The Digital Marketing Podcast

Episode: Google Search Console. Re-discovered

Hosts: Daniel Rowles & Ciaran Rogers

Date: December 8, 2016

Overview

In this episode, Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers revisit Google Search Console (formerly known as Webmaster Tools), exploring its evolving features, critical importance for SEO, and practical tips for digital marketers. The duo share recent experiences, dig into essential reports, and offer actionable advice for leveraging Search Console to boost website performance, improve search visibility, and avoid costly technical mishaps.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Google Search Console? [00:19–02:27]

• Search Console enables webmasters and marketers to monitor and optimize website health, track issues with search indexing, and analyze website appearance in Google results.
• The hosts emphasize the importance of re-validating your website in Search Console if you migrate from HTTP to HTTPS, as Google treats these as separate entities.
  • "Just as a rule of thumb, having a secure HTTPS is better from a search point of view. ... When you'd move to HTTPS, you need to go through and make sure you set yourself up in Search Console again to get that data through." – Daniel [01:08]
• Integration with Google Analytics is possible and encouraged for deeper analysis.

2. Search Appearance Menu and Data Highlighter [02:27–05:08]

• Schema Markup is crucial for helping search engines understand website content types, leading to enhanced search listings (e.g., events, recipes, articles).
  • "There's a whole, whole bunch of different attributes that you can mark up your content with. And doing it’s well worth doing because ... it helps the search engines to understand what your site content is all about." – Ciaran [03:12]
• The Data Highlighter tool (a code-free method) is highlighted as invaluable for non-technical users:
  • "No coding was required, no keyboards were killed in the whole process. It was really, really good." – Ciaran [04:53]
• Data Highlighter identifies patterns for Google without modifying source code, streamlining implementation of structured data.

3. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) [05:08–07:23]

• AMP offers an open-source way to serve lightweight web pages, greatly improving load speed on mobile devices.
• Ciaran notes that AMP matters more as Google continues its mobile-first push:
  • "With Google's continuing focus on mobile first and mobile devices...this is going to become a really key technology." – Ciaran [06:05]
• While direct ranking boosts for AMP aren’t confirmed, there's a strong emphasis on future potential.

4. Search Traffic Reports: Links and Mobile Usability [07:23–09:51]

• Links to Your Site Report shows who links to you and top linked content. Useful for spotting which content attracts external attention, which helps inform content strategy.
  • "You can go into the links to your site report and get an overview... Who links most gives you like the top five or so..." – Ciaran [08:15]
  • Observation: Their About page and podcast are top link earners.
• Mobile usability and international targeting are accessible via Search Console’s reports.
• Reports offer samples, not exhaustive lists, but are valuable indicators.

5. Google Index: Content Keywords [09:51–12:37]

• Content Keywords Report displays what Google thinks your website is about, based on content analysis.
  • Daniel shares a practical SEO story:
    • "We realized that people were searching a lot for digital marketing courses. ... So we've changed it to online digital marketing courses. ... And now the word courses is at number five in this list, which means Google realizes that we are relevant..." – Daniel [11:01]
• This report helps marketers identify optimization gaps and correct misaligned content.

6. Search Analytics Report (Search Traffic) [12:37–13:45]

• Offers metrics like clicks, impressions, click-through rate, and average position per query, page, country, device, or type.
  • "You can take a look across the board at clicks, impressions, click through rate and position and sort of overlay these... it's the only reliable place where you can get, you know, an average position for how you rank for certain queries." – Ciaran [12:37]
• Especially useful since Google removed search queries from Analytics for logged-in users.
• "It does tell you things like what people are searching on different devices, which has been missing for ages..." – Daniel [13:45]

7. Security Issues & Dashboard Alerts [13:45–18:00]

• Security Issues Report will alert you if Google suspects the site is hacked or hosts malware.
• Consequences include loss of search visibility or warning labels in results, which can severely damage reputation.
  • "If they think there's any malware or hacking on your website, they will generally remove you from the Google Index or ... put a big warning all over your website..." – Daniel [14:44]
• 404 (Not Found) Errors: Regularly review and correct missing pages to avoid negative perceptions by Google.
  • "It might think it's not being maintained. It's not going to be a great user experience..." – Daniel [15:29]
• Ciaran highlights the importance of enabling email notifications and keeping WordPress (or any CMS) updated:
  • "One of the easiest ways of getting your site hacked is if you don't update your content with the latest patches. In particular, I'm talking about WordPress..." – Ciaran [16:30]
  • Advice: Set up notifications and check Search Console at least monthly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the importance of HTTPS in Search Console:
  • "When you'd move to HTTPS, you need to go through and make sure you set yourself up in Search Console again to get that data through." – Daniel [01:12]
• On the usefulness of Data Highlighter:
  • "No coding was required, no keyboards were killed in the whole process. It was really, really good." – Ciaran [04:53]
• On AMP’s growing role:
  • "We've all been there and had the slow experience and it really does make an enormous difference on mobile devices..." – Ciaran [06:01]
• On the power of Content Keywords:
  • "We changed our on page optimization... and now the word courses is at number five in this list, which means Google realizes that we are relevant to our digital marketing courses." – Daniel [11:13]
• On security diligence:
  • "The first you'll hear that you've got a problem is when customers search for your brand name, your website comes up in the search results and next to it has this really... quite disturbing and upsetting note that Google think this site has been hacked." – Ciaran [15:52]
  • "When people get in there they can do all sorts of really quite cruel and painful things to try and game Google System and leverage other websites up the rankings and I guarantee it'll push yours right down really, really quick." – Ciaran [16:54]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:19 – 02:27: Introduction to Google Search Console and migration concerns
• 02:27 – 05:08: Schema Markup & Data Highlighter explained
• 05:08 – 07:23: Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and mobile optimization
• 07:23 – 09:51: Links to Your Site and content strategy insights
• 09:51 – 12:37: Content Keywords Report and SEO practical example
• 12:37 – 13:45: Search Analytics Report advantages
• 13:45 – 18:00: Security Issues, dashboard alerts, notifications, and CMS security

Practical Takeaways

• Set up and regularly review Search Console—including for HTTP/HTTPS versions.
• Use Data Highlighter to implement schema without coding skills.
• Explore AMP for faster mobile experiences.
• Monitor which content is attracting links and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
• Regularly check the Content Keywords and Search Analytics reports for optimization.
• Enable email notifications, maintain CMS updates, and address any security issues immediately.

The episode provides a hands-on walkthrough for both technical and non-technical marketers, making Google Search Console accessible, practical, and a core tool in the SEO toolkit.