely know a thing or two.
Why It Matters: Understanding how to use GSC effectively is essential for anyone looking to improve their search engine rankings.
Action Points: Regularly monitor key metrics in GSC, identify and target new keyword opportunities, and use tools like Keyword Metrics to overcome GSC's limitations.
Further Research: Check out the Keyword Metrics Blog for tips on using Google Search Console effectively and other smart keyword strategies.
Want To Learn How To Use Google Search Console (GSC) For Keyword Ranking?
Google Search Console is a fantastic tool to monitor and keep your SEO strategy on track. It's packed with lots of valuable insights, and since it’s straight from Google, you know it’s the real deal.
But here’s the catch—it’s often overlooked in many SEO strategies, which is a real missed opportunity.
In this Keyword Metrics guide, we’ll show you how to boost your keyword rankings using Google Search Console.
But before we dive in…
Why Trust Us?
We’ve been using Google Search Console for over a decade. So, we’re pretty familiar with its ins, outs, and even its limitations. In fact, it was these limitations that led us to develop Keyword Metrics.
We’ll get into the details later. But for now, just know Keyword Metrics integrates smoothly with Search Console and delivers all the important keyword insights in a simple, no-fuss dashboard.
The point? We’re GSC experts, and we’ve packed all the insights you need into this guide to help you master keyword ranking.
What is GSC?
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that allows you to monitor and troubleshoot your site’s presence on search results. It gives you insights into key details like:
The queries your website ranks for
Your site’s position in search results
How many clicks your pages are getting
The countries your visitors are coming from
…plus, a bunch of other useful info about how users and Google’s bots see and interact with your site.
Lately, Google is also branching out to offer recommendations based on your site’s performance. But heads up—it’s still experimental, so this feature might not be available to everyone just yet.
Benefits of Google Search Console for Keyword Tracking and Ranking
Free and Accurate Keyword Data
Search Console gives you a direct line to Google's search data, offering the most accurate and up-to-date insights on your website’s keyword performance.
Unlike third-party tools that rely on estimates, Search Console provides precise data on search queries, impressions, clicks, and average positions. This allows you to make confident, data-driven decisions for your site.
And the best part? It’s completely free
Track Changes Over Time
GSC begins recording data from the moment you connect it to your website and stores it for up to 16 months. So, you can track user behavior over time, identify patterns, and refine your content strategy to better align with your audience's needs.
Plus, you can easily export this data for further analysis (for free).
How To Connect Your Website to Google Search Console
If you haven’t set up Google Search Console yet, no worries—here’s a quick guide to get you up and running in no time:
a. First, visit Google Search Console and sign in using your Google account.
b. Next, add your website to GSC by entering its URL. You have two options here:
If you want to track your entire website (including all subdomains and subfolders), choose the “Domain” option.
If you only want to focus on a specific section of your site (like /blog or /products), use the “URL prefix” method to add that particular section.
c. Once you’ve completed the previous step, you’ll be presented with an interface that lists the steps needed to verify your ownership. If you choose the Domain method, for example, here’s what you’ll need to do next:
d. After completing these steps, you should get an “ownership verified” message like this:
Now that you’re ready to go, let’s get into the business of the day…
How to Use Google Search Console For Keyword Ranking and Tracking
1. Keep Tabs on Queries You’re Already Targeting
The first (and probably easiest) way to use Google Search Console is to monitor the performance of the queries you’re already targeting. Is the keyword hitting the mark, or does the content need a little tweak? You can figure this out by analyzing your performance data—like positions, impression trends, and clicks.
For example, if any of these key metrics are trending downward for a specific keyword, it might be time to make some adjustments.
This is especially important if you’re targeting zero-volume keywords. Most third-party SEO tools won’t give you the data you need on these keywords, but GSC will.
Here’s how to do this:
a. Select the website you want to analyze
b. Under Performance in the left navigation menu, click on Search results
Hmmm
c. Click on New, choose “query,” and type in the keyword you’re targeting. Be sure to select “exact query” before hitting “apply.”
As you can see below, you’ll get a detailed performance report for that specific keyword.
We often advise setting the date range to at least three months to better appreciate your performance trend.
