Tracking SEO metrics in Google Search Console is useful to assure that your SEO rankings are performing well and your website is maintained and optimized for SEO. Here are top Google Search Console metrics you should keep track each month.
Page Indexing
This report shows whether your pages are being indexed by Google and making it to the search results.
Pages Indexed
This tells you how many of your pages are in Google’s index. A drop in this number could mean fewer pages are available for users to find. Make sure to check trends over time, not just month-end numbers.
Pages Not Indexed
This shows how many pages aren’t being indexed and the possible reasons (like 404 errors or duplicate content). Investigating these reasons will help you understand what’s going wrong and how to fix it.
Videos Indexed
If your site includes videos, this report will show how many of them are indexed by Google. Issues like missing thumbnails or unsupported formats can prevent videos from appearing in search results.
- Videos Indexed: Track how many of your videos Google has indexed.
- Videos Not Indexed: Investigate why certain videos aren’t getting indexed and resolve any issues blocking them.
XML Sitemap Errors
Your XML sitemap helps search engines find and crawl your content. For large websites, any errors in your sitemap can prevent new pages from being indexed or create confusion with hreflang tags.
Tips: Always check that each sitemap says “Success.” For bigger sites, track specific sitemaps that reflect different sections of your site (like by country or category) to catch problems early.
Mobile Core Web Vitals
Mobile experience is critical for SEO. Google has higher expectations for mobile performance, so these metrics should be a top focus.
Metrics to Watch:
- Good URLs (those that meet Google’s standards)
- Poor URLs
- URLs that need improvement
This report shows you where mobile page speed and other issues arise. Use this data to coordinate with developers and improve your site’s mobile experience.
Desktop Core Web Vitals
Similar to mobile, desktop Core Web Vitals track how well your site performs on desktop devices. While mobile is usually the focus, desktop metrics can reveal trends, especially if your audience uses desktops more frequently.
Rich Results from Schema
Adding structured data (Schema) to your site can unlock rich features in search results, such as product reviews, FAQs, and breadcrumbs.
Enhancements: Google tracks how well your structured data is implemented. This report shows which URLs have issues and which are valid.
By keeping an eye on these key metrics in Google Search Console, you’ll be able to spot issues early and optimize your website’s performance!