Definition

Google Search Console is Google’s free tool for monitoring how your site appears in Search — indexing status, queries, clicks, Core Web Vitals, and manual actions.

Detailed Explanation

Key reports: Performance (queries, CTR), Pages (indexing), Sitemaps, URL Inspection, Core Web Vitals, Links, Manual actions, Security issues.

Use GSC to submit sitemaps, request indexing, fix coverage errors, and validate schema/rich results.

Nepal Context

Verify domain property after .com.np migrations. Monitor mobile usability — most Nepali traffic is mobile. Check indexing after festival content pushes when publish volume spikes.

Key Takeaways

  • Free and essential — connect before launching SEO campaigns
  • URL Inspection shows Google’s rendered view of any page
  • Performance data lags 2–3 days; use for trend analysis

Common Mistakes

  1. Only checking GSC when traffic drops
  2. Ignoring “Excluded” pages report
  3. Not verifying all domain variants (www vs non-www, http vs https)