If the keyword performance isn’t improving over time, that’s a good signal that you need to ramp up your SEO effort. You can conduct more granular analysis to figure out what’s missing—maybe your content could use more internal links, a boost in backlinks, or even a fresh update.
2. Find Low Hanging Fruits
Here’s the thing: Searchers can still stumble upon your content on SERPs using keywords you didn’t specifically target. We call these “nearly-there keywords.”
Why does this matter? Great question.
Since you're not directly targeting these keywords, you’re probably not ranking as well as you could be. But if people are already finding you through them, it means Google is already associating these keywords with your website.
So, if you start targeting them directly, you could rank higher and drive even more traffic.
Now, the real question is… how do you find and optimize for these keywords?
a. Search for the page you’d like to optimize on GSC. Make sure you select “Exact URL” while searching.
b. Once on the selected page’s performance report, click on the "Queries" tab to view all the search queries that are bringing traffic to this page.
c. Export this data to a Google Sheet or CSV file for easier analysis.
d. Open the exported data in Google Sheets and sort the keywords by their position. Focus on keywords that are ranked between positions 2 and 20.
The final step is all about tidying up and checking your data.
Look for keywords that are getting a good number of impressions in your new list.
Then, search for these keywords on your target page to see if you’re already covering them.
If not, you've just found yourself some golden keyword opportunities.
Now, simply weave these keywords into your content naturally. For example, you can add a new sub-section or create a FAQ section if the keyword is question-based. This will help you capture those missed opportunities and boost your content's relevance.
Sounds stressful, right? Well, it is (but it doesn’t have to be). With Keyword Metrics, you can skip the hassle of manual analysis and filters.
Everything you need is right there on a simple, no-frill dashboard —low-hanging GSC keyword opportunities you might be missing, and the exact page where you should target them. Need content to optimize that page? Our AI can even generate snippets to make updates incredibly easy for you.
3. Discover More Relevant Keywords Using Regex
Regex (short for Regular Expression) can be a bit technical, especially when it comes to using it in Google Search Console. But don’t worry, we won’t dive too deep into the weeds today. Just know that Regex lets you create patterns to match and filter URLs, search queries, or other data based on specific criteria.
One cool use case? Finding different variations of your seed keywords to target. Let’s see how that works.
Remember we said regex is all about patterns. Here are some nice patterns you can use for keyword research:
Exact match of: ^keyword$
Starts with: ^keyword
Ends with: keyword$
Contains: .keyword.
Any word: \bkeyword\b
…for example, using the ^keyword pattern in Google Search Console will show you results that start with your specific keyword.
It might seem tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty fascinating. Plus, it’ll make more sense when we walk you through an example. That said, here’s how to use regex.
a. Click new at the top of this interface
b. Select query
c. Select custom (regex)
d. Let’s use the regex pattern below for example::
^(who|what|where|when|why|will|was|can|does|if|is|do|how|should|could|did)
Note: This search is simply telling Google Search Console to find all queries that start with the words in brackets.
e. Click Apply
As you can see, the regex pattern we used includes "question" words. The results will show queries people ask related to the keywords you’re targeting. This can help you create content that better addresses your audience's needs.
4. Find Missed Branded Keyword Opportunities
There may be valuable branded keywords that you're not optimizing for. Missing out on these queries can mean losing traffic and visibility for brand-related searches.
Here’s how to find them
a. Click new at the top of this interface
b. Select query
c. Type your brand name and select “Queries Containing”
If there's no result, it means you’re probably not missing out on any branded query for now.
5. Identify Pages Ranking for a Keyword & Detect Competing Pages
One general rule of SEO is that you shouldn't target the same keyword in different posts/pages.
Doing so could make your pages compete against each other in the SERPs and it can hurt your overall ranking. To prevent this, identify competing pages on your website and adjust their target keywords.
Here's how to find competing pages on your website
a. Click on a keyword of interest
b. Go to pages - You'll see all the pages on your website that are targeting that keyword.
The main page ranking for that keyword will have the most impressions. All the others are competing pages.
6. Find Pages That Need Better Title Tag and Meta Description
Sometimes, after putting in all the effort to get your webpage on Google’s first page, you might still not see the clicks rolling in. If that sounds familiar, your title tag and meta description might need a little more oomph to grab attention.
