So, you logged into Google Search Console expecting some useful insights, only to be met with a series of errors and warnings. Maybe your site isn’t getting indexed, your pages are loading too slowly, or Google has flagged usability issues. Before you start overhauling everything or considering a career change, let’s break down what’s happening and how to fix it.
Navigating a Search Console Report
Before panicking over errors, it’s important to understand what Google Search Console is actually telling you. The platform provides several key metrics that can help diagnose performance issues and improve your site’s visibility in search results.
- Impressions: This is the number of times a link to your site appeared in Google search results. Even if a user doesn’t click, it still counts as an impression.
- Clicks: The number of times users clicked on your site from search results. Low clicks but high impressions could indicate a problem with your title tag or meta description.
- Position: This refers to where your page ranks on average in search results. If your position is dropping, it could mean increased competition, algorithm updates, or site quality issues.
These metrics, along with reports on indexing, mobile usability, and security, help you diagnose what's working and what needs fixing.
Understanding the Problem
Google Search Console is brutally honest. If it’s telling you that your site has coverage issues, that means some of your pages aren’t being indexed. This could be because they’re new, blocked by a robots.txt file, or marked as noindex. If your site is slow, you might see Core Web Vitals errors—things like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) taking too long or Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) making your pages feel unstable.
Then there are mobile usability errors. If buttons are too close together or text is too small, Google will let you know. And if the worst happens—a security warning or manual action—you’ll need to act fast to clean up malware or remove harmful backlinks.
Google Search Console also provides insights into how Google Search works. Understanding this can help you adjust your SEO strategy and fix issues that may be holding your site back.
Fixing What Matters First
Not every issue needs immediate attention. Security problems and manual actions are critical—if your site is compromised or penalized, nothing else matters until that’s resolved. Speed and mobile usability come next, especially since Google prioritizes fast, user-friendly sites. Lower-priority issues like minor UX adjustments or schema markup errors can wait, but they’re still worth addressing in the long run.
If you’re not sure where to start, consider running a Google PageSpeed Insights test (here) to diagnose performance issues.
Improving Site Performance
Technical fixes are just one part of the equation. If Google isn’t indexing your pages, ask yourself whether they add value. Are they original, well-written, and optimized for search intent? If not, refreshing outdated content and structuring your pages better might be the solution.
Website Speed Matters and might require compressing images, cleaning up unnecessary scripts, and using a content delivery network (CDN). Fixing mobile issues often comes down to adjusting font sizes, spacing, and ensuring your design is responsive.
If you're looking for an alternative to Google Analytics that gives you better privacy and compliance options, you might want to consider Matomo.
Keeping Things on Track
SEO isn’t a one-time fix. Once you’ve resolved the biggest issues, keep an eye on Google Search Console for any new warnings. Run speed tests, check mobile usability, and track whether your fixes improve rankings. If you’re still struggling, consider revisiting your content strategy—Google rewards sites that provide useful, well-structured information.
For more insights on making sense of SEO reports, check out How to Read Google Search Console Reports Like a Pro.
Final Thoughts
If Search Console told you your site sucks, it’s not the end of the world—it’s just a roadmap for improvement. Instead of feeling defeated, use it as a checklist. Fix what’s broken, make your content better, and keep optimizing. The results will follow.
Want to learn more? Check out Google’s official Search Console Help for more details on impressions, clicks, ranking position, and how search works.