Expert advice for photographers: How to use Google Search Console

The centerpiece of your online presence is undoubtedly your website. It is the prime stage where you display your portfolio and, naturally, the hub to draw in potential clients. To boost your visibility and augment your website’s ranking on Google search results, it’s prudent to acquaint yourself with Google Search Console and its numerous features. This exceptional, free tool allows you to optimize your website and stand out among your competitors.

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Setting up Google Search Console

Embarking on this venture, there are some basic steps you’ll need to follow to establish a new Google Search Console property for your website and to confirm ownership.

1. Sign in to Google Search Console

Make your way to the Google Search Console website and sign in utilizing your Google account credentials. If you don’t have a Google account, now’s the time to set one up.

2. Add Your Website

Seek out the “Add a Property” button and click on it. You will then be prompted to type in your website’s URL. Be sure to enter the exact URL that you intend to oversee, including the “http” or “https” protocol.

3. Verify Ownership

Various avenues exist to verify your ownership of the website, each bearing its own merits. These include:

• Uploading an HTML file to your website’s root directory
• Adding a meta tag to your website’s HTML code
• Verification via your Google Analytics account

Select the verification method that you find easiest, and follow the accompanying instructions. Once your website ownership is successfully verified, an invaluable trove of information regarding your website’s performance in Google search results will be at your fingertips.

4. Set up Search Console For Multiple Users (Optional)

In situations where multiple individuals are involved in the maintenance of your website, it is advantageous to add them as users in Google Search Console. This grants them access to analyze your website’s performance data without requiring full access to your personal Google account.

To incorporate a new user in your Google Search Console Dashboard, navigate to the settings icon located in the upper right corner, and select “Users and permissions.” After that, click on the “Add user” button. At that point, you need to provide their email address. You retain the autonomy to specify whether they should be granted full access or if their access should be confined to specific subsets of your website’s performance data.

Essential Google Search Console Features for Photographers

Once you have integrated your website with Google Search Console and validated ownership, you can access crucial details on your website’s Google search performance. This information empowers you to conduct a comprehensive assessment of your site’s strengths and areas that need polishing. Armed with these insights, you can make data-backed choices to bolster your site’s performance and gain an edge over your competitors.

Evaluating Your Site’s Performance

Google Search Console serves as a reliable tool to gauge your website’s performance and identify areas that require an upgrade. For a photography site, the primary goal is to enhance the website’s visibility on image search results. The Performance report on the Console enables you to evaluate the efficacy of your images on Google search results, taking into account critical metrics like the number of clicks, impressions, and average position.

Refining Your Site for Google Search

Several strategies can be employed to fine-tune your website for better visibility on Google search results. A starting point is to ensure that your website is mobile-responsive and offers swift page load times. These measures can improve your website’s standing in Google search rankings. Furthermore, optimizing your images through descriptive file names, alt tags, and appropriate captions can elevate their ranking in image search results.

Troubleshoot Errors on Your Website with Google Search Console

Google Search Console plays a significant role in helping you spot and rectify issues on your website, from broken links to crawl errors and beyond. Resolving these glitches improves your website’s overall performance and enhances the user experience.

Exploit Google Search Console for Keyword Optimization

Keyword optimization is a central aspect of SEO, and Google Search Console brings insights into the keywords generating traffic to your website. The Performance report unveils the leading search queries propelling users to your website, as well as the pages garnering the most clicks. Scrutinizing this data allows you to pinpoint high-performing keywords and adjust your website’s content to mirror these trends.

Augment Your Website’s Display in Search Results

The Google Search Console also contains tools to enhance your website’s visual appeal in search results. For instance, you can leverage the Rich Results report to visualize your website’s pages’ representation in Google search results and identify room for improvement. Additionally, the URL Inspection tool enables you to verify if a particular page on your website qualifies for rich results such as rich snippets, an appealing feature that can make your website distinguishable in search results.

Maintain Your Website’s Security

In addition, Google Search Console offers a Security Issues report, alerting you to potential security threats on your website, like compromised content or malware. Regular monitoring of this report facilitates rapid detection and remediation of any security vulnerabilities that might affect your website’s performance in search results.

Conclusion

To increase visibility on Google search results and lure a greater pool of prospective clients, it’s essential to assess the effectiveness of your website and refine it for search. This involves addressing any errors, optimizing keywords, and improving its aesthetic appeal. Additionally, ensuring the website’s security is crucial. By incorporating these strategies, you can improve your site’s performance and reach a wider audience.

About the Author

Before diving into digital marketing, Josip Hotovec studied Computer Science at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. As the online marketing world expanded, his interest in SEO, web development, and social media helped him establish his own business, Paradox Bay. He also works as a SEO Manager at Wonderful Machine. In his offline time, Josip enjoys riding bikes, exploring nature, and learning Japanese. This article was originally published here and shared with permission.