If you notice your impressions going up but clicks staying flat, it’s a sign to rethink those titles and descriptions. Here’s how to pinpoint the content that needs a refresh
a. Select the average CTR metric
b. Select pages
c. Click CTR to rearrange the pages in descending order.
d. Find top pages with a low CTR and write better title tags and meta descriptions.
7. Find Local Search Ranking Opportunities
GSC helps you spot local search ranking opportunities by showing where your visitors are coming from, down to specific countries, states, or cities linked to your website.
Follow these steps:
a. Click Countries
b. Select the country of interest
c. Go to queries
Here, you’ll find local keyword opportunities, such as "near-me" searches or mentions of specific states and cities.
Before creating new content, ensure you’re not already targeting these keywords to avoid cannibalization. Also, consider search volume to prioritize keywords that offer the most potential for improving your local search ranking
8. Analyze Your Site’s Backlinks and Internal Links
Use Google Search Console to spot pages with lots of valuable backlinks, and make sure they're well-linked to the key content on your site.
Also, look out for high-intent or money-making pages that might be missing internal or external links, and fill those gaps to boost their visibility and authority.
Follow these steps:
a. In Google Search Console, go to the Links report found in the left sidebar.
b. Under the “Top linking sites” section, see which external sites are linking to your pages - click on any of the sites to view the pages on your website that it links to.
c. In the “Top linked pages” section under “External links”, review the pages on your site receiving the most backlinks - To see the websites linking to a specific page, click on that page.
d. Scroll to the “Top linking text” section to view all the anchor text used in the external links pointing to your site.
e. In the “Top linked pages” section under “Internal links”, review the pages on your site that have the most internal links pointing to them.
By following these steps, you can enhance the visibility and authority of key pages on your site through effective backlinks and internal link management.
Limitations of Google Search Console
No Consolidated View of Pages and Their Queries
In GSC, finding out which keywords each page ranks (or can rank) for feels like a scavenger hunt. You have to click through different sections, set filters, and check each page one by one. When you're managing a lot of pages, this can really eat up your time.
Lack of Keyword Intent Identification
GSC doesn’t dive into the “why” behind keywords—like whether they’re informational or commercial. Without that insight, it’s harder to create content that truly resonates with what the searcher is looking for.
While there are other good ways to figure this out, we just thought it would be nice to have this feature built into a tool you’re already using for keyword research.
No Regular Keyword Performance Reports
GSC also doesn’t send you regular keyword performance updates. You have to log in and dig around yourself, which isn’t exactly convenient if you want to stay on top of things.
How Keyword Metrics Overcomes These Limitations
Unified Keyword Tracking and Analysis
Keyword Metrics integrates seamlessly with GSC to provide a consolidated view of keywords associated with each page. This integration eliminates the need for manual navigation, significantly reducing the time spent on keyword tracking and making your SEO efforts more efficient.
Advanced Keyword Intent Insights
Keyword Metrics offers advanced filtering capabilities to analyze keywords by intent—transactional, commercial, or question. This feature allows you to refine your content strategy, better align with user needs, and assess the earning potential of your keywords.
Automated and Insightful Weekly Reports
With Keyword Metrics, you receive automated weekly reports on keyword performance directly to your inbox. This feature keeps you updated on crucial SEO metrics without the need for constant manual checks in GSC.
5 Google Search Console Best Practices
1. Replicate Your Top Performing Pages
One of the best ways to enhance your website's performance is by replicating the success of your top-performing pages. Start by analyzing the common factors that contribute to the success of these pages. Look for patterns in;
keyword intent,
content depth, breadth, and relevance
internal linking,
formatting
…and other SEO elements.
Once you've identified these key factors, apply the same principles when creating new content targeting similar keywords or clusters. By mirroring the successful strategies that have worked before, you increase the likelihood of achieving similar results with new content.
2. Regularly Monitor Key Metrics
SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. You’ve got to keep an eye on what’s working and what’s not, and be ready to pivot or tweak as needed. And honestly, Google Search Console is your best friend here—it’s where you’ll find verified and accurate info about your search performance.
The point? Regularly review performance reports—tracking clicks, impressions, average CTR, and average position—to keep your SEO efforts data-driven and targeted.
The term "regularly" can be a bit vague. But you don't want to be glued to Google Search Console every day. That’s a fast track to analysis paralysis, and it won’t give you a clear picture of your progress.
So, what’s the sweet spot?
Google suggests checking your GSC at least once a month. But as your site grows, you might want to bump that up to probably bi-weekly.
Finally, keep in mind that after setting up GSC, it typically takes about a week for Google to start gathering data. If you don’t see data after this period, check that your setup is correct and that your pages are indexed by Google.
3. Set up and Use Weekly Report
To stay ahead of any major changes or issues, set up weekly reports. Since Google Search Console doesn’t offer this feature, you can automate it with Keyword Metrics. It scans all your pages and keywords weekly, spotting high-traffic keyword opportunities to help boost your rankings.
Each week, you’ll get a report highlighting the best opportunities, so you can make data-driven decisions without constantly digging into GSC. These reports help you quickly respond to traffic drops or other critical issues, keeping your site’s performance in top shape.
4. Regularly Audit and Update Site Content
You can use Google Search Console (GSC) data to identify underperforming content and make necessary updates. This proactive approach helps you retain traffic and enhances your site’s overall performance in search rankings.
To maximize the impact of these updates, consider using a tier-based approach.
Begin by tracking your keyword until it breaks into the top 20.
Once it reaches this threshold, analyze the SERPs to identify any content gaps and make targeted updates.
Finally, when your content climbs into positions 6 through 3, give it another boost to maintain momentum and secure higher rankings.
Keyword Metrics simplifies this entire process. Its intuitive interface allows you to quickly analyze your pages, identify keyword opportunities, and uncover under-optimized content that needs attention, moving beyond the traditional page-by-page analysis.
Additionally, Keyword Metrics features a content generation tool that lets you create SEO-friendly snippets, seamlessly integrating targeted keywords. With just a click, these snippets are ready to be copied and pasted into your site, allowing you to maintain your content's authenticity while effectively improving its SEO performance.
5. Look for Long Tail Keywords to Target
Targeting long-tail keywords is an effective way to boost your Google rankings quickly. These keywords are less competitive, making it easier to rank higher and attract more targeted traffic. Since long-tail keywords often match user intent more precisely, they lead to better engagement and higher conversion rates.
With the rise of voice search, optimizing for these specific, conversational queries gives you an edge in capturing relevant traffic. Use tools like Keyword Metrics to identify and target long-tail keywords efficiently.
3 Tools You Can Use Google Search Console with for Keyword Ranking
1. Keyword Metrics
Keyword Metrics is a powerful interface for GSC. By connecting your GSC account, you can identify high-traffic keywords you’re already ranking for and optimize your content to boost traffic and rankings.
Keyword Metrics saves you over 10 hours of content auditing each week by simplifying the process of diving into Search Console or manually reviewing posts. Its robust filters and sorting capabilities allow you to scale your SEO efforts efficiently.
Additionally, it offers a feature to generate content snippets mentioning your target keywords, which you can easily customize to fit your site’s tone and voice.
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics complements GSC by focusing on visitor behavior on your site. While GSC provides insights on your website’s appearance in SERPs and user interactions with your site on Google, Google Analytics tracks what visitors do once they arrive.
It measures metrics like time spent on your site, the most visited areas, clicked links, and conversion rates. Integrating GSC with Google Analytics gives you a comprehensive view of how users transition from search to site interaction and eventual conversions.
3. Google Sheets
Google Sheets can be an invaluable tool when paired with GSC. Since GSC stores data for up to 16 months, exporting your data regularly to Google Sheets ensures you retain all your historical SEO data. This allows for long-term trend analysis and a deeper understanding of your site’s performance over time.
Additionally, Google Sheets offers flexibility for custom reporting, enabling you to manually analyze and visualize your GSC data. With the ability to create custom formulas and dashboards, you can track specific metrics and tailor your data analysis to your unique SEO needs.
Maximize Your SEO Success by Combining GSC with the Right Tools
Google Search Console is an invaluable tool for improving keyword rankings, but its limitations can make it time-consuming and less efficient. To truly maximize its potential, pairing GSC with a tool like Keyword Metrics is essential. Keyword Metrics enhances GSC's capabilities with an intuitive interface that streamlines your workflow.
Start optimizing your rankings more effectively with Keyword Metrics today.
Want to find out more about using Google Search Console for Keyword Ranking
